diff --git a/core/build.gradle b/core/build.gradle
index f57a3fd2c..3d5498770 100644
--- a/core/build.gradle
+++ b/core/build.gradle
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ android {
             versionNameSuffix '-INDEV'
         }
         release {
+
+            //These lines enable R8, which is a code shrinker/optimizer/obfuscator.
+            //This makes release APKs smaller and more efficient, but also makes debugging trickier
+            //as the information produced in stack traces must be de-obfuscated.
+            //See here: https://developer.android.com/studio/build/shrink-code#decode-stack-trace
             shrinkResources true
             minifyEnabled true
-            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
+            proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/proguard-rules.pro b/core/proguard-rules.pro
index 5ad72d735..ff58f8252 100644
--- a/core/proguard-rules.pro
+++ b/core/proguard-rules.pro
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
-# retain these to support class references and meaningful stack traces
+# retain these to support class references for the bundling and translation systems
 -keepnames class com.shatteredpixel.** { *; }
 -keepnames class com.watabou.** { *; }
--keep class com.shatteredpixel.shatteredpixeldungeon { *; }
--keep class com.watabou.noosa.game { *; }
\ No newline at end of file
+
+# retained to support meaningful stack traces
+# note that the mapping file must be referenced in order to make sense of line numbers
+# mapping file can be found in core/build/outputs/mapping after running a release build
+-keepattributes SourceFile,LineNumberTable
\ No newline at end of file