diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/MSBuild/Xamarin/Android/Xamarin.Android.Resource.Designer.targets b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/MSBuild/Xamarin/Android/Xamarin.Android.Resource.Designer.targets
index 8d19b2128da..f5b225179bb 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/MSBuild/Xamarin/Android/Xamarin.Android.Resource.Designer.targets
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/MSBuild/Xamarin/Android/Xamarin.Android.Resource.Designer.targets
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Copyright (C) 2016 Xamarin. All rights reserved.
 <UsingTask TaskName="Xamarin.Android.Tasks.GenerateResourceDesignerAssembly" AssemblyFile="Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks.dll" />
 <UsingTask TaskName="Xamarin.Android.Tasks.GenerateResourceCaseMap" AssemblyFile="Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks.dll" />
 <UsingTask TaskName="Xamarin.Android.Tasks.GenerateRtxt" AssemblyFile="Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks.dll" />
+<UsingTask TaskName="Xamarin.Android.Tasks.CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig" AssemblyFile="Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks.dll" />
 
 <PropertyGroup>
   <AndroidUseDesignerAssembly Condition=" '$(AndroidUseDesignerAssembly)' == '' ">False</AndroidUseDesignerAssembly>
@@ -142,15 +143,7 @@ Copyright (C) 2016 Xamarin. All rights reserved.
 <Target Name="_CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig"
     Condition=" '$(AndroidUseDesignerAssembly)' != 'True' "
     DependsOnTargets="_AddAndroidCustomMetaData">
-  <ItemGroup>
-    <_ErrorItems Include="@(_MonoAndroidReferencePath)" Condition=" '%(_MonoAndroidReferencePath.HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference)' == 'True' "/>
-    <_ErrorItems Include="@(_MonoAndroidReferenceDependencyPaths)"  Condition=" '%(_MonoAndroidReferenceDependencyPaths.HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference)' == 'True' "/>
-  </ItemGroup>
-  <AndroidError Code="XA1034"
-      ResourceName="XA1034"
-      FormatArguments="%(_ErrorItems.FullPath)"
-      Condition=" '@(_ErrorItems->Count())' != '0' "
-  />
+  <CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig Assemblies="@(_MonoAndroidReferencePath);@(_MonoAndroidReferenceDependencyPaths)" />
 </Target>
 
 <PropertyGroup>
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AppendCustomMetadataToItemGroup.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AppendCustomMetadataToItemGroup.cs
index 9ab1d323596..ffd28e90201 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AppendCustomMetadataToItemGroup.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AppendCustomMetadataToItemGroup.cs
@@ -35,11 +35,6 @@ public override bool RunTask ()
 			foreach (var item in Inputs) {
 				var fn = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension (item.ItemSpec);
 				output.Add (item);
-				var md = item.GetMetadata ("HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference");
-				if (string.IsNullOrEmpty (md)) {
-					var b = MonoAndroidHelper.HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (item);
-					item.SetMetadata ("HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference", MonoAndroidHelper.HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (item).ToString ());
-				}
 				List<ITaskItem> metaDataList;
 				if (!metaData.TryGetValue (fn, out metaDataList))
 					continue;
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cd589a58251
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+using Microsoft.Android.Build.Tasks;
+using Microsoft.Build.Framework;
+using Microsoft.Build.Utilities;
+using System.Reflection.Metadata;
+using System.Reflection.PortableExecutable;
+using System.IO;
+
+namespace Xamarin.Android.Tasks
+{
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Emits XA1034 is an assembly has a reference to _Microsoft.Android.Resource.Designer.dll
+	/// * NOTE: only called when $(AndroidUseDesignerAssembly) is false
+	/// </summary>
+	public class CheckForInvalidDesignerConfig : AndroidTask
+	{
+		public override string TaskPrefix => "CIRF";
+
+		public ITaskItem[] Assemblies { get; set; }
+
+		public override bool RunTask ()
+		{
+			if (Assemblies == null)
+				return true;
+
+			foreach (var assembly in Assemblies) {
+				if (HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (assembly)) {
+					Log.LogCodedError ("XA1034", Properties.Resources.XA1034, assembly);
+				}
+			}
+
+			return !Log.HasLoggedErrors;
+		}
+
+		static bool HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (ITaskItem assembly)
+		{
+			if (!File.Exists (assembly.ItemSpec)) {
+				return false;
+			}
+			using var pe = new PEReader (File.OpenRead (assembly.ItemSpec));
+			var reader = pe.GetMetadataReader ();
+			return HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (reader);
+		}
+
+		static bool HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (MetadataReader reader)
+		{
+			foreach (var handle in reader.AssemblyReferences) {
+				var reference = reader.GetAssemblyReference (handle);
+				var name = reader.GetString (reference.Name);
+				if (string.CompareOrdinal (name, "_Microsoft.Android.Resource.Designer") == 0) {
+					return true;
+				}
+			}
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Utilities/MonoAndroidHelper.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Utilities/MonoAndroidHelper.cs
index 19088a10f6b..acd5230b39b 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Utilities/MonoAndroidHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Utilities/MonoAndroidHelper.cs
@@ -325,28 +325,6 @@ public static bool HasMonoAndroidReference (MetadataReader reader)
 			return false;
 		}
 
-		public static bool HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (ITaskItem assembly)
-		{
-			if (!File.Exists (assembly.ItemSpec)) {
-				return false;
-			}
-			using var pe = new PEReader (File.OpenRead (assembly.ItemSpec));
-			var reader = pe.GetMetadataReader ();
-			return HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (reader);
-		}
-
-		public static bool HasResourceDesignerAssemblyReference (MetadataReader reader)
-		{
-			foreach (var handle in reader.AssemblyReferences) {
-				var reference = reader.GetAssemblyReference (handle);
-				var name = reader.GetString (reference.Name);
-				if (string.CompareOrdinal (name, "_Microsoft.Android.Resource.Designer") == 0) {
-					return true;
-				}
-			}
-			return false;
-		}
-
 		public static bool IsReferenceAssembly (string assembly)
 		{
 			using (var stream = File.OpenRead (assembly))