diff --git a/app/internal/testapp/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/internal/testapp/AndroidManifest.xml
index 3d8213e..824d880 100644
--- a/app/internal/testapp/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/internal/testapp/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 	android:versionCode="1"
 	android:versionName="1.0">
 
-	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" />
+	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="15" />
 	<!-- to talk to the host -->
 	<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
 	<application android:label="testapp" android:debuggable="true">
diff --git a/bind/java/seq_test.go b/bind/java/seq_test.go
index 9ce0672..646ec46 100644
--- a/bind/java/seq_test.go
+++ b/bind/java/seq_test.go
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ apply plugin: 'com.android.library'
 android {
     compileSdkVersion 'android-19'
     buildToolsVersion '21.1.2'
-    defaultConfig { minSdkVersion 14 }
+    defaultConfig { minSdkVersion 15 }
 }
 
 repositories {
diff --git a/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml.go b/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml.go
index aa77048..e8b620a 100644
--- a/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml.go
+++ b/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml.go
@@ -86,6 +86,35 @@ func binaryXML(r io.Reader) ([]byte, error) {
 		}
 		switch tok := tok.(type) {
 		case xml.StartElement:
+			// uses-sdk is synthesized by the writer, disallow declaration in manifest.
+			if tok.Name.Local == "uses-sdk" {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unsupported manifest tag <uses-sdk .../>")
+			} else if tok.Name.Local == "application" {
+				// synthesize <uses-sdk/> before handling <application> token
+				attr := xml.Attr{
+					Name: xml.Name{
+						Space: "http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android",
+						Local: "minSdkVersion",
+					},
+					Value: "15",
+				}
+				ba, err := pool.getAttr(attr)
+				if err != nil {
+					return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to synthesize attr minSdkVersion=\"15\"")
+				}
+				elements = append(elements,
+					&binStartElement{
+						line: line - 1, // current testing strategy is not friendly to synthesized tags, -1 for would-be location
+						ns:   pool.getNS(""),
+						name: pool.get("uses-sdk"),
+						attr: []*binAttr{ba},
+					},
+					&binEndElement{
+						line: line - 1,
+						ns:   pool.getNS(""),
+						name: pool.get("uses-sdk"),
+					})
+			}
 			// Intercept namespace definitions.
 			var attr []*binAttr
 			for _, a := range tok.Attr {
diff --git a/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml_test.go b/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml_test.go
index 1cc4990..0a04d69 100644
--- a/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gomobile/binary_xml_test.go
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"archive/zip"
 	"bytes"
 	"flag"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"log"
 	"os"
@@ -27,7 +28,7 @@ func TestBinaryXML(t *testing.T) {
 	sortPool, sortAttr = sortToMatchTest, sortAttrToMatchTest
 	defer func() { sortPool, sortAttr = origSortPool, origSortAttr }()
 
-	bin, err := binaryXML(bytes.NewBufferString(input))
+	bin, err := binaryXML(bytes.NewBufferString(fmt.Sprintf(input, "")))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ func TestBinaryXML(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	manifest := filepath.Join(tmpdir, "AndroidManifest.xml")
-	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(manifest, []byte(input), 0755); err != nil {
+	inp := fmt.Sprintf(input, "<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion=\"15\" />")
+	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(manifest, []byte(inp), 0755); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
@@ -807,7 +809,7 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 	android:versionCode="1"
 	android:versionName="1.0">
 
-	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" />
+	%s
 	<application android:label="Balloon世界" android:hasCode="false" android:debuggable="true">
 	<activity android:name="android.app.NativeActivity"
 		android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen"
diff --git a/cmd/gomobile/bind_androidapp.go b/cmd/gomobile/bind_androidapp.go
index 383eea9..a52a52b 100644
--- a/cmd/gomobile/bind_androidapp.go
+++ b/cmd/gomobile/bind_androidapp.go
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ func buildAAR(androidDir string, pkg *build.Package) (err error) {
 
 const (
 	javacTargetVer = "1.7"
-	minAndroidAPI  = 9
+	minAndroidAPI  = 15
 )
 
 func buildJar(w io.Writer, srcDir string) error {
diff --git a/cmd/gomobile/manifest.go b/cmd/gomobile/manifest.go
index 75f3968..09b8ff0 100644
--- a/cmd/gomobile/manifest.go
+++ b/cmd/gomobile/manifest.go
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ var manifestTmpl = template.Must(template.New("manifest").Parse(`
 	android:versionCode="1"
 	android:versionName="1.0">
 
-	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" />
 	<application android:label="{{.Name}}" android:debuggable="true">
 	<activity android:name="org.golang.app.GoNativeActivity"
 		android:label="{{.Name}}"
diff --git a/cmd/gomobile/writer_test.go b/cmd/gomobile/writer_test.go
index 81ab63e..6bc6fcb 100644
--- a/cmd/gomobile/writer_test.go
+++ b/cmd/gomobile/writer_test.go
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ N: android=http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android
     A: android:versionCode(0x0101021b)=(type 0x10)0x1
     A: android:versionName(0x0101021c)="1.0" (Raw: "1.0")
     E: uses-sdk (line=8)
-      A: android:minSdkVersion(0x0101020c)=(type 0x10)0x9
+      A: android:minSdkVersion(0x0101020c)=(type 0x10)0xf
     E: application (line=9)
       A: android:label(0x01010001)="FakeApp" (Raw: "FakeApp")
       A: android:hasCode(0x0101000c)=(type 0x12)0x0
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ const androidManifest = `
 	android:versionCode="1"
 	android:versionName="1.0">
 
-	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" />
+	
 	<application android:label="FakeApp" android:hasCode="false" android:debuggable="true">
 		<activity android:name="android.app.NativeActivity"
 			android:label="FakeApp"
diff --git a/example/network/AndroidManifest.xml b/example/network/AndroidManifest.xml
index 312b4f3..9a3a055 100644
--- a/example/network/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/example/network/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 	android:versionCode="1"
 	android:versionName="1.0">
 
-	<uses-sdk android:minSdkVersion="9" />
-
 	<!-- In order to access the network, your application manifest must
 	     specify the permission requirement. See the following page for
 	     details.