diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests_emulator.yml b/.github/workflows/tests_emulator.yml
index 4d4c6dad43bb..50f33570c0fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests_emulator.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests_emulator.yml
@@ -21,12 +21,6 @@ jobs:
     env:
       CODECOV_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.CODECOV_TOKEN }}
       TEST_RELEASE_BUILD: true
-      # could be better, '/home/runner' should be '~/' but neither that nor '$HOME' worked
-      STOREFILEDIR: /home/runner/src
-      STOREFILE: android-keystore
-      STOREPASS: testpass
-      KEYPASS: testpass
-      KEYALIAS: nrkeystorealias
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
@@ -51,15 +45,6 @@ jobs:
           swap-storage: false
           docker-images: false
 
-      - name: Test Credential Prep
-        run: |
-          echo "KSTOREPWD=$STOREPASS" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          echo "KEYPWD=$KEYPASS" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-          mkdir $STOREFILEDIR
-          cd $STOREFILEDIR
-          echo y | keytool -genkeypair -dname "cn=AnkiDroid, ou=ankidroid, o=AnkiDroid, c=US" -alias $KEYALIAS -keypass $KEYPASS -keystore "$STOREFILE" -storepass $STOREPASS -keyalg RSA -validity 20000
-        shell: bash
-
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
           fetch-depth: 50
@@ -197,4 +182,4 @@ jobs:
       - uses: codecov/codecov-action@v5
         with:
           verbose: true
-          fail_ci_if_error: ${{ github.repository == 'ankidroid/Anki-Android' }} # optional (default = false)
+          fail_ci_if_error: ${{ github.repository == 'ankidroid/Anki-Android' }} # optional (default = false)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/AnkiDroid/build.gradle b/AnkiDroid/build.gradle
index ea75cd815017..fe68574f09d2 100644
--- a/AnkiDroid/build.gradle
+++ b/AnkiDroid/build.gradle
@@ -97,10 +97,18 @@ android {
     }
     signingConfigs {
         release {
-            storeFile file(System.getenv("KEYSTOREPATH") ?: "${homePath}/src/android-keystore")
-            storePassword System.getenv("KEYSTOREPWD") ?: System.getenv("KSTOREPWD")
-            keyAlias System.getenv("KEYALIAS") ?: "nrkeystorealias"
-            keyPassword System.getenv("KEYPWD")
+            def keystorePath = System.getenv("KEYSTOREPATH")
+            if (keystorePath != null && !keystorePath.trim().isEmpty()) {
+                storeFile file(keystorePath)
+                storePassword System.getenv("KEYSTOREPWD") ?: System.getenv("KSTOREPWD")
+                keyAlias System.getenv("KEYALIAS")
+                keyPassword System.getenv("KEYPWD")
+            } else {
+                storeFile file("${rootDir}/tools/fallback-release-keystore.jks")
+                storePassword "Test@123"
+                keyAlias "my-key"
+                keyPassword "Test@123"
+            }
         }
     }
     buildTypes {
diff --git a/tools/fallback-release-keystore.jks b/tools/fallback-release-keystore.jks
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..53d3dbc4bc40
Binary files /dev/null and b/tools/fallback-release-keystore.jks differ