diff --git a/api/current.txt b/api/current.txt
index 962b332e85a72..6f0bbcecff8ea 100644
--- a/api/current.txt
+++ b/api/current.txt
@@ -7255,6 +7255,7 @@ package android.content.res {
     field public static final int KEYBOARD_NOKEYS = 1; // 0x1
     field public static final int KEYBOARD_QWERTY = 2; // 0x2
     field public static final int KEYBOARD_UNDEFINED = 0; // 0x0
+    field public static final int MNC_ZERO = 65535; // 0xffff
     field public static final int NAVIGATIONHIDDEN_NO = 1; // 0x1
     field public static final int NAVIGATIONHIDDEN_UNDEFINED = 0; // 0x0
     field public static final int NAVIGATIONHIDDEN_YES = 2; // 0x2
diff --git a/core/java/android/content/res/Configuration.java b/core/java/android/content/res/Configuration.java
index 68db33a2e630e..6318e3893767c 100644
--- a/core/java/android/content/res/Configuration.java
+++ b/core/java/android/content/res/Configuration.java
@@ -54,10 +54,17 @@ public final class Configuration implements Parcelable, Comparable<Configuration
     /**
      * IMSI MNC (Mobile Network Code), corresponding to
      * <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/providing-resources.html#MccQualifier">mnc</a>
-     * resource qualifier.  0 if undefined.
+     * resource qualifier.  0 if undefined. Note that the actual MNC may be 0; in order to check
+     * for this use the {@link #MNC_ZERO} symbol.
      */
     public int mnc;
-    
+
+    /**
+     * Constant used to to represent MNC (Mobile Network Code) zero.
+     * 0 cannot be used, since it is used to represent an undefined MNC.
+     */
+    public static final int MNC_ZERO = 0xffff;
+
     /**
      * Current user preference for the locale, corresponding to
      * <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/resources/providing-resources.html#LocaleQualifier">locale</a>
diff --git a/tools/aapt/AaptAssets.cpp b/tools/aapt/AaptAssets.cpp
index 2149190b10bec..3797b49cc32d1 100644
--- a/tools/aapt/AaptAssets.cpp
+++ b/tools/aapt/AaptAssets.cpp
@@ -934,6 +934,9 @@ bool AaptGroupEntry::getMncName(const char* name,
 
     if (out) {
         out->mnc = atoi(val);
+        if (out->mnc == 0) {
+            out->mnc = ACONFIGURATION_MNC_ZERO;
+        }
     }
 
     return true;