diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index 2d610b9e2071c7..13ae05e4370d2f 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ distdir_tar(
         "android_tools_pkg-0.7.tar.gz",
         # bazelbuild/platforms
         "441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip",
     ],
     dirname = "derived/distdir",
     sha256 = {
@@ -134,6 +136,8 @@ distdir_tar(
         "android_tools_pkg-0.7.tar.gz": "a8e48f2fdee2c34b31f45bd47ce050a75ac774f19e0a1f6694fa49fc11d88718", # built at 6bb5ae2a8353d75867ac9136d374df7916450449
         # bazelbuild/platforms
         "441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip": "a07fe5e75964361885db725039c2ba673f0ee0313d971ae4f50c9b18cd28b0b5",
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip": "bc81f1ba47ef5cc68ad32225c3d0e70b8c6f6077663835438da8d5733f917598",
     },
     urls = {
         "e0b0291b2c51fbe5a7cfa14473a1ae850f94f021.zip": [
@@ -176,6 +180,10 @@ distdir_tar(
             "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/archive/441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
             "https://github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/archive/441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
         ],
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip": [
+            "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/archive/7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip",
+        ]
     },
 )
 
@@ -418,6 +426,8 @@ distdir_tar(
         "android_tools_pkg-0.7.tar.gz",
         # bazelbuild/platforms
         "441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip",
     ],
     dirname = "test_WORKSPACE/distdir",
     sha256 = {
@@ -443,6 +453,8 @@ distdir_tar(
         "android_tools_pkg-0.7.tar.gz": "a8e48f2fdee2c34b31f45bd47ce050a75ac774f19e0a1f6694fa49fc11d88718", # built at 6bb5ae2a8353d75867ac9136d374df7916450449
         # bazelbuild/platforms
         "441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip": "a07fe5e75964361885db725039c2ba673f0ee0313d971ae4f50c9b18cd28b0b5",
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip": "bc81f1ba47ef5cc68ad32225c3d0e70b8c6f6077663835438da8d5733f917598",
     },
     urls = {
         "zulu9.0.7.1-jdk9.0.7-linux_x64-allmodules.tar.gz": ["https://mirror.bazel.build/openjdk/azul-zulu-9.0.7.1-jdk9.0.7/zulu9.0.7.1-jdk9.0.7-linux_x64-allmodules.tar.gz"],
@@ -472,6 +484,10 @@ distdir_tar(
             "https://mirror.bazel.build/github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/archive/441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
             "https://github.com/bazelbuild/platforms/archive/441afe1bfdadd6236988e9cac159df6b5a9f5a98.zip",
         ],
+        # bazelbuild/rules_java
+        "7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip": [
+            "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/archive/7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip"
+        ]
     },
 )
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/rules/java/jdk.WORKSPACE b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/rules/java/jdk.WORKSPACE
index ae149342ed92de..195bd4fb553eec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/rules/java/jdk.WORKSPACE
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/bazel/rules/java/jdk.WORKSPACE
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # External dependencies for the java_* rules.
 load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive", "http_file")
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:utils.bzl", "maybe")
 
 new_local_repository(
     name = "local_jdk",
@@ -238,4 +239,12 @@ http_archive(
     ],
 )
 
+maybe(
+    http_archive,
+    "rules_java",
+    sha256 = "bc81f1ba47ef5cc68ad32225c3d0e70b8c6f6077663835438da8d5733f917598",
+    urls = ["https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/archive/7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178.zip"],
+    strip_prefix = "rules_java-7cf3cefd652008d0a64a419c34c13bdca6c8f178"
+)
+
 register_toolchains("@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:all")
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/BUILD b/src/test/shell/bazel/BUILD
index e085eeec4daaeb..559c742e3b86f3 100644
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/BUILD
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/BUILD
@@ -364,6 +364,15 @@ sh_test(
     shard_count = 3,
 )
 
+sh_test(
+    name = "bazel_rules_java_test",
+    srcs = ["bazel_rules_java_test.sh"],
+    data = [
+        ":test-deps",
+        "@bazel_tools//tools/bash/runfiles",
+    ],
+)
+
 sh_test(
     name = "bazel_test_test",
     timeout = "long",
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
index 77facba21a08fb..75584d4fc90b61 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_java_tools_test.sh
@@ -173,4 +173,20 @@ function test_java_tools_has_proguard() {
   expect_path_in_java_tools "java_tools/third_party/java/proguard/GPL.html"
 }
 
+function test_java_tools_toolchain_builds() {
+  local java_tools_rlocation=$(rlocation io_bazel/src/java_tools_${JAVA_TOOLS_JAVA_VERSION}.zip)
+  local java_tools_zip_file_url="file://${java_tools_rlocation}"
+  if "$is_windows"; then
+        java_tools_zip_file_url="file:///${java_tools_rlocation}"
+  fi
+  cat >WORKSPACE <<EOF
+load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
+http_archive(
+    name = "local_java_tools",
+    urls = ["${java_tools_zip_file_url}"]
+)
+EOF
+  bazel build @local_java_tools//:toolchain || fail "toolchain failed to build"
+}
+
 run_suite "Java tools archive tests"
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_rules_java_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_rules_java_test.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000000..3d73e985f8543a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_rules_java_test.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+#
+# Copyright 2019 The Bazel Authors. All rights reserved.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+# Tests the examples provided in Bazel
+#
+
+# --- begin runfiles.bash initialization ---
+if [[ ! -d "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}" && ! -f "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE:-/dev/null}" ]]; then
+    if [[ -f "$0.runfiles_manifest" ]]; then
+      export RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE="$0.runfiles_manifest"
+    elif [[ -f "$0.runfiles/MANIFEST" ]]; then
+      export RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE="$0.runfiles/MANIFEST"
+    elif [[ -f "$0.runfiles/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash" ]]; then
+      export RUNFILES_DIR="$0.runfiles"
+    fi
+fi
+if [[ -f "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash" ]]; then
+  source "${RUNFILES_DIR}/bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash"
+elif [[ -f "${RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE:-/dev/null}" ]]; then
+  source "$(grep -m1 "^bazel_tools/tools/bash/runfiles/runfiles.bash " \
+            "$RUNFILES_MANIFEST_FILE" | cut -d ' ' -f 2-)"
+else
+  echo >&2 "ERROR: cannot find @bazel_tools//tools/bash/runfiles:runfiles.bash"
+  exit 1
+fi
+# --- end runfiles.bash initialization ---
+
+source "$(rlocation "io_bazel/src/test/shell/integration_test_setup.sh")" \
+  || { echo "integration_test_setup.sh not found!" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+case "$(uname -s | tr [:upper:] [:lower:])" in
+msys*|mingw*|cygwin*)
+  declare -r is_windows=true
+  ;;
+*)
+  declare -r is_windows=false
+  ;;
+esac
+
+if "$is_windows"; then
+  export MSYS_NO_PATHCONV=1
+  export MSYS2_ARG_CONV_EXCL="*"
+fi
+
+function test_rules_java_can_be_overridden() {
+  # We test that a custom repository can override @platforms in their
+  # WORKSPACE file.
+  mkdir -p rules_java_can_be_overridden || fail "couldn't create directory"
+  touch rules_java_can_be_overridden/BUILD || \ fail "couldn't touch BUILD file"
+  cat > rules_java_can_be_overridden/WORKSPACE <<EOF
+local_repository(
+  name = 'rules_java',
+  path = '../override',
+)
+EOF
+
+  mkdir -p override || fail "couldn't create override directory"
+  touch override/WORKSPACE || fail "couldn't touch override/WORKSPACE"
+  cat > override/BUILD <<EOF
+filegroup(name = 'yolo')
+EOF
+
+  cd rules_java_can_be_overridden || fail "couldn't cd into workspace"
+  bazel build @rules_java//:yolo &> $TEST_log || \
+    fail "Bazel failed to build @rules_java"
+}
+
+function test_rules_java_repository_builds_itself() {
+  # We test that a built-in @rules_java repository is buildable.
+  bazel build @rules_java//... &> $TEST_log \
+      || fail "Build failed unexpectedly"
+}
+
+run_suite "rules_java tests"
diff --git a/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools b/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
index 298f8607196306..b73a288b7920e5 100644
--- a/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
+++ b/tools/jdk/BUILD.java_tools
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package(default_visibility = ["//visibility:public"])
 
 licenses(["notice"])  # Apache 2.0
 
+load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_toolchain", "java_import", "java_binary")
+
 java_toolchain(
     name = "toolchain",
     bootclasspath = ["@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:platformclasspath"],