diff --git a/lib/check_reqs.js b/lib/check_reqs.js
index d9558090ba..22414a6deb 100644
--- a/lib/check_reqs.js
+++ b/lib/check_reqs.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ const { forgivingWhichSync, isWindows, isDarwin } = require('./utils');
 const java = require('./env/java');
 const { CordovaError, ConfigParser, events } = require('cordova-common');
 const android_sdk = require('./android_sdk');
-const { SDK_VERSION, COMPILE_SDK_VERSION } = require('./gradle-config-defaults');
+const { SDK_VERSION } = require('./gradle-config-defaults');
 
 // Re-exporting these for backwards compatibility and for unit testing.
 // TODO: Remove uses and use the ./utils module directly.
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ module.exports.get_target = function (projectRoot) {
  */
 module.exports.get_compile = function (projectRoot) {
     const userTargetSdkVersion = getUserTargetSdkVersion(projectRoot) || SDK_VERSION;
-    const userCompileSdkVersion = getUserCompileSdkVersion(projectRoot) || COMPILE_SDK_VERSION;
+    const userCompileSdkVersion = getUserCompileSdkVersion(projectRoot) || userTargetSdkVersion;
 
     module.exports.isCompileSdkValid(userCompileSdkVersion, userTargetSdkVersion);
 
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ module.exports.get_compile = function (projectRoot) {
 };
 
 module.exports.isCompileSdkValid = (compileSdk, targetSdk) => {
-    compileSdk = (compileSdk || COMPILE_SDK_VERSION);
     targetSdk = (targetSdk || SDK_VERSION);
+    compileSdk = (compileSdk || targetSdk);
     const isValid = compileSdk >= targetSdk;
 
     if (!isValid) {