diff --git a/java/base.go b/java/base.go
index b925350..a076718 100644
--- a/java/base.go
+++ b/java/base.go
@@ -1481,11 +1481,11 @@
 	}
 
 	if ctx.Device() {
-		lintSDKVersionString := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) string {
+		lintSDKVersion := func(sdkSpec android.SdkSpec) android.ApiLevel {
 			if v := sdkSpec.ApiLevel; !v.IsPreview() {
-				return v.String()
+				return v
 			} else {
-				return ctx.Config().DefaultAppTargetSdk(ctx).String()
+				return ctx.Config().DefaultAppTargetSdk(ctx)
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -1494,9 +1494,9 @@
 		j.linter.srcJars = srcJars
 		j.linter.classpath = append(append(android.Paths(nil), flags.bootClasspath...), flags.classpath...)
 		j.linter.classes = j.implementationJarFile
-		j.linter.minSdkVersion = lintSDKVersionString(j.MinSdkVersion(ctx))
-		j.linter.targetSdkVersion = lintSDKVersionString(j.TargetSdkVersion(ctx))
-		j.linter.compileSdkVersion = lintSDKVersionString(j.SdkVersion(ctx))
+		j.linter.minSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.MinSdkVersion(ctx))
+		j.linter.targetSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.TargetSdkVersion(ctx))
+		j.linter.compileSdkVersion = lintSDKVersion(j.SdkVersion(ctx))
 		j.linter.compileSdkKind = j.SdkVersion(ctx).Kind
 		j.linter.javaLanguageLevel = flags.javaVersion.String()
 		j.linter.kotlinLanguageLevel = "1.3"
diff --git a/java/lint.go b/java/lint.go
index e97c9c2..426a2af 100644
--- a/java/lint.go
+++ b/java/lint.go
@@ -75,9 +75,9 @@
 	extraLintCheckJars      android.Paths
 	test                    bool
 	library                 bool
-	minSdkVersion           string
-	targetSdkVersion        string
-	compileSdkVersion       string
+	minSdkVersion           android.ApiLevel
+	targetSdkVersion        android.ApiLevel
+	compileSdkVersion       android.ApiLevel
 	compileSdkKind          android.SdkKind
 	javaLanguageLevel       string
 	kotlinLanguageLevel     string
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@
 		Text(`echo "<manifest xmlns:android='http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android'" &&`).
 		Text(`echo "    android:versionCode='1' android:versionName='1' >" &&`).
 		Textf(`echo "  <uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion='%s' android:targetSdkVersion='%s'/>" &&`,
-			l.minSdkVersion, l.targetSdkVersion).
+			l.minSdkVersion.String(), l.targetSdkVersion.String()).
 		Text(`echo "</manifest>"`).
 		Text(") >").Output(manifestPath)
 
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@
 		return
 	}
 
-	if l.minSdkVersion != l.compileSdkVersion {
+	if l.minSdkVersion.CompareTo(l.compileSdkVersion) == -1 {
 		l.extraMainlineLintErrors = append(l.extraMainlineLintErrors, updatabilityChecks...)
 		_, filtered := android.FilterList(l.properties.Lint.Warning_checks, updatabilityChecks)
 		if len(filtered) != 0 {
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@
 		FlagWithOutput("--html ", html).
 		FlagWithOutput("--text ", text).
 		FlagWithOutput("--xml ", xml).
-		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", l.compileSdkVersion).
+		FlagWithArg("--compile-sdk-version ", l.compileSdkVersion.String()).
 		FlagWithArg("--java-language-level ", l.javaLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--kotlin-language-level ", l.kotlinLanguageLevel).
 		FlagWithArg("--url ", fmt.Sprintf(".=.,%s=out", android.PathForOutput(ctx).String())).