diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index f06947528..c4a8914d4 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "xcode": "^2.0.0",
-    "xml2js": "^0.4.16"
+    "xml2js": "^0.4.16",
+    "q": "^1.5.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/scripts/after_prepare.js b/scripts/after_prepare.js
index e12c13636..6bb8fa3a7 100644
--- a/scripts/after_prepare.js
+++ b/scripts/after_prepare.js
@@ -9,13 +9,18 @@
  */
 var fs = require('fs');
 var path = require('path');
+var Q = require('q');
+var parser = new (require('xml2js')).Parser();
+
 var utilities = require("./lib/utilities");
 
 var config = fs.readFileSync('config.xml').toString();
 var name = utilities.getValue(config, 'name');
+var pluginVariables = {};
 
 var IOS_DIR = 'platforms/ios';
 var ANDROID_DIR = 'platforms/android';
+var PLUGIN_ID = 'cordova-plugin-firebasex';
 
 var PLATFORM = {
   IOS: {
@@ -43,10 +48,56 @@ var PLATFORM = {
   }
 };
 
+var parsePluginVariables = function(){
+  const deferred = Q.defer();
+  var parseConfigXml = function () {
+    parser.parseString(config, function (err, data) {
+      if (data.widget.platform) {
+        (data.widget.plugin || []).forEach(function (plugin) {
+          (plugin.variable || []).forEach(function (variable) {
+            if((plugin.$.name === PLUGIN_ID || plugin.$.id === PLUGIN_ID) && variable.$.name && variable.$.value){
+              pluginVariables[variable.$.name] = variable.$.value;
+            }
+          });
+        });
+        deferred.resolve();
+      }
+    });
+    return deferred.promise;
+  };
+
+  var parsePackageJson = function(){
+    const deferred = Q.defer();
+    var packageJSON = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('./package.json'));
+    if(packageJSON.cordova && packageJSON.cordova.plugins){
+      for(const pluginId in packageJSON.cordova.plugins){
+        if(pluginId === PLUGIN_ID){
+          for(const varName in packageJSON.cordova.plugins[pluginId]){
+            var varValue = packageJSON.cordova.plugins[pluginId][varName];
+            pluginVariables[varName] = varValue;
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    deferred.resolve();
+    return deferred.promise;
+  };
+
+  return parseConfigXml().then(parsePackageJson);
+};
+
 module.exports = function (context) {
+  const deferred = Q.defer();
+
   //get platform from the context supplied by cordova
   var platforms = context.opts.platforms;
+
   // Copy key files to their platform specific folders
+  if (platforms.indexOf('android') !== -1 && utilities.directoryExists(ANDROID_DIR)) {
+    console.log('Preparing Firebase on Android');
+    utilities.copyKey(PLATFORM.ANDROID);
+  }
+
   if (platforms.indexOf('ios') !== -1 && utilities.directoryExists(IOS_DIR)) {
     console.log('Preparing Firebase on iOS');
     utilities.copyKey(PLATFORM.IOS);
@@ -55,9 +106,16 @@ module.exports = function (context) {
     helper.getXcodeProjectPath(function(xcodeProjectPath){
       helper.ensureRunpathSearchPath(context, xcodeProjectPath);
     });
+
+    parsePluginVariables().then(function(){
+      if(pluginVariables['IOS_STRIP_DEBUG'] && pluginVariables['IOS_STRIP_DEBUG'] === 'true'){
+        helper.stripDebugSymbols();
+        deferred.resolve();
+      }
+    });
+  }else{
+    deferred.resolve();
   }
-  if (platforms.indexOf('android') !== -1 && utilities.directoryExists(ANDROID_DIR)) {
-    console.log('Preparing Firebase on Android');
-    utilities.copyKey(PLATFORM.ANDROID);
-  }
+
+  return deferred.promise;
 };
diff --git a/scripts/ios/helper.js b/scripts/ios/helper.js
index 7e9b0fd3f..e405590d2 100644
--- a/scripts/ios/helper.js
+++ b/scripts/ios/helper.js
@@ -166,5 +166,20 @@ module.exports = {
 
         // Finally, write the .pbxproj back out to disk.
         fs.writeFileSync(xcodeProjectPath, xcodeProject.writeSync());
+    },
+    stripDebugSymbols: function(){
+        var podFilePath = 'platforms/ios/Podfile',
+            podFile = fs.readFileSync(podFilePath).toString();
+        if(!podFile.match('DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT')){
+            podFile += "\npost_install do |installer|\n" +
+                "    installer.pods_project.targets.each do |target|\n" +
+                "        target.build_configurations.each do |config|\n" +
+                "            config.build_settings['DEBUG_INFORMATION_FORMAT'] = 'dwarf'\n" +
+                "        end\n" +
+                "    end\n" +
+                "end";
+            fs.writeFileSync(podFilePath, podFile);
+            console.log('cordova-plugin-firebasex: Applied IOS_STRIP_DEBUG to Podfile');
+        }
     }
 };