diff --git a/examples/hello_world/android/app/build.gradle b/examples/hello_world/android/app/build.gradle
index 67db8d3fbe0e..5d571d1d78eb 100644
--- a/examples/hello_world/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/hello_world/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -7,24 +7,6 @@ plugins {
     id "dev.flutter.flutter-gradle-plugin"
 }
 
-def localProperties = new Properties()
-def localPropertiesFile = rootProject.file('local.properties')
-if (localPropertiesFile.exists()) {
-    localPropertiesFile.withReader('UTF-8') { reader ->
-        localProperties.load(reader)
-    }
-}
-
-def flutterVersionCode = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.versionCode')
-if (flutterVersionCode == null) {
-    flutterVersionCode = '1'
-}
-
-def flutterVersionName = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.versionName')
-if (flutterVersionName == null) {
-    flutterVersionName = '1.0'
-}
-
 android {
     namespace "io.flutter.examples.hello_world"
     compileSdk flutter.compileSdkVersion
@@ -38,8 +20,8 @@ android {
         applicationId "io.flutter.examples.hello_world"
         minSdkVersion flutter.minSdkVersion
         targetSdkVersion flutter.targetSdkVersion
-        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
-        versionName flutterVersionName
+        versionCode flutter.versionCode()
+        versionName flutter.versionName()
     }
 
     buildTypes {
diff --git a/examples/layers/android/app/build.gradle b/examples/layers/android/app/build.gradle
index 322731cf699b..33437aaa29b1 100644
--- a/examples/layers/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/layers/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -15,16 +15,6 @@ if (flutterRoot == null) {
     throw new GradleException("Flutter SDK not found. Define location with flutter.sdk in the local.properties file.")
 }
 
-def flutterVersionCode = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.versionCode')
-if (flutterVersionCode == null) {
-    flutterVersionCode = '1'
-}
-
-def flutterVersionName = localProperties.getProperty('flutter.versionName')
-if (flutterVersionName == null) {
-    flutterVersionName = '1.0'
-}
-
 apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
 apply from: "$flutterRoot/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/flutter.gradle"
 
@@ -41,8 +31,8 @@ android {
         applicationId "io.flutter.examples.layers"
         minSdkVersion flutter.minSdkVersion
         targetSdkVersion flutter.targetSdkVersion
-        versionCode flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
-        versionName flutterVersionName
+        versionCode flutter.versionCode()
+        versionName flutter.versionName()
     }
 
     buildTypes {
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/src/main/groovy/flutter.groovy b/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/src/main/groovy/flutter.groovy
index 772d31222362..375e293bd9db 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/src/main/groovy/flutter.groovy
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/gradle/src/main/groovy/flutter.groovy
@@ -69,6 +69,34 @@ class FlutterExtension {
 
     /** Allows to override the target file. Otherwise, the target is lib/main.dart. */
     String target
+
+    /** The versionCode that was read from app's local.properties. */
+    String flutterVersionCode = null
+
+    /** The versionName that was read from app's local.properties. */
+    String flutterVersionName = null
+
+    /** Returns flutterVersionCode as an integer with error handling. */
+    Integer versionCode() {
+        if (flutterVersionCode == null) {
+            throw new GradleException("flutterVersionCode must not be null.")
+        }
+
+        if (!flutterVersionCode.isNumber()) {
+            throw new GradleException("flutterVersionCode must be an integer.")
+        }
+
+        return flutterVersionCode.toInteger()
+    }
+
+    /** Returns flutterVersionName with error handling. */
+    String versionName() {
+        if (flutterVersionName == null) {
+            throw new GradleException("flutterVersionName must not be null.")
+        }
+
+        return flutterVersionName
+    }
 }
 
 // This buildscript block supplies dependencies for this file's own import
@@ -226,7 +254,28 @@ class FlutterPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
         // Load shared gradle functions
         project.apply from: Paths.get(flutterRoot.absolutePath, "packages", "flutter_tools", "gradle", "src", "main", "groovy", "native_plugin_loader.groovy")
 
-        project.extensions.create("flutter", FlutterExtension)
+        def extension = project.extensions.create("flutter", FlutterExtension)
+        def localProperties = new Properties()
+        def localPropertiesFile = rootProject.file("local.properties")
+        if (localPropertiesFile.exists()) {
+            localPropertiesFile.withReader("UTF-8") { reader ->
+                localProperties.load(reader)
+            }
+        }
+
+        def flutterVersionCode = localProperties.getProperty("flutter.versionCode")
+        if (flutterVersionCode == null) {
+            flutterVersionCode = "1"
+        }
+        extension.flutterVersionCode = flutterVersionCode
+
+
+        def flutterVersionName = localProperties.getProperty("flutter.versionName")
+        if (flutterVersionName == null) {
+            flutterVersionName = "1.0"
+        }
+        extension.flutterVersionName = flutterVersionName
+
         this.addFlutterTasks(project)
 
         // By default, assembling APKs generates fat APKs if multiple platforms are passed.