diff --git a/.changes/refactor-tauri-android-dependency.md b/.changes/refactor-tauri-android-dependency.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..728445eeb5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changes/refactor-tauri-android-dependency.md
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"tauri": patch
+"tauri-build": patch
+---
+
+Changed how the `tauri-android` dependency is injected. This requires the `gen/android` project to be recreated.
diff --git a/core/tauri-build/src/lib.rs b/core/tauri-build/src/lib.rs
index 40a1e0fe92f..313fac5d068 100644
--- a/core/tauri-build/src/lib.rs
+++ b/core/tauri-build/src/lib.rs
@@ -300,12 +300,20 @@ dependencies {"
       .to_string();
 
     let plugins_json_path = project_dir.join(".tauri").join("plugins.json");
-    let plugins: HashMap<String, mobile::PluginMetadata> = if plugins_json_path.exists() {
+    let mut plugins: HashMap<String, mobile::PluginMetadata> = if plugins_json_path.exists() {
       let s = read_to_string(&plugins_json_path)?;
       serde_json::from_str(&s)?
     } else {
       Default::default()
     };
+
+    plugins.insert(
+      "tauri-android".into(),
+      mobile::PluginMetadata {
+        path: var_os("DEP_TAURI_ANDROID_LIBRARY_PATH").map(PathBuf::from).expect("missing `DEP_TAURI_ANDROID_LIBRARY_PATH` environment variable; did you add `tauri` as a dependency to this crate?"),
+      },
+    );
+
     for (plugin_name, plugin) in plugins {
       gradle_settings.push_str(&format!("include ':{plugin_name}'"));
       gradle_settings.push('\n');
diff --git a/core/tauri-build/src/mobile.rs b/core/tauri-build/src/mobile.rs
index b34c0ffcaf4..b13b4747f62 100644
--- a/core/tauri-build/src/mobile.rs
+++ b/core/tauri-build/src/mobile.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 use std::{
   collections::HashMap,
   env::{var, var_os},
-  fs::{copy, create_dir, create_dir_all, read_to_string, remove_dir_all, rename, write},
+  fs::{copy, create_dir, create_dir_all, read_to_string, remove_dir_all, write},
   path::{Path, PathBuf},
 };
 
@@ -127,45 +127,6 @@ pub fn link_swift_library(name: &str, source: impl AsRef<Path>) {
   }
 }
 
-#[doc(hidden)]
-pub fn inject_android_project(
-  source: impl AsRef<Path>,
-  target: impl AsRef<Path>,
-  ignore_paths: &[&str],
-) -> Result<()> {
-  let source = source.as_ref();
-  let target = target.as_ref();
-
-  // keep build folder if it exists
-  let build_path = target.join("build");
-  let out_dir = if build_path.exists() {
-    let out_dir = target.parent().unwrap().join(".tauri-tmp-build");
-    let _ = remove_dir_all(&out_dir);
-    rename(&build_path, &out_dir).context("failed to rename build directory")?;
-    Some(out_dir)
-  } else {
-    None
-  };
-
-  copy_folder(source, target, ignore_paths).context("failed to copy Android project")?;
-
-  if let Some(out_dir) = out_dir {
-    rename(out_dir, &build_path).context("failed to restore build directory")?;
-  }
-
-  let rerun_path = target.join("build.gradle.kts");
-  let metadata = source.join("build.gradle.kts").metadata()?;
-  filetime::set_file_mtime(
-    &rerun_path,
-    filetime::FileTime::from_last_modification_time(&metadata),
-  )
-  .context("failed to update build.gradle.kts mtime")?;
-
-  println!("cargo:rerun-if-changed={}", rerun_path.display());
-
-  Ok(())
-}
-
 fn copy_folder(source: &Path, target: &Path, ignore_paths: &[&str]) -> Result<()> {
   let _ = remove_dir_all(target);
 
diff --git a/core/tauri/build.rs b/core/tauri/build.rs
index 36562810582..e88935f4225 100644
--- a/core/tauri/build.rs
+++ b/core/tauri/build.rs
@@ -151,12 +151,6 @@ fn main() {
 
   if target_os == "android" {
     if let Some(project_dir) = var_os("TAURI_ANDROID_PROJECT_PATH").map(PathBuf::from) {
-      tauri_build::mobile::inject_android_project(
-        "./mobile/android",
-        project_dir.join(".tauri").join("tauri-api"),
-        &[],
-      )
-      .expect("failed to copy tauri-api Android project");
       let tauri_proguard = include_str!("./mobile/proguard-tauri.pro").replace(
         "$PACKAGE",
         &var("WRY_ANDROID_PACKAGE").expect("missing `WRY_ANDROID_PACKAGE` environment variable"),
diff --git a/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/app/build.gradle.kts b/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/app/build.gradle.kts
index 88f0ea0326f..20b4aa513ab 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ dependencies {
     testImplementation("junit:junit:4.13.2")
     androidTestImplementation("androidx.test.ext:junit:1.1.4")
     androidTestImplementation("androidx.test.espresso:espresso-core:3.5.0")
-    implementation(project(":tauri-android"))
 }
 
 apply(from = "tauri.build.gradle.kts")
diff --git a/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/settings.gradle b/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/settings.gradle
index eaaa068bec0..672366b3770 100644
--- a/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/settings.gradle
+++ b/tooling/cli/templates/mobile/android/settings.gradle
@@ -2,7 +2,4 @@ include ':app'
 {{~#each asset-packs}}
 include ':{{this}}'{{/each}}
 
-include ':tauri-android'
-project(':tauri-android').projectDir = new File('./.tauri/tauri-api')
-
 apply from: 'tauri.settings.gradle'