diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
index 40a3d1bd65..47a3c6b229 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample1/app/build.gradle
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    implementation project(':keyman-engine')
+    // intentionally not referencing the keyman-engine project but the .aar instead
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
     implementation 'androidx.webkit:webkit:1.14.0'
 }
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample1/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample1/build.gradle
index 5770ce2b1c..43ca9c592c 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample1/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample1/build.gradle
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ buildscript {
     }
     dependencies {
         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:8.9.2'
-        classpath 'name.remal:gradle-plugins:1.9.2'
 
         // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
         // in the individual module build.gradle files
@@ -18,6 +17,5 @@ allprojects {
     repositories {
         google()
         mavenCentral()
-        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
     }
 }
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample1/settings.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample1/settings.gradle
index 84ce9aff1d..e7b4def49c 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample1/settings.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample1/settings.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
 include ':app'
-include ':keyman-engine'
-project(':keyman-engine').projectDir = new File(settingsDir, '../../KMEA/app')
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
index eab53ac0ed..d855c84582 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample2/app/build.gradle
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ dependencies {
     implementation 'androidx.appcompat:appcompat:1.7.0'
     implementation 'androidx.constraintlayout:constraintlayout:2.2.1'
     implementation 'com.google.android.material:material:1.12.0'
-    implementation project(':keyman-engine')
+    // intentionally not referencing the keyman-engine project but the .aar instead
+    implementation files('libs/keyman-engine.aar')
     implementation 'androidx.preference:preference:1.2.1'
     implementation 'androidx.webkit:webkit:1.14.0'
 }
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample2/build.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample2/build.gradle
index 5770ce2b1c..43ca9c592c 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample2/build.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample2/build.gradle
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ buildscript {
     }
     dependencies {
         classpath 'com.android.tools.build:gradle:8.9.2'
-        classpath 'name.remal:gradle-plugins:1.9.2'
 
         // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
         // in the individual module build.gradle files
@@ -18,6 +17,5 @@ allprojects {
     repositories {
         google()
         mavenCentral()
-        maven { url "https://jitpack.io" }
     }
 }
diff --git a/android/Samples/KMSample2/settings.gradle b/android/Samples/KMSample2/settings.gradle
index 84ce9aff1d..e7b4def49c 100644
--- a/android/Samples/KMSample2/settings.gradle
+++ b/android/Samples/KMSample2/settings.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1 @@
 include ':app'
-include ':keyman-engine'
-project(':keyman-engine').projectDir = new File(settingsDir, '../../KMEA/app')
\ No newline at end of file