GradleUp · Goooler · Jul 24, 2026 · Jul 24, 2026
diff --git a/api/shadow.api b/api/shadow.api
@@ -286,6 +286,9 @@ public abstract class com/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/tasks/ShadowJar
 	public final fun minimize ()V
 	public fun minimize (Lorg/gradle/api/Action;)V
 	public static synthetic fun minimize$default (Lcom/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/tasks/ShadowJar;Lorg/gradle/api/Action;ILjava/lang/Object;)V
+	public final fun r8 ()V
+	public fun r8 (Lorg/gradle/api/Action;)V
+	public static synthetic fun r8$default (Lcom/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/tasks/ShadowJar;Lorg/gradle/api/Action;ILjava/lang/Object;)V
 	public final fun relocate (Lcom/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/relocation/Relocator;)V
 	public fun relocate (Lcom/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/relocation/Relocator;Lorg/gradle/api/Action;)V
 	public final fun relocate (Ljava/lang/Class;)V

diff --git a/docs/changes/README.md b/docs/changes/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 ### Deprecated
 
 - Deprecate `keepRules` and `keepRuleFiles` in `R8Spec`. ([#2120](https://github.com/GradleUp/shadow/pull/2120))
+- Deprecate `minimize { r8 { ... } }` in favor of the standalone `r8 { ... }` block. ([#2123](https://github.com/GradleUp/shadow/pull/2123))  
+  The previous DSL remains available as a compatibility layer until Shadow 10.
 
 ## [9.6.1](https://github.com/GradleUp/shadow/releases/tag/9.6.1) - 2026-07-22
 

diff --git a/docs/configuration/minimizing/README.md b/docs/configuration/minimizing/README.md
@@ -72,15 +72,19 @@ Similar to [`ShadowJar.dependencies`][ShadowJar.dependencies], projects can also
 > When excluding a `project`, all dependencies of the excluded `project` are automatically excluded from 
 > minimization as well.
 
-## Minimizing with R8
+## Post-processing with R8
 
 Shadow can also run [R8](https://r8.googlesource.com/r8) over the final shadowed JAR. This is useful when you want
-whole-program shrinking instead of the default dependency analyzer. R8 runs after Shadow has merged, transformed, and
-relocated the JAR, so service descriptors in `META-INF/services` are used to keep service providers.
+whole-program shrinking independently of the default dependency analyzer. R8 runs after Shadow has merged,
+transformed, relocated, and optionally minimized the JAR, so service descriptors in `META-INF/services` are used to
+keep service providers.
 
 The default R8 configuration only shrinks unused code. It disables name minification and optimization.
 Shadow also extracts R8 rules published in dependency JARs, for example under `META-INF/proguard`.
 
+The `minimize` and `r8` blocks are independent and can be enabled separately or together. Dependency exclusions in
+`minimize` only configure Shadow's dependency analyzer; use ProGuard rules to keep classes during R8 post-processing.
+
 === "Kotlin"
 
     ```kotlin
@@ -89,12 +93,10 @@ Shadow also extracts R8 rules published in dependency JARs, for example under `M
     }
 
     tasks.shadowJar {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          // Optional extra configuration
-          proguardRules.add("-keep class com.example.ReflectiveApi { *; }")
-          proguardRuleFiles.from(layout.projectDirectory.file("r8-rules.pro"))
-        }
+      r8 {
+        // Optional extra configuration
+        proguardRules.add("-keep class com.example.ReflectiveApi { *; }")
+        proguardRuleFiles.from(layout.projectDirectory.file("r8-rules.pro"))
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -107,12 +109,10 @@ Shadow also extracts R8 rules published in dependency JARs, for example under `M
     }
 
     tasks.named('shadowJar', com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          // Optional extra configuration
-          proguardRules.add('-keep class com.example.ReflectiveApi { *; }')
-          proguardRuleFiles.from(layout.projectDirectory.file('r8-rules.pro'))
-        }
+      r8 {
+        // Optional extra configuration
+        proguardRules.add('-keep class com.example.ReflectiveApi { *; }')
+        proguardRuleFiles.from(layout.projectDirectory.file('r8-rules.pro'))
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -150,10 +150,8 @@ For example, to downgrade R8 warnings to info:
     }
 
     tasks.shadowJar {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          args.addAll(listOf("--map-diagnostics", "warning", "info"))
-        }
+      r8 {
+        args.addAll(listOf("--map-diagnostics", "warning", "info"))
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -166,10 +164,8 @@ For example, to downgrade R8 warnings to info:
     }
 
     tasks.named('shadowJar', com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          args.addAll(['--map-diagnostics', 'warning', 'info'])
-        }
+      r8 {
+        args.addAll(['--map-diagnostics', 'warning', 'info'])
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -184,10 +180,8 @@ To enable name obfuscation:
     }
 
     tasks.shadowJar {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableObfuscation()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableObfuscation()
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -200,10 +194,8 @@ To enable name obfuscation:
     }
 
     tasks.named('shadowJar', com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableObfuscation()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableObfuscation()
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -218,10 +210,8 @@ To enable optimization:
     }
 
     tasks.shadowJar {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableOptimization()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableOptimization()
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -234,10 +224,8 @@ To enable optimization:
     }
 
     tasks.named('shadowJar', com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableOptimization()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableOptimization()
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -252,11 +240,9 @@ To enable both:
     }
 
     tasks.shadowJar {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableObfuscation()
-          enableOptimization()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableObfuscation()
+        enableOptimization()
       }
     }
     ```
@@ -269,11 +255,9 @@ To enable both:
     }
 
     tasks.named('shadowJar', com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
-      minimize {
-        r8 {
-          enableObfuscation()
-          enableOptimization()
-        }
+      r8 {
+        enableObfuscation()
+        enableOptimization()
       }
     }
     ```

diff --git a/docs/getting-started/README.md b/docs/getting-started/README.md
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ Here are the options that can be passed to the `shadowJar`:
 --no-add-multi-release-attribute      Disables option --add-multi-release-attribute.
 --enable-auto-relocation              Enables auto relocation of packages in the dependencies.
 --no-enable-auto-relocation           Disables option --enable-auto-relocation.
+--enable-r8                           Runs R8 over the final shadowed JAR.
+--no-enable-r8                        Disables option --enable-r8.
 --enable-kotlin-module-remapping      Enables remapping of Kotlin module metadata files.
 --no-enable-kotlin-module-remapping   Disables option --enable-kotlin-module-remapping.
 --fail-on-duplicate-entries           Fails build if the ZIP entries in the shadowed JAR are duplicate.

diff --git a/src/functionalTest/kotlin/com/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/CachingTest.kt b/src/functionalTest/kotlin/com/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/CachingTest.kt
@@ -668,10 +668,8 @@ class CachingTest : BasePluginTest() {
           implementation project(':client')
         }
         $shadowJarTask {
-          minimize {
-            r8 {
-              proguardRuleFiles.from(file("r8-rules.pro"))
-            }
+          r8 {
+            proguardRuleFiles.from(file("r8-rules.pro"))
           }
         }
         """

diff --git a/src/functionalTest/kotlin/com/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/JavaPluginsTest.kt b/src/functionalTest/kotlin/com/github/jengelman/gradle/plugins/shadow/JavaPluginsTest.kt
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ class JavaPluginsTest : BasePluginTest() {
         "--no-add-multi-release-attribute     Disables option --add-multi-release-attribute.",
         "--enable-auto-relocation     Enables auto relocation of packages in the dependencies.",
         "--no-enable-auto-relocation     Disables option --enable-auto-relocation.",
+        "--enable-r8     Runs R8 over the final shadowed JAR.",
+        "--no-enable-r8     Disables option --enable-r8.",
         "--enable-kotlin-module-remapping     Enables remapping of Kotlin module metadata files.",
         "--no-enable-kotlin-module-remapping     Disables option --enable-kotlin-module-remapping.",
         "--fail-on-duplicate-entries     Fails build if the ZIP entries in the shadowed JAR are duplicate.",
@@ -822,9 +824,7 @@ class JavaPluginsTest : BasePluginTest() {
       """
         ${getDefaultProjectBuildScript(applyShadowPlugin = false)}
         def $customShadowJar = tasks.register('$customShadowJar', ${ShadowJar::class.java.name}) {
-          minimize {
-            r8 {}
-          }
+          r8 {}
         }
       """
         .trimIndent()
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ class JavaPluginsTest : BasePluginTest() {
 
     assertThat(result.output)
       .contains(
-        "R8 minimization requires a non-empty R8 classpath. Apply the Shadow plugin or configure the shadowR8 configuration."
+        "R8 post-processing requires a non-empty R8 classpath. Apply the Shadow plugin or configure the shadowR8 configuration."
       )
   }