--- a/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in
+++ b/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in
@@ -23,25 +23,17 @@
 #include FennecManifest_permissions.xml.in
 
     <application android:label="@string/moz_app_displayname"
                  android:icon="@drawable/icon"
                  android:logo="@drawable/logo"
                  android:name="@MOZ_ANDROID_APPLICATION_CLASS@"
                  android:hardwareAccelerated="true"
                  android:supportsRtl="true"
-                 android:allowBackup="false"
-# The preprocessor does not yet support arbitrary parentheses, so this cannot
-# be parenthesized thus to clarify that the logical AND operator has precedence:
-#   !defined(MOZILLA_OFFICIAL) || (defined(NIGHTLY_BUILD) && defined(MOZ_DEBUG))
-#if !defined(MOZILLA_OFFICIAL) || defined(NIGHTLY_BUILD) && defined(MOZ_DEBUG)
-                 android:debuggable="true">
-#else
-                 android:debuggable="false">
-#endif
+                 android:allowBackup="false">
 
         <meta-data android:name="com.sec.android.support.multiwindow" android:value="true"/>
 
 #ifdef MOZ_NATIVE_DEVICES
         <!-- This resources comes from Google Play Services. Required for casting support. -->
         <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.gms.version" android:value="@integer/google_play_services_version" />
         <service android:name="org.mozilla.gecko.RemotePresentationService" android:exported="false"/>
 

--- a/mobile/android/base/Makefile.in
+++ b/mobile/android/base/Makefile.in
@@ -440,30 +440,43 @@ ANDROID_AAPT_IGNORE := !.svn:!.git:.*:<d
 # 3: name of ap_ file to write.
 # 4: directory to write R.java into.
 # 5: directory to write R.txt into.
 # We touch the target file before invoking aapt so that aapt's outputs
 # are fresher than the target, preventing a subsequent invocation from
 # thinking aapt's outputs are stale.  This is safe because Make
 # removes the target file if any recipe command fails.
 
+# The --debug-mode flag below is intended to be:
+# !defined(MOZILLA_OFFICIAL) || (defined(NIGHTLY_BUILD) && defined(MOZ_DEBUG))
+ifdef MOZILLA_OFFICIAL
+ifdef NIGHTLY_BUILD
+ifdef MOZ_DEBUG
+debug := 1
+endif
+endif
+else
+debug := 1
+endif
+
 define aapt_command
 $(1): $$(call mkdir_deps,$(filter-out ./,$(dir $(3) $(4) $(5)))) $(2)
 	@$$(TOUCH) $$@
 	$$(AAPT) package -f -m \
 		-M AndroidManifest.xml \
 		-I $(ANDROID_SDK)/android.jar \
 		$(if $(MOZ_ANDROID_MAX_SDK_VERSION),--max-res-version $(MOZ_ANDROID_MAX_SDK_VERSION),) \
 		--auto-add-overlay \
 		$$(addprefix -S ,$$(ANDROID_RES_DIRS)) \
 		$$(addprefix -A ,$$(ANDROID_ASSETS_DIRS)) \
 		$(if $(ANDROID_EXTRA_PACKAGES),--extra-packages $$(subst $$(NULL) ,:,$$(strip $$(ANDROID_EXTRA_PACKAGES)))) \
 		$(if $(ANDROID_EXTRA_RES_DIRS),$$(addprefix -S ,$$(ANDROID_EXTRA_RES_DIRS))) \
 		--custom-package org.mozilla.gecko \
 		--no-version-vectors \
+		$(if $(debug),--debug-mode) \
 		-F $(3) \
 		-J $(4) \
 		--output-text-symbols $(5) \
 		--ignore-assets "$$(ANDROID_AAPT_IGNORE)"
 endef
 
 # [Comment 3/3] The first of these rules is used during regular
 # builds.  The second writes an ap_ file that is only used during