diff --git a/common/arch.go b/common/arch.go
index 8daade0..bc2a9d9 100644
--- a/common/arch.go
+++ b/common/arch.go
@@ -293,12 +293,12 @@
 	}
 }
 
-func InitArchModule(m AndroidModule, defaultMultilib string,
+func InitArchModule(m AndroidModule, defaultMultilib Multilib,
 	propertyStructs ...interface{}) (blueprint.Module, []interface{}) {
 
 	base := m.base()
 
-	base.commonProperties.Compile_multilib = defaultMultilib
+	base.commonProperties.Compile_multilib = string(defaultMultilib)
 
 	base.generalProperties = append(base.generalProperties,
 		&base.commonProperties)
diff --git a/common/module.go b/common/module.go
index 515327a..ba33ec6 100644
--- a/common/module.go
+++ b/common/module.go
@@ -80,7 +80,14 @@
 	Device_supported bool
 }
 
-func InitAndroidModule(m AndroidModule, hod HostOrDeviceSupported, defaultMultilib string,
+type Multilib string
+
+const (
+	MultilibBoth  Multilib = "both"
+	MultilibFirst Multilib = "first"
+)
+
+func InitAndroidModule(m AndroidModule, hod HostOrDeviceSupported, defaultMultilib Multilib,
 	propertyStructs ...interface{}) (blueprint.Module, []interface{}) {
 
 	base := m.base()