diff --git a/dev_scripts/get_apk_versions b/dev_scripts/get_apk_versions
index 7f8afecf..02b85156 100755
--- a/dev_scripts/get_apk_versions
+++ b/dev_scripts/get_apk_versions
@@ -10,22 +10,29 @@ sys.path.append(os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
 
 from wlauto.exceptions import WAError, ToolError
 from wlauto.utils.doc import format_simple_table
+from wlauto.utils.misc import check_output, get_null, which
 
 
 def get_aapt_path():
     """Return the full path to aapt tool."""
     sdk_path = os.getenv('ANDROID_HOME')
-    if not sdk_path:
-        raise ToolError('Please make sure you have Android SDK installed and have ANDROID_HOME set.')
-    build_tools_directory = os.path.join(sdk_path, 'build-tools')
-    versions = os.listdir(build_tools_directory)
-    for version in reversed(sorted(versions)):
-        aapt_path = os.path.join(build_tools_directory, version, 'aapt')
-        if os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
-            logging.debug('Found aapt for version {}'.format(version))
-            return aapt_path
+    if sdk_path:
+        build_tools_directory = os.path.join(sdk_path, 'build-tools')
+        versions = os.listdir(build_tools_directory)
+        for version in reversed(sorted(versions)):
+            aapt_path = os.path.join(build_tools_directory, version, 'aapt')
+            if os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
+                logging.debug('Found aapt for version {}'.format(version))
+                return aapt_path
+        else:
+            raise ToolError('aapt not found. Please make sure at least one Android platform is installed.')
     else:
-        raise ToolError('aapt not found. Please make sure at least one Android platform is installed.')
+        logging.debug("ANDROID_HOME is not set, try to find in $PATH.")
+        aapt_path = which('aapt')
+        if aapt_path:
+            logging.debug('Using aapt from {}'.format(aapt_path))
+            return aapt_path
+        raise ToolError('Please make sure you have Android SDK installed and have ANDROID_HOME set.')
 
 
 def get_apks(path):
diff --git a/wlauto/utils/android.py b/wlauto/utils/android.py
index 5c92da02..52a76231 100644
--- a/wlauto/utils/android.py
+++ b/wlauto/utils/android.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ import re
 
 from wlauto.exceptions import DeviceError, ConfigError, HostError, WAError
 from wlauto.utils.misc import (check_output, escape_single_quotes,
-                               escape_double_quotes, get_null,
+                               escape_double_quotes, get_null, which,
                                CalledProcessErrorWithStderr, ABI_MAP)
 
 
@@ -458,19 +458,26 @@ def _initialize_without_android_home(env):
 def _init_common(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))
-    versions = os.listdir(build_tools_directory)
-    for version in reversed(sorted(versions)):
-        aapt_path = os.path.join(build_tools_directory, version, 'aapt')
-        if os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
-            logger.debug('Using aapt for version {}'.format(version))
-            env.aapt = aapt_path
-            break
+    if os.path.isdir(build_tools_directory):
+        versions = os.listdir(build_tools_directory)
+        for version in reversed(sorted(versions)):
+            aapt_path = os.path.join(build_tools_directory, version, 'aapt')
+            if os.path.isfile(aapt_path):
+                logger.debug('Using aapt for version {}'.format(version))
+                env.aapt = aapt_path
+                break
+        else:
+            raise HostError('aapt not found. Please make sure at least one Android platform is installed.')
     else:
-        raise HostError('aapt not found. Please make sure at least one Android platform is installed.')
-
+        # User may already installed 'aapt' from package provided by distro's
+        # Try finding in $PATH
+        aapt_path = which('aapt')
+        if aapt_path:
+            logger.debug('Using aapt from {}'.format(aapt_path))
+            env.aapt = aapt_path
+        else:
+            msg = 'ANDROID_HOME ({}) does not appear to have valid Android SDK install (cannot find build-tools)'
+            raise HostError(msg.format(env.android_home))
 
 def _check_env():
     global android_home, platform_tools, adb, aapt  # pylint: disable=W0603