diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
index c42868ec52..ae4ff55d7e 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
@@ -30,12 +30,15 @@ android {
             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
         }
     }
+
+    sourceSets {
+        main {
+            jniLibs.srcDirs = ['libs']
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 repositories {
-    flatDir {
-        dirs 'libs'
-    }
     google()
 
 }
@@ -45,6 +48,6 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    api(name: 'keyman-engine', ext: 'aar')
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
 }
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
index 7cd5ee84b0..a148a7ab19 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
@@ -30,12 +30,15 @@ android {
             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
         }
     }
+
+    sourceSets {
+        main {
+            jniLibs.srcDirs = ['libs']
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 repositories {
-    flatDir {
-        dirs 'libs'
-    }
     google()
 }
 
@@ -44,6 +47,6 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    api (name:'keyman-engine', ext:'aar')
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
 }
diff --git a/android/Tests/KeyboardHarness/app/build.gradle b/android/Tests/KeyboardHarness/app/build.gradle
index f9e45acc7f..25d5c8250a 100644
--- a/android/Tests/KeyboardHarness/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Tests/KeyboardHarness/app/build.gradle
@@ -40,12 +40,15 @@ android {
             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
         }
     }
+
+    sourceSets {
+        main {
+            jniLibs.srcDirs = ['libs']
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 repositories {
-    flatDir {
-        dirs 'libs'
-    }
     google()
     mavenCentral()
 }
@@ -55,6 +58,6 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    api (name:'keyman-engine', ext:'aar')
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
 }
diff --git a/oem/firstvoices/android/app/build.gradle b/oem/firstvoices/android/app/build.gradle
index d7093c2f12..9f42f94085 100644
--- a/oem/firstvoices/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/oem/firstvoices/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ android {
         disable 'MissingTranslation'
         lintConfig file("lint.xml")
     }
+
+    sourceSets {
+        main {
+            jniLibs.srcDirs = ['libs']
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // how to configure the sentry android gradle plugin
@@ -119,9 +125,6 @@ if (env_keys_json_file != null && file(env_keys_json_file).exists()) {
 }
 
 repositories {
-    flatDir {
-        dirs 'libs'
-    }
     google()
     mavenCentral()
 }
@@ -131,7 +134,7 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    api(name: 'keyman-engine', ext: 'aar')
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'io.sentry:sentry-android:8.19.1'
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
 }