diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 851d1e8..0a43008 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ The following settings changes this plugin's behavior.
 * androiddeployqt_arguments (optional) additional arguments for androiddeployqt.
 * src_dir (optional) the path to the source directory
 * android_keystore_path (optional) the path to the android_keystore file.
-* android_keystore_alias (required, if android_keystore_path is set) the keystore alias.
+* android_keystore_data (optional, secret recommended) the keystore file encoded as base64. If set, android_keystore_path will be ignored!
+* android_keystore_alias (required, if android_keystore_path or android_keystore_data is set) the keystore alias.
 * android_keystore_store_pass (optional, secret recommended) the password for the keystore.
 
 Below is an example `.drone.yml` that uses this plugin.
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ steps:
     qmake_arguments: "CONFIG+=release"
     androiddeployqt_arguments: "--aab"
     src_dir: "."
-    android_keystore_path: "android_release.keystore"
+    android_keystore_data:
+      from_secret: android_keystore_data
     android_keystore_alias: "foo"
     android_keystore_store_pass:
       from_secret: android_keystore_store_pass
diff --git a/qt-build b/qt-build
index 8607205..83963fc 100755
--- a/qt-build
+++ b/qt-build
@@ -1,25 +1,46 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 set -e
 
-[[ -z "${PLUGIN_QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"  ]] && QMAKE_ARGUMENTS=$1 || QMAKE_ARGUMENTS="${PLUGIN_QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"
-[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}" ]] && ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS=$2 || ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="${PLUGIN_ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}"
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"  ]] && QMAKE_ARGUMENTS="" || QMAKE_ARGUMENTS="${PLUGIN_QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}" ]] && ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="" || ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="${PLUGIN_ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}"
 [[ -z "${PLUGIN_SRC_DIR}" ]] && SRC_DIR=$(pwd) || SRC_DIR=$(realpath "${PLUGIN_SRC_DIR}")
-[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH=$3 || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH=$(realpath "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH}")
-[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS=$4 || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS="${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS}"
-[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS=$5 || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS="${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS}"
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH="" || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH=$(realpath "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH}")
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA="" || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA="${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA}"
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS="" || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS="${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS}"
+[[ -z "${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS}" ]] && ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS="" || ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS="${PLUGIN_ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS}"
 
-echo "**** environment: ****"
-echo "* QMAKE_ARGUMENTS=${QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"
-echo "* ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS=${ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}"
-echo "* SRC_DIR=${SRC_DIR}"
-echo "* ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH=${ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH}"
-echo "**********************"
-echo ""
 echo "**** prepare ****"
 rm -rf /build
 mkdir -p /build
 cd /build
 
+echo ""
+echo "**** environment: ****"
+echo "* QMAKE_ARGUMENTS=${QMAKE_ARGUMENTS}"
+echo "* ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS=${ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS}"
+echo "* SRC_DIR=${SRC_DIR}"
+
+# handle signing stuff
+if ( [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA"  ] || [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH"  ]  ) && [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS"  ]; then
+    if [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA" ]; then
+        echo $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_DATA | tr ' ' '\n' | base64 -d > /build/android_release.keystore
+        ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH=/build/android_release.keystore
+        echo "* SIGNING with keystore from provided data"
+    else
+        echo "* SIGNING with keystore $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH"
+    fi
+
+    ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="$ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS --sign $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS"
+    if [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS" ]; then
+        ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="$ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS --storepass $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS"
+    fi
+else
+    echo "* NO signing"
+fi
+
+echo "**********************"
+echo ""
+
 echo "**** qmake ****"
 qmake $QMAKE_ARGUMENTS $SRC_DIR
 
@@ -28,14 +49,6 @@ make -j8
 make INSTALL_ROOT=/build/android-build install
 
 echo "**** android build ****"
-# inject signing stuff
-if [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH" ] && [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS" ]; then
-    ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="$ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS --sign $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_PATH $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_ALIAS"
-    if [ -n "$ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS" ]; then
-        ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS="$ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS --storepass $ANDROID_KEYSTORE_STORE_PASS"
-    fi
-fi
-
 androiddeployqt --input $(ls -1 /build/android-*-deployment-settings.json) --output /build/android-build $ANDROIDDEPLOYQT_ARGUMENTS
 
 echo "**** finish up ****"