diff --git a/cc/androidmk.go b/cc/androidmk.go
index 4f4b047..187a2ff 100644
--- a/cc/androidmk.go
+++ b/cc/androidmk.go
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
 	InRamdisk() bool
 	InVendorRamdisk() bool
 	InRecovery() bool
-	AnyVariantDirectlyInAnyApex() bool
+	NotInPlatform() bool
 }
 
 type subAndroidMkProvider interface {
@@ -281,10 +281,15 @@
 			}
 		})
 	}
-	if len(library.Properties.Stubs.Versions) > 0 && !ctx.Host() && ctx.AnyVariantDirectlyInAnyApex() &&
+	// If a library providing a stub is included in an APEX, the private APIs of the library
+	// is accessible only inside the APEX. From outside of the APEX, clients can only use the
+	// public APIs via the stub. To enforce this, the (latest version of the) stub gets the
+	// name of the library. The impl library instead gets the `.bootstrap` suffix to so that
+	// they can be exceptionally used directly when APEXes are not available (e.g. during the
+	// very early stage in the boot process).
+	if len(library.Properties.Stubs.Versions) > 0 && !ctx.Host() && ctx.NotInPlatform() &&
 		!ctx.InRamdisk() && !ctx.InVendorRamdisk() && !ctx.InRecovery() && !ctx.UseVndk() && !ctx.static() {
 		if library.buildStubs() && library.isLatestStubVersion() {
-			// reference the latest version via its name without suffix when it is provided by apex
 			entries.SubName = ""
 		}
 		if !library.buildStubs() {
diff --git a/cc/cc.go b/cc/cc.go
index 9383e39..0e58436 100644
--- a/cc/cc.go
+++ b/cc/cc.go
@@ -1586,13 +1586,14 @@
 		}
 		c.outputFile = android.OptionalPathForPath(outputFile)
 
-		// If a lib is directly included in any of the APEXes, unhide the stubs
-		// variant having the latest version gets visible to make. In addition,
-		// the non-stubs variant is renamed to <libname>.bootstrap. This is to
-		// force anything in the make world to link against the stubs library.
-		// (unless it is explicitly referenced via .bootstrap suffix or the
-		// module is marked with 'bootstrap: true').
-		if c.HasStubsVariants() && c.AnyVariantDirectlyInAnyApex() && !c.InRamdisk() &&
+		// If a lib is directly included in any of the APEXes or is not available to the
+		// platform (which is often the case when the stub is provided as a prebuilt),
+		// unhide the stubs variant having the latest version gets visible to make. In
+		// addition, the non-stubs variant is renamed to <libname>.bootstrap. This is to
+		// force anything in the make world to link against the stubs library.  (unless it
+		// is explicitly referenced via .bootstrap suffix or the module is marked with
+		// 'bootstrap: true').
+		if c.HasStubsVariants() && c.NotInPlatform() && !c.InRamdisk() &&
 			!c.InRecovery() && !c.UseVndk() && !c.static() && !c.isCoverageVariant() &&
 			c.IsStubs() && !c.InVendorRamdisk() {
 			c.Properties.HideFromMake = false // unhide
@@ -2472,7 +2473,7 @@
 						// an APEX (and not from platform)
 						// However, for host, ramdisk, vendor_ramdisk, recovery or bootstrap modules,
 						// always link to non-stub variant
-						useStubs = dep.(android.ApexModule).AnyVariantDirectlyInAnyApex() && !c.bootstrap()
+						useStubs = dep.(android.ApexModule).NotInPlatform() && !c.bootstrap()
 						// Another exception: if this module is bundled with an APEX, then
 						// it is linked with the non-stub variant of a module in the APEX
 						// as if this is part of the APEX.