diff --git a/libs/binder/Android.bp b/libs/binder/Android.bp
index b24a577..861b589 100644
--- a/libs/binder/Android.bp
+++ b/libs/binder/Android.bp
@@ -127,6 +127,10 @@
         export_aidl_headers: true,
     },
 
+    // TODO(b/142684679): for com.android.media which is compiled
+    // as vendor and used as system code.
+    use_apex_name_macro: true,
+
     cflags: [
         "-Wall",
         "-Wextra",
diff --git a/libs/binder/BpBinder.cpp b/libs/binder/BpBinder.cpp
index d2b9b8f..c183d29 100644
--- a/libs/binder/BpBinder.cpp
+++ b/libs/binder/BpBinder.cpp
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@
             using android::internal::Stability;
 
             auto stability = Stability::get(this);
-            auto required = privateVendor ? Stability::VENDOR : Stability::kLocalStability;
+            auto required = privateVendor ? Stability::VENDOR : Stability::getLocalStability();
 
             if (CC_UNLIKELY(!Stability::check(stability, required))) {
                 ALOGE("Cannot do a user transaction on a %s binder in a %s context.",
diff --git a/libs/binder/Stability.cpp b/libs/binder/Stability.cpp
index e1565fa..6115aec 100644
--- a/libs/binder/Stability.cpp
+++ b/libs/binder/Stability.cpp
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 namespace internal {
 
 void Stability::markCompilationUnit(IBinder* binder) {
-    status_t result = set(binder, kLocalStability, true /*log*/);
+    status_t result = set(binder, getLocalStability(), true /*log*/);
     LOG_ALWAYS_FATAL_IF(result != OK, "Should only mark known object.");
 }
 
@@ -45,7 +45,26 @@
 }
 
 void Stability::tryMarkCompilationUnit(IBinder* binder) {
-    (void) set(binder, kLocalStability, false /*log*/);
+    (void) set(binder, getLocalStability(), false /*log*/);
+}
+
+Stability::Level Stability::getLocalStability() {
+#ifdef __ANDROID_VNDK__
+    #ifdef __ANDROID_APEX__
+        // TODO(b/142684679) avoid use_vendor on system APEXes
+        #if !defined(__ANDROID_APEX_COM_ANDROID_MEDIA_SWCODEC__) \
+            && !defined(__ANDROID_APEX_TEST_COM_ANDROID_MEDIA_SWCODEC__)
+        #error VNDK + APEX only defined for com.android.media.swcodec
+        #endif
+        // TODO(b/142684679) avoid use_vendor on system APEXes
+        return Level::SYSTEM;
+    #else
+        return Level::VENDOR;
+    #endif
+#else
+    // TODO(b/139325195): split up stability levels for system/APEX.
+    return Level::SYSTEM;
+#endif
 }
 
 status_t Stability::set(IBinder* binder, int32_t stability, bool log) {
diff --git a/libs/binder/include/binder/Stability.h b/libs/binder/include/binder/Stability.h
index 2894482..6566285 100644
--- a/libs/binder/include/binder/Stability.h
+++ b/libs/binder/include/binder/Stability.h
@@ -81,11 +81,8 @@
         VINTF = 0b111111,
     };
 
-#if defined(__ANDROID_VNDK__) && !defined(__ANDROID_APEX__)
-    static constexpr Level kLocalStability = Level::VENDOR;
-#else
-    static constexpr Level kLocalStability = Level::SYSTEM;
-#endif
+    // returns the stability according to how this was built
+    static Level getLocalStability();
 
     // applies stability to binder if stability level is known
     __attribute__((warn_unused_result))