diff --git a/apex/apex_test.go b/apex/apex_test.go
index cde80c1..704bad6 100644
--- a/apex/apex_test.go
+++ b/apex/apex_test.go
@@ -1740,6 +1740,7 @@
 				"myapex",
 				"otherapex",
 			],
+			recovery_available: true,
 		}
 		cc_library {
 			name: "mylib2",
@@ -1757,7 +1758,7 @@
 	// non-APEX variant does not have __ANDROID_APEX__ defined
 	mylibCFlags := ctx.ModuleForTests("mylib", "android_arm64_armv8-a_static").Rule("cc").Args["cFlags"]
 	ensureNotContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX__")
-	ensureContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__=10000")
+	ensureNotContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__=10000")
 
 	// APEX variant has __ANDROID_APEX__ and __ANDROID_APEX_SDK__ defined
 	mylibCFlags = ctx.ModuleForTests("mylib", "android_arm64_armv8-a_static_myapex").Rule("cc").Args["cFlags"]
@@ -1789,6 +1790,11 @@
 	ensureContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX__")
 	ensureNotContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX_MYAPEX__")
 	ensureContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX_OTHERAPEX__")
+
+	// recovery variant does not set __ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__
+	mylibCFlags = ctx.ModuleForTests("mylib", "android_recovery_arm64_armv8-a_static").Rule("cc").Args["cFlags"]
+	ensureNotContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX__")
+	ensureNotContains(t, mylibCFlags, "-D__ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__")
 }
 
 func TestHeaderLibsDependency(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/cc/compiler.go b/cc/compiler.go
index fe81bd0..681b1ab 100644
--- a/cc/compiler.go
+++ b/cc/compiler.go
@@ -315,18 +315,6 @@
 			"-isystem "+getCurrentIncludePath(ctx).Join(ctx, config.NDKTriple(tc)).String())
 	}
 
-	if ctx.canUseSdk() {
-		sdkVersion := ctx.sdkVersion()
-		if sdkVersion == "" || sdkVersion == "current" {
-			if ctx.isForPlatform() {
-				sdkVersion = strconv.Itoa(android.FutureApiLevel)
-			} else {
-				sdkVersion = strconv.Itoa(ctx.apexSdkVersion())
-			}
-		}
-		flags.Global.CommonFlags = append(flags.Global.CommonFlags, "-D__ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__="+sdkVersion)
-	}
-
 	if ctx.useVndk() {
 		flags.Global.CommonFlags = append(flags.Global.CommonFlags, "-D__ANDROID_VNDK__")
 	}
@@ -340,6 +328,9 @@
 		if Bool(compiler.Properties.Use_apex_name_macro) {
 			flags.Global.CommonFlags = append(flags.Global.CommonFlags, "-D__ANDROID_APEX_"+makeDefineString(ctx.apexName())+"__")
 		}
+		if ctx.Device() {
+			flags.Global.CommonFlags = append(flags.Global.CommonFlags, "-D__ANDROID_SDK_VERSION__="+strconv.Itoa(ctx.apexSdkVersion()))
+		}
 	}
 
 	instructionSet := String(compiler.Properties.Instruction_set)