diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androiddeployqtstep.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androiddeployqtstep.cpp
index 7955677111d..24316cf15f9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androiddeployqtstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androiddeployqtstep.cpp
@@ -134,9 +134,8 @@ bool AndroidDeployQtStep::init()
     QTC_ASSERT(bc, return false);
 
     auto androidBuildApkStep = bc->buildSteps()->firstOfType<AndroidBuildApkStep>();
-    int minTargetApi = AndroidManager::minimumSDK(target());
     qCDebug(deployStepLog) << "Target architecture:" << m_androidABIs
-                           << "Min target API" << minTargetApi;
+                           << "Min target API" << AndroidManager::minimumSDK(target());
 
     // Try to re-use user-provided information from an earlier step of the same type.
     BuildStepList *bsl = stepList();
diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androidmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androidmanager.cpp
index 274b338f805..f9332226297 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androidmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androidmanager.cpp
@@ -143,7 +143,10 @@ int AndroidManager::minimumSDK(const Target *target)
     QDomDocument doc;
     if (!openXmlFile(doc, AndroidManager::manifestSourcePath(target)))
         return minimumSDK(target->kit());
-    return parseMinSdk(doc.documentElement());
+    const int minSdkVersion = parseMinSdk(doc.documentElement());
+    if (minSdkVersion == 0)
+        return AndroidManager::defaultMinimumSDK(QtSupport::QtKitAspect::qtVersion(target->kit()));
+    return minSdkVersion;
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -152,17 +155,19 @@ int AndroidManager::minimumSDK(const Target *target)
 */
 int AndroidManager::minimumSDK(const Kit *kit)
 {
-    int minSDKVersion = -1;
+    int minSdkVersion = -1;
     QtSupport::BaseQtVersion *version = QtSupport::QtKitAspect::qtVersion(kit);
     if (version && version->targetDeviceTypes().contains(Constants::ANDROID_DEVICE_TYPE)) {
         FilePath stockManifestFilePath = FilePath::fromUserInput(
             version->prefix().toString() + "/src/android/templates/AndroidManifest.xml");
         QDomDocument doc;
         if (openXmlFile(doc, stockManifestFilePath)) {
-            minSDKVersion = parseMinSdk(doc.documentElement());
+            minSdkVersion = parseMinSdk(doc.documentElement());
         }
     }
-    return minSDKVersion;
+    if (minSdkVersion == 0)
+        return AndroidManager::defaultMinimumSDK(version);
+    return minSdkVersion;
 }
 
 QString AndroidManager::buildTargetSDK(const Target *target)