diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-quick.yml b/.github/workflows/build-quick.yml
index 83a8560d0..9846a93ee 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-quick.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-quick.yml
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ jobs:
         run: ./check-rust.bat
 
       - name: Run tests (Unit)
-        run: ./gradlew test rsdroid:lint ktlintCheck --daemon
+        run: ./gradlew test rsdroid:lint rsdroid-android:lint ktlintCheck --daemon
 
       - name: Run tests (Emulator)
         uses: reactivecircus/android-emulator-runner@v2
@@ -287,6 +287,14 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
           path: rsdroid/build/outputs/aar
 
+      - name: Upload Android wrapper AAR as artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
+        if: '!cancelled()'
+        with:
+          name: rsdroid-android-aar-${{ matrix.os }}
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          path: rsdroid-android/build/outputs/aar
+
       - name: Upload rsdroid-robo JAR as artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
         if: '!cancelled()'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-release.yml b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
index 4bbeaba85..a794e8f42 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-release.yml
@@ -175,6 +175,13 @@ jobs:
           if-no-files-found: error
           path: rsdroid/build/outputs/aar
 
+      - name: Upload Android wrapper AAR as artifact
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
+        with:
+          name: rsdroid-android-aar
+          if-no-files-found: error
+          path: rsdroid-android/build/outputs/aar
+
       - name: Upload rsdroid-robo JAR as artifact
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@v6
         with:
@@ -184,7 +191,7 @@ jobs:
 
       # following steps only run on workflow dispatch
 
-      - name: Publish AAR to Maven
+      - name: Publish backend and Android wrapper AARs to Maven
         if: "${{ github.event.inputs.mavenPublish != '' && github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'}}"
         env:
           ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingInMemoryKey: ${{ secrets.SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY }}
@@ -192,7 +199,7 @@ jobs:
           ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_mavenCentralUsername: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_CENTRAL_USERNAME }}
           ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_mavenCentralPassword: ${{ secrets.MAVEN_CENTRAL_PASSWORD }}
         run: |
-          ./gradlew rsdroid:publishAllPublicationsToMavenCentral -DtestBuildType=release -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.console=plain
+          ./gradlew rsdroid:publishAllPublicationsToMavenCentral rsdroid-android:publishAllPublicationsToMavenCentral -DtestBuildType=release -Dorg.gradle.daemon=false -Dorg.gradle.console=plain
 
       - name: Publish JAR to Maven
         if: "${{ github.event.inputs.mavenPublish != '' && github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'}}"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fc880044b..388be0930 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -90,10 +90,12 @@ set PATH=%PATH%;c:\msys64\usr\bin
 
 ## Building
 
-Two main files need to be built:
+The build produces three artifacts:
 
 - The main .aar file, which contains the backend Kotlin code, web assets, and
 Anki backend code compiled for Android.
+- An Android wrapper .aar in `rsdroid-android/build/outputs/aar`. Its published
+Maven metadata declares an API dependency on the main backend artifact.
 - A .jar that contains the backend code compiled for the host platform, for use
 with Robolectric unit tests.
 
diff --git a/check-droid.bat b/check-droid.bat
index 061832cc8..b49f9db41 100755
--- a/check-droid.bat
+++ b/check-droid.bat
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ if not exist rsdroid\build\outputs\aar\rsdroid-release.aar (
     exit 1
 )
 
-./gradlew rsdroid:lint rsdroid-instrumented:connectedCheck
+./gradlew rsdroid:lint rsdroid-android:lint rsdroid-instrumented:connectedCheck
diff --git a/check-droid.sh b/check-droid.sh
index 2101d8c0b..8a5431096 100755
--- a/check-droid.sh
+++ b/check-droid.sh
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ test -f rsdroid/build/outputs/aar/rsdroid-release.aar || (
 
 . ./set-android-ndk-home.sh
 
-./gradlew rsdroid:lint rsdroid-instrumented:connectedCheck
+./gradlew rsdroid:lint rsdroid-android:lint rsdroid-instrumented:connectedCheck
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index c6c74ac44..44d487f5e 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ android.useAndroidX=true
 android.enableJetifier=false
 
 GROUP=io.github.david-allison
-VERSION_NAME=0.1.72-anki26.09.3
+VERSION_NAME=0.1.73-anki26.09.3
 
 POM_INCEPTION_YEAR=2020
 
diff --git a/rsdroid-android/README.md b/rsdroid-android/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e5401aa24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsdroid-android/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+# rsdroid-android
+
+Android entry point for the Anki backend. This Android library exposes
+[`:rsdroid`](../rsdroid) through an `api` dependency, so consumers can use the
+backend API through this module.
+
+## Planned contents
+
+After the split, `anki-backend-android` will contain:
+
+- Android native libraries (`librsdroid.so` for each supported architecture).
+- Web assets packaged as Android assets.
+- Android SQLite adapters.
+  - Planned to be extracted later.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rsdroid-android/build.gradle b/rsdroid-android/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a04c2e99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsdroid-android/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+plugins {
+    alias(libs.plugins.android.library)
+    id 'signing'
+    alias(libs.plugins.gradle.maven.publish.plugin)
+}
+
+android {
+    namespace = 'net.ankiweb.rsdroid.android'
+    compileSdk = libs.versions.compileSdk.get().toInteger()
+
+    compileOptions {
+        sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
+        targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
+    }
+
+    defaultConfig {
+        minSdk = libs.versions.minSdk.get().toInteger()
+
+        consumerProguardFiles "consumer-rules.pro"
+    }
+
+    buildTypes {
+        release {
+            minifyEnabled = false
+            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
+        }
+    }
+
+    testOptions {
+        targetSdk = libs.versions.targetSdk.get().toInteger()
+    }
+
+    lint {
+        targetSdk = libs.versions.targetSdk.get().toInteger()
+    }
+}
+
+dependencies {
+    api project(path: ':rsdroid')
+}
+
+mavenPublishing {
+    publishToMavenCentral(true)
+    signAllPublications()
+}
diff --git a/rsdroid-android/consumer-rules.pro b/rsdroid-android/consumer-rules.pro
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/rsdroid-android/gradle.properties b/rsdroid-android/gradle.properties
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..82bbe496d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsdroid-android/gradle.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+POM_ARTIFACT_ID=anki-backend-android
+POM_PACKAGING=aar
+
+POM_NAME=Anki Backend (Android)
+POM_DESCRIPTION=Android entry point for the Anki backend
diff --git a/rsdroid-android/proguard-rules.pro b/rsdroid-android/proguard-rules.pro
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..481bb4348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rsdroid-android/proguard-rules.pro
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Add project specific ProGuard rules here.
+# You can control the set of applied configuration files using the
+# proguardFiles setting in build.gradle.
+#
+# For more details, see
+#   http://developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/proguard.html
+
+# If your project uses WebView with JS, uncomment the following
+# and specify the fully qualified class name to the JavaScript interface
+# class:
+#-keepclassmembers class fqcn.of.javascript.interface.for.webview {
+#   public *;
+#}
+
+# Uncomment this to preserve the line number information for
+# debugging stack traces.
+#-keepattributes SourceFile,LineNumberTable
+
+# If you keep the line number information, uncomment this to
+# hide the original source file name.
+#-renamesourcefileattribute SourceFile
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/settings.gradle.kts b/settings.gradle.kts
index 38e95587c..7076d7dc9 100644
--- a/settings.gradle.kts
+++ b/settings.gradle.kts
@@ -8,4 +8,4 @@ pluginManagement {
 
 rootProject.name = "Anki-Android-Backend"
 
-include(":rsdroid-testing", ":rsdroid-instrumented", ":rsdroid")
\ No newline at end of file
+include(":rsdroid-testing", ":rsdroid-instrumented", ":rsdroid", ":rsdroid-android")