diff --git a/cc/toolchains/args.bzl b/cc/toolchains/args.bzl
index a852292f5..95cdf5217 100644
--- a/cc/toolchains/args.bzl
+++ b/cc/toolchains/args.bzl
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def _cc_args_impl(ctx):
         )
         files = nested.files
     else:
-        files = collect_files(ctx.attr.data + ctx.attr.allowlist_include_directories)
+        files = collect_files(ctx.attr.data)
 
     requires = collect_provider(ctx.attr.requires_any_of, FeatureConstraintInfo)
 
@@ -262,6 +262,9 @@ def cc_args(
             your toolchain and you've ensured that the toolchain is compiling with the
             `-no-canonical-prefixes` and/or `-fno-canonical-system-headers` arguments.
 
+            These files are not automatically passed to each action. If they
+            need to be, add them to 'data' as well.
+
             This can help work around errors like:
             `the source file 'main.c' includes the following non-builtin files with absolute paths
             (if these are builtin files, make sure these paths are in your toolchain)`.
diff --git a/cc/toolchains/impl/nested_args.bzl b/cc/toolchains/impl/nested_args.bzl
index fa17d790e..e59711d5a 100644
--- a/cc/toolchains/impl/nested_args.bzl
+++ b/cc/toolchains/impl/nested_args.bzl
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ def nested_args_provider_from_ctx(ctx, maybe_used_vars = []):
         args = ctx.attr.args,
         format = ctx.attr.format,
         nested = collect_provider(ctx.attr.nested, NestedArgsInfo),
-        files = collect_files(ctx.attr.data + getattr(ctx.attr, "allowlist_include_directories", [])),
+        files = collect_files(ctx.attr.data),
         iterate_over = ctx.attr.iterate_over,
         requires_not_none = _var(ctx.attr.requires_not_none),
         requires_none = _var(ctx.attr.requires_none),
diff --git a/cc/toolchains/tool.bzl b/cc/toolchains/tool.bzl
index ee0a49bc5..51ba7c31b 100644
--- a/cc/toolchains/tool.bzl
+++ b/cc/toolchains/tool.bzl
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def _cc_tool_impl(ctx):
     else:
         fail("Expected cc_tool's src attribute to be either an executable or a single file")
 
-    runfiles = collect_data(ctx, ctx.attr.data + [ctx.attr.src] + ctx.attr.allowlist_include_directories)
+    runfiles = collect_data(ctx, ctx.attr.data + [ctx.attr.src])
     tool = ToolInfo(
         label = ctx.label,
         exe = exe,
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@ As a rule of thumb, only use this if Bazel is complaining about absolute paths i
 toolchain and you've ensured that the toolchain is compiling with the `-no-canonical-prefixes`
 and/or `-fno-canonical-system-headers` arguments.
 
+These files are not automatically passed to each action. If they need to be,
+add them to 'data' as well.
+
 This can help work around errors like:
 `the source file 'main.c' includes the following non-builtin files with absolute paths
 (if these are builtin files, make sure these paths are in your toolchain)`.
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/BUILD b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/BUILD
index dd72250df..7f47073c4 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/BUILD
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/BUILD
@@ -63,6 +63,15 @@ util.helper_target(
     args = ["--secret-builtin-include-dir"],
 )
 
+util.helper_target(
+    cc_args,
+    name = "with_dir_and_data",
+    actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:all_compile"],
+    allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:directory"],
+    args = ["--secret-builtin-include-dir"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:directory"],
+)
+
 util.helper_target(
     cc_args,
     name = "good_env_format",
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/args_test.bzl b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/args_test.bzl
index 619c7ba89..2adc82b0b 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/args_test.bzl
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args/args_test.bzl
@@ -152,11 +152,21 @@ def _env_only_requires_test(env, targets):
 def _with_dir_test(env, targets):
     with_dir = env.expect.that_target(targets.with_dir).provider(ArgsInfo)
     with_dir.allowlist_include_directories().contains_exactly([_TOOL_DIRECTORY])
-    with_dir.files().contains_at_least(_SIMPLE_FILES)
+    with_dir.files().contains_exactly([])
 
     c_compile = env.expect.that_target(targets.with_dir).provider(ArgsListInfo).by_action().get(
         targets.c_compile[ActionTypeInfo],
     )
+    c_compile.files().contains_exactly([])
+
+def _with_dir_and_data_test(env, targets):
+    with_dir = env.expect.that_target(targets.with_dir_and_data).provider(ArgsInfo)
+    with_dir.allowlist_include_directories().contains_exactly([_TOOL_DIRECTORY])
+    with_dir.files().contains_at_least(_SIMPLE_FILES)
+
+    c_compile = env.expect.that_target(targets.with_dir_and_data).provider(ArgsListInfo).by_action().get(
+        targets.c_compile[ActionTypeInfo],
+    )
     c_compile.files().contains_at_least(_SIMPLE_FILES)
 
 TARGETS = [
@@ -165,6 +175,7 @@ TARGETS = [
     ":env_only",
     ":env_only_requires",
     ":with_dir",
+    ":with_dir_and_data",
     ":iterate_over_optional",
     ":good_env_format",
     ":good_env_format_optional",
@@ -349,6 +360,7 @@ TESTS = {
     "env_only_test": _env_only_test,
     "env_only_requires_test": _env_only_requires_test,
     "with_dir_test": _with_dir_test,
+    "with_dir_and_data_test": _with_dir_and_data_test,
     "good_env_format_test": _good_env_format_test,
     "good_env_format_optional_test": _good_env_format_optional_test,
 }
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args_list/BUILD b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args_list/BUILD
index 64f0fbbbf..f0bc4a6ee 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args_list/BUILD
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/args_list/BUILD
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ util.helper_target(
     actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:c_compile"],
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1"],
     args = ["dir1"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1"],
     visibility = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain:__subpackages__"],
 )
 
@@ -57,6 +58,7 @@ util.helper_target(
     actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:cpp_compile"],
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_2"],
     args = ["dir2"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_2"],
     visibility = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain:__subpackages__"],
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/features/BUILD b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/features/BUILD
index c98231871..e43da9d32 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/features/BUILD
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/features/BUILD
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ util.helper_target(
     actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:c_compile"],
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1"],
     args = ["--include-builtin-dirs"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1"],
 )
 
 util.helper_target(
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/tool/BUILD b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/tool/BUILD
index daa617aab..8b1c07303 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/tool/BUILD
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/tool/BUILD
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ cc_tool(
     name = "tool_with_allowlist_include_directories",
     src = "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:bin_wrapper.sh",
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:directory"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:directory"],
     visibility = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain:__subpackages__"],
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/toolchain_config/BUILD b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/toolchain_config/BUILD
index 08b5f8380..7bf8d3b43 100644
--- a/tests/rule_based_toolchain/toolchain_config/BUILD
+++ b/tests/rule_based_toolchain/toolchain_config/BUILD
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@ util.helper_target(
     actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:c_compile"],
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1"],
     args = ["c_compile_args"],
-    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:file1"],
+    data = [
+        "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:file1",
+        "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_1",
+    ],
 )
 
 util.helper_target(
@@ -48,6 +51,7 @@ cc_tool(
     src = "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:bin_wrapper",
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_3"],
     capabilities = ["//cc/toolchains/capabilities:supports_pic"],
+    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_3"],
 )
 
 cc_sysroot(
@@ -94,7 +98,10 @@ util.helper_target(
     actions = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/actions:all_compile"],
     allowlist_include_directories = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_2"],
     args = ["compile_args"],
-    data = ["//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:file2"],
+    data = [
+        "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:file2",
+        "//tests/rule_based_toolchain/testdata:subdirectory_2",
+    ],
 )
 
 util.helper_target(