diff --git a/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake b/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
index 6d02b6136a9..be00bae347d 100644
--- a/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
+++ b/src/corelib/Qt6AndroidMacros.cmake
@@ -432,8 +432,17 @@ function(qt6_android_add_apk_target target)
     if(QT_ENABLE_VERBOSE_DEPLOYMENT)
         list(APPEND extra_args "--verbose")
     endif()
-    if(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE)
-        list(APPEND extra_args "--release")
+
+    if(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE) # legacy opt-in variable
+        set(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE "RELEASE")
+    endif()
+    # Setting QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE to a value other than Release disables
+    # release package signing regardless of the build type.
+    if(QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE)
+        string(TOUPPER "${QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE}" deployment_type_upper)
+        if("${deployment_type_upper}" STREQUAL "RELEASE")
+            list(APPEND extra_args "--release")
+        endif()
     elseif(NOT QT_BUILD_TESTS)
     # Workaround for tests: do not set automatically --release flag if QT_BUILD_TESTS is set.
     # Release package need to be signed. Signing is currently not supported by CI.
diff --git a/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc b/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
index dd5800a4114..a7b9a941484 100644
--- a/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
+++ b/src/corelib/doc/src/cmake/cmake-configure-variables.qdoc
@@ -86,14 +86,39 @@ is written out as part of the deployment settings for a target.
 \title QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE
 \target cmake-variable-QT_ANDROID_DEPLOY_RELEASE
 
-\summary {Sets the package type as a release.}
+\summary {Forces release package signing regardless of the build type.}
 
 \cmakevariablesince 6.5.2
 \preliminarycmakevariable
 \cmakevariableandroidonly
 
-When set to \c TRUE, allows you to create a release package
-by passing the \c --release flag to the \c androiddeployqt tool.
+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
+
+\title QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE
+\target cmake-variable-QT_ANDROID_DEPLOYMENT_TYPE
+
+\summary {Forces or disables release package signing regardless of the build type.}
+
+\cmakevariablesince 6.7
+\preliminarycmakevariable
+\cmakevariableandroidonly
+
+When set to \c Release, the \c --release flag is passed to the \c
+androiddeployqt tool, regardless of the application build type. When set to
+another value, the \c --release flag is never passed to the tool, which
+effectively disables release package signing even in Release or RelWithDebInfo
+builds. When not set, the default behavior is to use release package signing in
+build types other than Debug.
 
 \sa {androiddeployqt}
 */