diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/build.gradle b/xwords4/android/app/build.gradle
index 5af93068e..889f965e6 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -180,9 +180,11 @@ android {
             minifyEnabled false // PENDING
             // proguard crashes when I do this (the optimize part)
             // proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android-optimize.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
+            resValue "bool", "DEBUG", "false"
         }
         debug {
             debuggable true
+            resValue "bool", "DEBUG", "true"
             minifyEnabled true // for testing
             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt'), 'proguard-rules.pro'
             // This doesn't work on marshmallow: duplicate permission error
diff --git a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
index 28673f063..d37422bbd 100644
--- a/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
+++ b/xwords4/android/app/src/main/java/org/eehouse/android/xw4/XWApp.java
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ public class XWApp extends Application
         Assert.assertTrue( s_context == s_context.getApplicationContext() );
         super.onCreate();
 
+        // Remove me soon!!!
+        Assert.assertTrue( BuildConfig.DEBUG == getResources().getBoolean(R.bool.DEBUG) );
+
         ProcessLifecycleOwner.get().getLifecycle().addObserver(this);
 
         android.util.Log.i( TAG, "onCreate(); git_rev="