diff --git a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
index a8007b803d0..ddffabd8cb3 100644
--- a/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
+++ b/tensorflow/tensorflow.bzl
@@ -41,76 +41,82 @@ def tf_android_core_proto_headers(core_proto_sources_relative):
   ])
 
 
+# Sanitize a dependency so that it works correctly from code that includes
+# TensorFlow as a submodule.
+def clean_dep(dep):
+  return str(Label(dep))
+
+
 def if_android_x86(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android_x86": a,
-      "//tensorflow:android_x86_64": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android_x86"): a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android_x86_64"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_android_arm(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android_arm": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android_arm"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_android_arm64(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android_arm64": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android_arm64"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_not_android(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android": [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android"): [],
       "//conditions:default": a,
   })
 
 
 def if_android(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_ios(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:ios": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:ios"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_mobile(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android": a,
-      "//tensorflow:ios": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android"): a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:ios"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
 
 def if_not_mobile(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:android": [],
-      "//tensorflow:ios": [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:android"): [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:ios"): [],
       "//conditions:default": a,
   })
 
 
 def if_not_windows(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:windows": [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): [],
       "//conditions:default": a,
   })
 
 
 def if_x86(a):
   return select({
-      "//tensorflow:linux_x86_64": a,
-      "//tensorflow:windows": a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:linux_x86_64"): a,
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): a,
       "//conditions:default": [],
   })
 
@@ -124,13 +130,13 @@ def tf_copts():
       "-fno-exceptions",
   ] + if_cuda(["-DGOOGLE_CUDA=1"]) + if_mkl(["-DINTEL_MKL=1"]) + if_android_arm(
       ["-mfpu=neon"]) + if_x86(["-msse3"]) + select({
-          "//tensorflow:android": [
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:android"): [
               "-std=c++11",
               "-DTF_LEAN_BINARY",
               "-O2",
           ],
-          "//tensorflow:darwin": [],
-          "//tensorflow:windows": [
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:darwin"): [],
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): [
               "/DLANG_CXX11",
               "/D__VERSION__=\\\"MSVC\\\"",
               "/DPLATFORM_WINDOWS",
@@ -138,7 +144,7 @@ def tf_copts():
               "/DEIGEN_HAS_C99_MATH",
               "/DTENSORFLOW_USE_EIGEN_THREADPOOL",
           ],
-          "//tensorflow:ios": ["-std=c++11"],
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:ios"): ["-std=c++11"],
           "//conditions:default": ["-pthread"]
       }))
 
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ def tf_gen_op_libs(op_lib_names, deps=None):
         name=n + "_op_lib",
         copts=tf_copts(),
         srcs=["ops/" + n + ".cc"],
-        deps=deps + ["//tensorflow/core:framework"],
+        deps=deps + [clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework")],
         visibility=["//visibility:public"],
         alwayslink=1,
         linkstatic=1,)
@@ -175,7 +181,7 @@ def tf_gen_op_libs(op_lib_names, deps=None):
 def tf_gen_op_wrapper_cc(name,
                          out_ops_file,
                          pkg="",
-                         op_gen="//tensorflow/cc:cc_op_gen_main",
+                         op_gen=clean_dep("//tensorflow/cc:cc_op_gen_main"),
                          deps=None,
                          override_file=None,
                          include_internal_ops=0):
@@ -242,11 +248,11 @@ def tf_gen_op_wrappers_cc(name,
                           other_hdrs=[],
                           pkg="",
                           deps=[
-                              "//tensorflow/cc:ops",
-                              "//tensorflow/cc:scope",
-                              "//tensorflow/cc:const_op",
+                              clean_dep("//tensorflow/cc:ops"),
+                              clean_dep("//tensorflow/cc:scope"),
+                              clean_dep("//tensorflow/cc:const_op"),
                           ],
-                          op_gen="//tensorflow/cc:cc_op_gen_main",
+                          op_gen=clean_dep("//tensorflow/cc:cc_op_gen_main"),
                           override_file=None,
                           include_internal_ops=0,
                           visibility=None):
@@ -272,12 +278,12 @@ def tf_gen_op_wrappers_cc(name,
       srcs=subsrcs,
       hdrs=subhdrs,
       deps=deps + if_not_android([
-          "//tensorflow/core:core_cpu",
-          "//tensorflow/core:framework",
-          "//tensorflow/core:lib",
-          "//tensorflow/core:protos_all_cc",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:core_cpu"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:lib"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:protos_all_cc"),
       ]) + if_android([
-          "//tensorflow/core:android_tensorflow_lib",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:android_tensorflow_lib"),
       ]),
       copts=tf_copts(),
       alwayslink=1,
@@ -287,16 +293,16 @@ def tf_gen_op_wrappers_cc(name,
       srcs=internalsrcs,
       hdrs=internalhdrs,
       deps=deps + if_not_android([
-          "//tensorflow/core:core_cpu",
-          "//tensorflow/core:framework",
-          "//tensorflow/core:lib",
-          "//tensorflow/core:protos_all_cc",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:core_cpu"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:lib"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:protos_all_cc"),
       ]) + if_android([
-          "//tensorflow/core:android_tensorflow_lib",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:android_tensorflow_lib"),
       ]),
       copts=tf_copts(),
       alwayslink=1,
-      visibility=["//tensorflow:internal"])
+      visibility=[clean_dep("//tensorflow:internal")])
 
 
 # Invoke this rule in .../tensorflow/python to build the wrapper library.
@@ -311,17 +317,17 @@ def tf_gen_op_wrapper_py(name,
   # Construct a cc_binary containing the specified ops.
   tool_name = "gen_" + name + "_py_wrappers_cc"
   if not deps:
-    deps = ["//tensorflow/core:" + name + "_op_lib"]
+    deps = [str(Label("//tensorflow/core:" + name + "_op_lib"))]
   native.cc_binary(
       name=tool_name,
       linkopts=["-lm"],
       copts=tf_copts(),
       linkstatic=1,  # Faster to link this one-time-use binary dynamically
       deps=([
-          "//tensorflow/core:framework",
-          "//tensorflow/python:python_op_gen_main"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/python:python_op_gen_main")
       ] + deps),
-      visibility=["//tensorflow:internal"],)
+      visibility=[clean_dep("//tensorflow:internal")],)
 
   # Invoke the previous cc_binary to generate a python file.
   if not out:
@@ -363,7 +369,7 @@ def tf_gen_op_wrapper_py(name,
       srcs_version="PY2AND3",
       visibility=visibility,
       deps=[
-          "//tensorflow/python:framework_for_generated_wrappers_v2",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/python:framework_for_generated_wrappers_v2"),
       ],)
 
 
@@ -439,7 +445,7 @@ def tf_cuda_cc_test(name,
       name=name,
       srcs=srcs,
       suffix="_gpu",
-      deps=deps + if_cuda(["//tensorflow/core:gpu_runtime"]),
+      deps=deps + if_cuda([clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:gpu_runtime")]),
       linkstatic=if_cuda(1, 0),
       tags=tags + tf_cuda_tests_tags(),
       data=data,
@@ -547,8 +553,8 @@ def tf_gpu_kernel_library(srcs,
       hdrs=hdrs,
       copts=copts,
       deps=deps + if_cuda([
-          "//tensorflow/core:cuda",
-          "//tensorflow/core:gpu_lib",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:cuda"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:gpu_lib"),
       ]),
       alwayslink=1,
       **kwargs)
@@ -579,7 +585,7 @@ def tf_cuda_library(deps=None, cuda_deps=None, copts=None, **kwargs):
 
   native.cc_library(
       deps=deps + if_cuda(cuda_deps + [
-          "//tensorflow/core:cuda",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:cuda"),
           "@local_config_cuda//cuda:cuda_headers"
       ]),
       copts=copts + if_cuda(["-DGOOGLE_CUDA=1"]) + if_mkl(["-DINTEL_MKL=1"]),
@@ -634,7 +640,7 @@ def tf_kernel_library(name,
     hdrs = hdrs + native.glob(
         [prefix + "*.h"], exclude=[prefix + "*test*", prefix + "*.cu.h"])
 
-  cuda_deps = ["//tensorflow/core:gpu_lib"]
+  cuda_deps = [clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:gpu_lib")]
   if gpu_srcs:
     for gpu_src in gpu_srcs:
       if gpu_src.endswith(".cc") and not gpu_src.endswith(".cu.cc"):
@@ -810,8 +816,8 @@ def cc_header_only_library(name, deps=[], **kwargs):
 def tf_custom_op_library_additional_deps():
   return [
       "@protobuf//:protobuf_headers",
-      "//third_party/eigen3",
-      "//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib",
+      clean_dep("//third_party/eigen3"),
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework_headers_lib"),
   ]
 
 
@@ -871,7 +877,7 @@ check_deps = rule(
 # implementations of custom ops and kernels.
 def tf_custom_op_library(name, srcs=[], gpu_srcs=[], deps=[]):
   cuda_deps = [
-      "//tensorflow/core:stream_executor_headers_lib",
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:stream_executor_headers_lib"),
       "@local_config_cuda//cuda:cudart_static",
   ]
   deps = deps + tf_custom_op_library_additional_deps()
@@ -888,8 +894,8 @@ def tf_custom_op_library(name, srcs=[], gpu_srcs=[], deps=[]):
       name=name + "_check_deps",
       deps=deps + if_cuda(cuda_deps),
       disallowed_deps=[
-          "//tensorflow/core:framework",
-          "//tensorflow/core:lib"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:framework"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/core:lib")
       ])
 
   native.cc_binary(
@@ -903,7 +909,7 @@ def tf_custom_op_library(name, srcs=[], gpu_srcs=[], deps=[]):
           "//conditions:default": [
               "-lm",
           ],
-          "//tensorflow:darwin": [],
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:darwin"): [],
       }),)
 
 
@@ -956,21 +962,21 @@ def tf_py_wrap_cc(name,
   extra_linkopts = select({
       "@local_config_cuda//cuda:darwin": [
           "-Wl,-exported_symbols_list",
-          "//tensorflow:tf_exported_symbols.lds"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:tf_exported_symbols.lds")
       ],
-      str(Label("//tensorflow:windows")): [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): [],
       "//conditions:default": [
           "-Wl,--version-script",
-          "//tensorflow:tf_version_script.lds"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:tf_version_script.lds")
       ]
   })
   extra_deps += select({
       "@local_config_cuda//cuda:darwin": [
-          "//tensorflow:tf_exported_symbols.lds"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:tf_exported_symbols.lds")
       ],
-      "//tensorflow:windows": [],
+      clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): [],
       "//conditions:default": [
-          "//tensorflow:tf_version_script.lds"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:tf_version_script.lds")
       ]
   })
 
@@ -994,7 +1000,7 @@ def tf_py_wrap_cc(name,
       srcs=[":" + name + ".py"],
       srcs_version="PY2AND3",
       data=select({
-          "//tensorflow:windows": [":" + cc_library_pyd_name],
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:windows"): [":" + cc_library_pyd_name],
           "//conditions:default": [":" + cc_library_name],
       }))
 
@@ -1003,7 +1009,7 @@ def py_test(deps=[], **kwargs):
   native.py_test(
       deps=select({
           "//conditions:default": deps,
-          "//tensorflow:no_tensorflow_py_deps": []
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:no_tensorflow_py_deps"): []
       }),
       **kwargs)
 
@@ -1028,15 +1034,15 @@ def tf_py_test(name,
       main=main,
       args=args,
       tags=tags,
-      visibility=["//tensorflow:internal"],
+      visibility=[clean_dep("//tensorflow:internal")],
       shard_count=shard_count,
       data=data,
       deps=select({
           "//conditions:default": [
-              "//tensorflow/python:extra_py_tests_deps",
-              "//tensorflow/python:gradient_checker",
+              clean_dep("//tensorflow/python:extra_py_tests_deps"),
+              clean_dep("//tensorflow/python:gradient_checker"),
           ] + additional_deps,
-          "//tensorflow:no_tensorflow_py_deps": []
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow:no_tensorflow_py_deps"): []
       }),
       flaky=flaky,
       srcs_version="PY2AND3")
@@ -1153,13 +1159,13 @@ def tf_generate_proto_text_sources(name, srcs_relative_dir, srcs):
   out_srcs = [p.replace(".proto", ".pb_text.cc") for p in srcs]
   native.genrule(
       name=name,
-      srcs=srcs + ["//tensorflow/tools/proto_text:placeholder.txt"],
+      srcs=srcs + [clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/proto_text:placeholder.txt")],
       outs=out_hdrs + out_srcs,
       cmd=
       "$(location //tensorflow/tools/proto_text:gen_proto_text_functions) "
       + "$(@D) " + srcs_relative_dir + " $(SRCS)",
       tools=[
-          "//tensorflow/tools/proto_text:gen_proto_text_functions"
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/proto_text:gen_proto_text_functions")
       ],)
   return struct(hdrs=out_hdrs, srcs=out_srcs)
 
@@ -1173,15 +1179,15 @@ def tf_version_info_genrule():
   native.genrule(
       name="version_info_gen",
       srcs=[
-          "//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/spec.json",
-          "//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/head",
-          "//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/branch_ref",
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/spec.json"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/head"),
+          clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/git:gen/branch_ref"),
       ],
       outs=["util/version_info.cc"],
       cmd=
       "$(location //tensorflow/tools/git:gen_git_source.py) --generate $(SRCS) \"$@\"",
       local=1,
-      tools=["//tensorflow/tools/git:gen_git_source.py"],)
+      tools=[clean_dep("//tensorflow/tools/git:gen_git_source.py")],)
 
 
 def cc_library_with_android_deps(deps,