diff --git a/cc/sdk.go b/cc/sdk.go
index ce0fdc2..4925ce1 100644
--- a/cc/sdk.go
+++ b/cc/sdk.go
@@ -49,15 +49,18 @@
 			modules[1].(*Module).Properties.IsSdkVariant = true
 
 			if ctx.Config().UnbundledBuildApps() {
-				// For an unbundled apps build, hide the platform variant from Make.
+				// For an unbundled apps build, hide the platform variant from Make
+				// so that other Make modules don't link against it, but against the
+				// SDK variant.
 				modules[0].(*Module).Properties.HideFromMake = true
-				modules[0].(*Module).Properties.PreventInstall = true
 			} else {
 				// For a platform build, mark the SDK variant so that it gets a ".sdk" suffix when
 				// exposed to Make.
 				modules[1].(*Module).Properties.SdkAndPlatformVariantVisibleToMake = true
-				modules[1].(*Module).Properties.PreventInstall = true
 			}
+			// SDK variant never gets installed because the variant is to be embedded in
+			// APKs, not to be installed to the platform.
+			modules[1].(*Module).Properties.PreventInstall = true
 			ctx.AliasVariation("")
 		} else {
 			if isCcModule {