diff --git a/.github/workflows/gradle-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/gradle-publish.yml
index a593f92..b8458b3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gradle-publish.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gradle-publish.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ jobs:
   publish:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
-      contents: read
+      contents: write
       packages: write
 
     steps:
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ jobs:
         if [[ -z "$VERSION" ]]; then
           VERSION="$GITHUB_REF_NAME"
         fi
-        echo "version=${VERSION#v}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        echo "version=${VERSION#v}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
 
     - name: Generate Android bindings
       run: ./build_android.sh
@@ -67,6 +67,18 @@ jobs:
       working-directory: bindings/android
       run: ./gradlew build -Pversion=${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
 
+    - name: Upload native debug symbols artifact
+      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+      with:
+        name: bitkit-core-native-debug-symbols-${{ steps.version.outputs.version }}
+        path: bindings/android/native-debug-symbols.zip
+
+    - name: Upload native debug symbols to release
+      if: github.event_name == 'release'
+      env:
+        GH_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
+      run: gh release upload "${{ github.event.release.tag_name }}" bindings/android/native-debug-symbols.zip --clobber
+
     # same credentials env vars used in the publishing section of build.gradle.kts
     - name: Publish to GitHub Packages
       working-directory: bindings/android
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 03ef30e..ceee4e1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 target/
+bindings/android/native-debug-symbols.zip
 .idea/
 .DS_Store
 # AI
diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index f9a8481..62d79b4 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "bitkitcore"
-version = "0.1.72"
+version = "0.1.73"
 dependencies = [
  "android_logger",
  "async-trait",
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 329f60a..9502908 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "bitkitcore"
-version = "0.1.72"
+version = "0.1.73"
 edition = "2021"
 
 [lib]
diff --git a/Package.swift b/Package.swift
index 8be7257..22c2bdd 100644
--- a/Package.swift
+++ b/Package.swift
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 import PackageDescription
 
-let tag = "v0.1.72"
+let tag = "v0.1.73"
 let checksum = "0fc1897b87ef3224abcec3b119d02c4a93966dd04c0a7c938588d4c5e98fc013"
 let url = "https://github.com/synonymdev/bitkit-core/releases/download/\(tag)/BitkitCore.xcframework.zip"
 
diff --git a/bindings/android/README.md b/bindings/android/README.md
index edd8b2d..d488daa 100644
--- a/bindings/android/README.md
+++ b/bindings/android/README.md
@@ -90,4 +90,4 @@ cd ./bindings/android
 ./gradlew publish -Pversion=0.1.0
 ```
 
-Run `./build_android.sh` before any direct Gradle publish so `jniLibs` is regenerated with native debug metadata and 16 KB page-size alignment.
+Run `./build_android.sh` before any direct Gradle publish so `jniLibs` is regenerated as stripped release libraries with separate `native-debug-symbols.zip` metadata and 16 KB page-size alignment.
diff --git a/bindings/android/gradle.properties b/bindings/android/gradle.properties
index 2b1cacb..65db0f1 100644
--- a/bindings/android/gradle.properties
+++ b/bindings/android/gradle.properties
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ android.useAndroidX=true
 android.enableJetifier=true
 kotlin.code.style=official
 group=com.synonym
-version=0.1.72
+version=0.1.73
diff --git a/bindings/android/lib/build.gradle.kts b/bindings/android/lib/build.gradle.kts
index a8409bf..d8c7d4c 100644
--- a/bindings/android/lib/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/bindings/android/lib/build.gradle.kts
@@ -42,12 +42,6 @@ android {
         }
     }
 
-    packaging {
-        jniLibs {
-            keepDebugSymbols += "**/libbitkitcore.so"
-        }
-    }
-
     publishing {
         singleVariant("release") {
             withSourcesJar()
@@ -121,7 +115,7 @@ fun String.parseElfAlignment(): Long {
 
 val validateReleaseNativeLibraries by tasks.registering {
     group = "verification"
-    description = "Validates release JNI libraries keep full DWARF metadata and 16 KB LOAD alignment."
+    description = "Validates release JNI libraries are stripped and keep 16 KB LOAD alignment."
 
     doLast {
         val readelf = findReadelf()
@@ -134,8 +128,11 @@ val validateReleaseNativeLibraries by tasks.registering {
             }
 
             val (sectionsExit, sections) = runReadelf(readelf, "-S", lib.absolutePath)
-            if (sectionsExit != 0 || !Regex("""\.debug_info""").containsMatchIn(sections)) {
-                throw GradleException("Android native library has no .debug_info DWARF metadata: '${lib.path}'")
+            if (sectionsExit != 0) {
+                throw GradleException("Unable to inspect Android native library sections: '${lib.path}'")
+            }
+            if (Regex("""\.debug_""").containsMatchIn(sections)) {
+                throw GradleException("Android release native library still contains .debug_* sections: '${lib.path}'")
             }
 
             val wideHeaders = runReadelf(readelf, "-W", "-l", lib.absolutePath)
@@ -175,6 +172,10 @@ afterEvaluate {
                 version = providers.gradleProperty("version").orNull ?: "0.0.0"
 
                 from(components["release"])
+                artifact(rootProject.layout.projectDirectory.file("native-debug-symbols.zip")) {
+                    classifier = "native-debug-symbols"
+                    extension = "zip"
+                }
                 pom {
                     name.set(mavenArtifactId)
                     description.set("Bitkit Core Android bindings.")
diff --git a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/arm64-v8a/libbitkitcore.so b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/arm64-v8a/libbitkitcore.so
index 686c715..7e8982e 100755
Binary files a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/arm64-v8a/libbitkitcore.so and b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/arm64-v8a/libbitkitcore.so differ
diff --git a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/armeabi-v7a/libbitkitcore.so b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/armeabi-v7a/libbitkitcore.so
index 5f7f951..f398fcc 100755
Binary files a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/armeabi-v7a/libbitkitcore.so and b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/armeabi-v7a/libbitkitcore.so differ
diff --git a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86/libbitkitcore.so b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86/libbitkitcore.so
index a8605b5..32f9fee 100755
Binary files a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86/libbitkitcore.so and b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86/libbitkitcore.so differ
diff --git a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86_64/libbitkitcore.so b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86_64/libbitkitcore.so
index f42479b..02c4522 100755
Binary files a/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86_64/libbitkitcore.so and b/bindings/android/lib/src/main/jniLibs/x86_64/libbitkitcore.so differ
diff --git a/build_android.sh b/build_android.sh
index 0de4d79..dd6da6b 100755
--- a/build_android.sh
+++ b/build_android.sh
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ export CARGO_PROFILE_RELEASE_STRIP=false
 ANDROID_LIB_DIR="./bindings/android"
 BASE_DIR="$ANDROID_LIB_DIR/lib/src/main/kotlin/com/synonym/bitkitcore"
 JNILIBS_DIR="$ANDROID_LIB_DIR/lib/src/main/jniLibs"
+NATIVE_DEBUG_SYMBOLS_ZIP="$ANDROID_LIB_DIR/native-debug-symbols.zip"
 
 # Create output directories
 mkdir -p "$BASE_DIR"
@@ -101,10 +102,36 @@ find_readelf() {
     exit 1
 }
 
+find_strip() {
+    if command -v llvm-strip >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+        command -v llvm-strip
+        return
+    fi
+
+    for ndk_dir in "${ANDROID_NDK_ROOT:-}" "${ANDROID_NDK_HOME:-}" "${NDK_HOME:-}"; do
+        if [ -z "$ndk_dir" ] || [ ! -d "$ndk_dir/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt" ]; then
+            continue
+        fi
+
+        ndk_strip=$(find "$ndk_dir/toolchains/llvm/prebuilt" -path '*/bin/llvm-strip' | head -n 1)
+        if [ -n "$ndk_strip" ]; then
+            echo "$ndk_strip"
+            return
+        fi
+    done
+
+    echo "Error: llvm-strip is required to strip Android native release libraries"
+    exit 1
+}
+
 has_dwarf_debug_metadata() {
     "$READELF_BIN" -S "$1" | grep -Eq '\.debug_info'
 }
 
+has_dwarf_sections() {
+    "$READELF_BIN" -S "$1" | grep -Eq '\.debug_'
+}
+
 readelf_program_headers() {
     if "$READELF_BIN" -W -l "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
         "$READELF_BIN" -W -l "$1"
@@ -147,6 +174,20 @@ validate_android_library() {
     fi
 }
 
+validate_stripped_android_library() {
+    lib="$1"
+    if has_dwarf_sections "$lib"; then
+        echo "Error: Android release native library still contains .debug_* sections: $lib"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+
+    if ! has_16kb_load_alignment "$lib"; then
+        echo "Error: Android native library is not 16 KB page-size aligned: $lib"
+        readelf_program_headers "$lib" | grep LOAD || true
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 validate_android_symbols() {
     READELF_BIN=$(find_readelf)
 
@@ -161,6 +202,40 @@ validate_android_symbols() {
     done
 }
 
+create_native_debug_symbols_archive() {
+    tmp_dir=$(mktemp -d)
+
+    for abi in armeabi-v7a arm64-v8a x86 x86_64; do
+        mkdir -p "$tmp_dir/$abi"
+        cp "$JNILIBS_DIR/$abi/libbitkitcore.so" "$tmp_dir/$abi/"
+    done
+
+    rm -f "$NATIVE_DEBUG_SYMBOLS_ZIP"
+    archive_path="$PWD/$NATIVE_DEBUG_SYMBOLS_ZIP"
+    (
+        cd "$tmp_dir"
+        zip -qr "$archive_path" armeabi-v7a arm64-v8a x86 x86_64
+    )
+    zip -T "$NATIVE_DEBUG_SYMBOLS_ZIP" >/dev/null
+    rm -rf "$tmp_dir"
+}
+
+strip_android_libraries() {
+    STRIP_BIN=$(find_strip)
+
+    for abi in armeabi-v7a arm64-v8a x86 x86_64; do
+        "$STRIP_BIN" --strip-unneeded "$JNILIBS_DIR/$abi/libbitkitcore.so"
+    done
+}
+
+validate_stripped_android_symbols() {
+    READELF_BIN=$(find_readelf)
+
+    for abi in armeabi-v7a arm64-v8a x86 x86_64; do
+        validate_stripped_android_library "$JNILIBS_DIR/$abi/libbitkitcore.so"
+    done
+}
+
 validate_android_aar_symbols() {
     READELF_BIN=$(find_readelf)
     aar=$(find "$ANDROID_LIB_DIR" -path '*/build/outputs/aar/*release.aar' -print | head -n 1)
@@ -180,7 +255,7 @@ validate_android_aar_symbols() {
             exit 1
         fi
 
-        validate_android_library "$lib"
+        validate_stripped_android_library "$lib"
     done
 
     rm -rf "$tmp_dir"
@@ -247,6 +322,9 @@ cargo ndk \
     build --release
 
 validate_android_symbols
+create_native_debug_symbols_archive
+strip_android_libraries
+validate_stripped_android_symbols
 
 # Generate Kotlin bindings
 echo "Generating Kotlin bindings..."