diff --git a/devlib/utils/android.py b/devlib/utils/android.py
index 1643b7a..3a978c8 100755
--- a/devlib/utils/android.py
+++ b/devlib/utils/android.py
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ logger = logging.getLogger('android')
 
 MAX_ATTEMPTS = 5
 AM_START_ERROR = re.compile(r"Error: Activity.*")
+AAPT_BADGING_OUTPUT = re.compile(r"no dump ((file)|(apk)) specified", re.IGNORECASE)
 
 # See:
 # http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/manifest/uses-sdk-element.html#ApiLevels
@@ -93,6 +94,7 @@ android_home = None
 platform_tools = None
 adb = None
 aapt = None
+aapt_version = None
 fastboot = None
 
 
@@ -201,7 +203,9 @@ class ApkInfo(object):
     @property
     def activities(self):
         if self._activities is None:
-            cmd = [aapt, 'dump', 'xmltree', self._apk_path,
+            file_flag = '--file' if aapt_version == 2 else ''
+            cmd = [aapt, 'dump', 'xmltree',
+                   self._apk_path, '{}'.format(file_flag),
                    'AndroidManifest.xml']
             matched_activities = self.activity_regex.finditer(self._run(cmd))
             self._activities = [m.group('name') for m in matched_activities]
@@ -644,6 +648,7 @@ class _AndroidEnvironment(object):
         self.build_tools = None
         self.adb = None
         self.aapt = None
+        self.aapt_version = None
         self.fastboot = None
 
 
@@ -676,31 +681,66 @@ def _init_common(env):
 def _discover_build_tools(env):
     logger.debug('ANDROID_HOME: {}'.format(env.android_home))
     build_tools_directory = os.path.join(env.android_home, 'build-tools')
-    if not os.path.isdir(build_tools_directory):
-        msg = '''ANDROID_HOME ({}) does not appear to have valid Android SDK install
-                 (cannot find build-tools)'''
-        raise HostError(msg.format(env.android_home))
-    env.build_tools = build_tools_directory
+    if os.path.isdir(build_tools_directory):
+        env.build_tools = build_tools_directory
+
+def _check_supported_aapt2(binary):
+    # At time of writing the version argument of aapt2 is not helpful as
+    # the output is only a placeholder that does not distinguish between versions
+    # with and without support for badging. Unfortunately aapt has been
+    # deprecated and fails to parse some valid apks so we will try to favour
+    # aapt2 if possible else will fall back to aapt.
+    # Try to execute the badging command and check if we get an expected error
+    # message as opposed to an unknown command error to determine if we have a
+    # suitable version.
+    cmd = '{} dump badging'.format(binary)
+    result = subprocess.run(cmd.encode('utf-8'), shell=True, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
+    supported = bool(AAPT_BADGING_OUTPUT.search(result.stderr.decode('utf-8')))
+    msg = 'Found a {} aapt2 binary at: {}'
+    logger.debug(msg.format('supported' if supported else 'unsupported', binary))
+    return supported
 
 def _discover_aapt(env):
     if env.build_tools:
+        aapt_path = ''
+        aapt2_path = ''
         versions = os.listdir(env.build_tools)
         for version in reversed(sorted(versions)):
-            aapt_path = os.path.join(env.build_tools, version, 'aapt')
-            if os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
-                logger.debug('Using aapt for version {}'.format(version))
-                env.aapt = aapt_path
+            if not aapt2_path and not os.path.isfile(aapt2_path):
+                aapt2_path = os.path.join(env.build_tools, version, 'aapt2')
+            if not aapt_path and not os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
+                aapt_path = os.path.join(env.build_tools, version, 'aapt')
+                aapt_version = 1
                 break
 
+        # Use aapt2 only if present and we have a suitable version
+        if aapt2_path and _check_supported_aapt2(aapt2_path):
+            aapt_path = aapt2_path
+            aapt_version = 2
+
+        # Use the aapt version discoverted from build tools.
+        if aapt_path:
+            logger.debug('Using {} for version {}'.format(aapt_path, version))
+            env.aapt = aapt_path
+            env.aapt_version = aapt_version
+            return
+
+    # Try detecting aapt2 and aapt from PATH
     if not env.aapt:
-        env.aapt = which(aapt)
+            aapt2_path = which('aapt2')
+            if _check_supported_aapt2(aapt2_path):
+                env.aapt = aapt2_path
+                env.aapt_version = 2
+            else:
+                env.aapt = which('aapt')
+                env.aapt_version = 1
 
     if not env.aapt:
-        raise HostError('aapt not found. Please make sure it is avaliable in PATH'
+        raise HostError('aapt/aapt2 not found. Please make sure it is avaliable in PATH'
                         ' or at least one Android platform is installed')
 
 def _check_env():
-    global android_home, platform_tools, adb, aapt  # pylint: disable=W0603
+    global android_home, platform_tools, adb, aapt, aapt_version  # pylint: disable=W0603
     if not android_home:
         android_home = os.getenv('ANDROID_HOME')
         if android_home:
@@ -711,6 +751,7 @@ def _check_env():
         platform_tools = _env.platform_tools
         adb = _env.adb
         aapt = _env.aapt
+        aapt_version = _env.aapt_version
 
 class LogcatMonitor(object):
     """