diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 773bc05d992c9ee9ccab760ae11eee8d64263e64..f8f74d7a48f40fe07f28c6450c3ed31148283eef 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -89,4 +89,6 @@ lint/tmp/
 
 .idea/
 
-app/circuli_key.jks
+circuli_key.jks
+
+signing.properties
diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index e6a7b51b8de744c591136f20da01e2e4ccca3023..9804740dd1773476cfc520e5038989af61157363 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -7,8 +7,10 @@ cache:
 
 before_script:
   - chmod +x ./gradlew
-  - echo "$SIGNING_CONFIG" > local.properties
-  - echo "$SIGNING_KEY_BASE64" | base64 -d > android/app/circuli_key.jks
+  - echo $SIGNING_KEY_BASE64 | base64 -d > circuli_key.jks
+  - echo "KEY_PATH=circuli_key.jks" > signing.properties
+  - echo "KEY_PASSWORD=$KEY_PASSWORD" >> signing.properties
+  - echo "ALIAS_NAME=$ALIAS_NAME" >> signing.properties
 
 stages:
   - release
diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index 6c07772d7fab5e4d88122fcc4b4e304ce3ceb5bc..285708dac6ad279b4ba318230cf7cae03b5c12e0 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ android {
         applicationId "org.futo.circles"
         minSdk rootProject.ext.min_sdk_version
         targetSdk rootProject.ext.sdk_version
-        versionCode 25
+        versionCode 26
         versionName "1.0.16"
         archivesBaseName = "circles-v${versionName}"
 
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ android {
     signingConfigs{
         release {
             Properties properties = new Properties()
-            if (rootProject.file("local.properties").exists()) {
-                properties.load(rootProject.file("local.properties").newDataInputStream())
+            if (rootProject.file("signing.properties").exists()) {
+                properties.load(rootProject.file("signing.properties").newDataInputStream())
             }
-            storeFile file("circuli_key.jks")
+            storeFile file(properties.getProperty("KEY_PATH"))
             storePassword properties.getProperty("KEY_PASSWORD")
             keyAlias properties.getProperty("ALIAS_NAME")
             keyPassword properties.getProperty("KEY_PASSWORD")