diff --git a/python/binary.go b/python/binary.go
index af29bb6..9c8c1f4 100644
--- a/python/binary.go
+++ b/python/binary.go
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@
 	// doesn't exist next to the Android.bp, this attribute doesn't need to be set to true
 	// explicitly.
 	Auto_gen_config *bool
+
+	// Currently, both the root of the zipfile and all the directories 1 level
+	// below that are added to the python path. When this flag is set to true,
+	// only the root of the zipfile will be added to the python path. This flag
+	// will be removed after all the python modules in the tree have been updated
+	// to support it. When using embedded_launcher: true, this is already the
+	// behavior. The default is currently false.
+	Dont_add_top_level_directories_to_path *bool
 }
 
 type binaryDecorator struct {
@@ -128,10 +136,6 @@
 	IntermPathForModuleOut() android.OptionalPath
 }
 
-var (
-	StubTemplateHost = "build/soong/python/scripts/stub_template_host.txt"
-)
-
 func NewBinary(hod android.HostOrDeviceSupported) (*Module, *binaryDecorator) {
 	module := newModule(hod, android.MultilibFirst)
 	decorator := &binaryDecorator{pythonInstaller: NewPythonInstaller("bin", "")}
@@ -180,9 +184,12 @@
 		})
 	}
 
+	addTopDirectoriesToPath := !proptools.BoolDefault(binary.binaryProperties.Dont_add_top_level_directories_to_path, false)
+
 	binFile := registerBuildActionForParFile(ctx, embeddedLauncher, launcherPath,
 		binary.getHostInterpreterName(ctx, actualVersion),
-		main, binary.getStem(ctx), append(android.Paths{srcsZip}, depsSrcsZips...))
+		main, binary.getStem(ctx), append(android.Paths{srcsZip}, depsSrcsZips...),
+		addTopDirectoriesToPath)
 
 	return android.OptionalPathForPath(binFile)
 }