diff --git a/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake b/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
index bfcd7526910..d2b0c59d553 100644
--- a/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
+++ b/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
@@ -469,8 +469,9 @@ function(qt6_android_add_apk_target target)
         list(APPEND extra_args "--verbose")
     endif()
 
-    if(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE) # legacy opt-in variable
-        set(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE "RELEASE")
+    if(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE)
+        message(WARNING "QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE is not a valid Qt variable."
+            " Please set QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE to RELEASE instead.")
     endif()
     # Setting QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE to a value other than Release disables
     # release package signing regardless of the build type.
diff --git a/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc b/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
index f6d8cbcf445..e1f8186b9d0 100644
--- a/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
+++ b/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
@@ -80,28 +80,6 @@ is written out as part of the deployment settings for a target.
 \sa{qt6_android_generate_deployment_settings}{qt_android_generate_deployment_settings()}
 */
 
-/*!
-\page cmake-variable-qt-android-deploy-release.html
-\ingroup cmake-variables-qtcore
-\ingroup cmake-android-build-properties
-
-\title QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE
-\target cmake-variable-QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE
-
-\summary {Forces release package signing regardless of the build type.}
-
-\cmakevariablesince 6.5.2
-\preliminarycmakevariable
-\cmakevariableandroidonly
-
-When set to \c TRUE, the \c --release flag is passed to the \c androiddeployqt
-tool, even when the application build mode is Debug. In Release and
-RelWithDebInfo builds this is the default. For more control over this, prefer
-using \l QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE instead.
-
-\sa {androiddeployqt}
-*/
-
 /*!
 \page cmake-variable-qt-android-deployment-type.html
 \ingroup cmake-variables-qtcore