diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/android/BUILD b/java/dagger/hilt/android/BUILD
index abbdbc7b150..b30f6625dd3 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/android/BUILD
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/android/BUILD
@@ -262,7 +262,6 @@ gen_maven_artifact(
     proguard_and_r8_specs = [
         "//java/dagger/hilt:proguard-rules.pro",
         "//java/dagger/hilt/android:proguard-rules.pro",
-        "//java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle:proguard-rules.pro",
         "//java/dagger/hilt/internal:proguard-rules.pro",
     ],
 )
diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/android/internal/lifecycle/HiltViewModelFactory.java b/java/dagger/hilt/android/internal/lifecycle/HiltViewModelFactory.java
index 33b1618031d..f3c085cdbe4 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/android/internal/lifecycle/HiltViewModelFactory.java
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/android/internal/lifecycle/HiltViewModelFactory.java
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ public final class HiltViewModelFactory implements ViewModelProvider.Factory {
   @InstallIn(ViewModelComponent.class)
   public interface ViewModelFactoriesEntryPoint {
     @HiltViewModelMap
-    Map<String, Provider<ViewModel>> getHiltViewModelMap();
+    Map<Class<?>, Provider<ViewModel>> getHiltViewModelMap();
 
     // From ViewModel class names to user defined @AssistedFactory-annotated implementations.
     @HiltViewModelAssistedMap
-    Map<String, Object> getHiltViewModelAssistedMap();
+    Map<Class<?>, Object> getHiltViewModelAssistedMap();
   }
 
   /** Creation extra key for the callbacks that create @AssistedInject-annotated ViewModels. */
@@ -72,11 +72,11 @@ public interface ViewModelFactoriesEntryPoint {
   interface ViewModelModule {
     @Multibinds
     @HiltViewModelMap
-    Map<String, ViewModel> hiltViewModelMap();
+    Map<Class<?>, ViewModel> hiltViewModelMap();
 
     @Multibinds
     @HiltViewModelAssistedMap
-    Map<String, Object> hiltViewModelAssistedMap();
+    Map<Class<?>, Object> hiltViewModelAssistedMap();
   }
 
   private final Set<String> hiltViewModelKeys;
@@ -113,12 +113,12 @@ private <T extends ViewModel> T createViewModel(
             Provider<? extends ViewModel> provider =
                 EntryPoints.get(component, ViewModelFactoriesEntryPoint.class)
                     .getHiltViewModelMap()
-                    .get(modelClass.getName());
+                    .get(modelClass);
             Function1<Object, ViewModel> creationCallback = extras.get(CREATION_CALLBACK_KEY);
             Object assistedFactory =
                 EntryPoints.get(component, ViewModelFactoriesEntryPoint.class)
                     .getHiltViewModelAssistedMap()
-                    .get(modelClass.getName());
+                    .get(modelClass);
 
             if (assistedFactory == null) {
               if (creationCallback == null) {
diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/BUILD b/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/BUILD
index 4452c35a908..26394f0f8b4 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/BUILD
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/BUILD
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ android_library(
     exported_plugins = [
         "//java/dagger/hilt/android/processor/internal/viewmodel:processor",
     ],
-    proguard_specs = ["proguard-rules.pro"],
     exports = [
         "//:dagger_with_compiler",
         "//java/dagger/hilt:install_in",
diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/proguard-rules.pro b/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/proguard-rules.pro
deleted file mode 100644
index 6c647f10532..00000000000
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/android/lifecycle/proguard-rules.pro
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,2 +0,0 @@
-# Keep class names of Hilt injected ViewModels since their name are used as a multibinding map key.
--keepnames @dagger.hilt.android.lifecycle.HiltViewModel class * extends androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/android/processor/internal/viewmodel/ViewModelModuleGenerator.kt b/java/dagger/hilt/android/processor/internal/viewmodel/ViewModelModuleGenerator.kt
index e7b3dad2f2f..e75fa4346e3 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/android/processor/internal/viewmodel/ViewModelModuleGenerator.kt
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/android/processor/internal/viewmodel/ViewModelModuleGenerator.kt
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import androidx.room.compiler.processing.XProcessingEnv
 import androidx.room.compiler.processing.addOriginatingElement
 import com.squareup.javapoet.AnnotationSpec
 import com.squareup.javapoet.ClassName
+import com.squareup.javapoet.FieldSpec
 import com.squareup.javapoet.JavaFile
 import com.squareup.javapoet.MethodSpec
 import com.squareup.javapoet.TypeName
@@ -42,18 +43,19 @@ import javax.lang.model.element.Modifier
  *   public static abstract class BindsModule {
  *     @Binds
  *     @IntoMap
- *     @StringKey("pkg.$")
+ *     @LazyClassKey(pkg.$)
  *     @HiltViewModelMap
  *     public abstract ViewModel bind($ vm)
  *   }
  *   @Module
  *   @InstallIn(ActivityRetainedComponent.class)
  *   public static final class KeyModule {
+ *     private static String className = "pkg.$";
  *     @Provides
  *     @IntoSet
  *     @HiltViewModelMap.KeySet
  *     public static String provide() {
- *      return "pkg.$";
+ *      return className;
  *     }
  *   }
  * }
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ import javax.lang.model.element.Modifier
 @OptIn(ExperimentalProcessingApi::class)
 internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
   private val processingEnv: XProcessingEnv,
-  private val viewModelMetadata: ViewModelMetadata
+  private val viewModelMetadata: ViewModelMetadata,
 ) {
   fun generate() {
     val modulesTypeSpec =
@@ -75,7 +77,7 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
               .addMember(
                 "topLevelClass",
                 "$T.class",
-                viewModelMetadata.className.topLevelClassName()
+                viewModelMetadata.className.topLevelClassName(),
               )
               .build()
           )
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
   private fun getBindsModuleTypeSpec() =
     createModuleTypeSpec(
         className = "BindsModule",
-        component = AndroidClassNames.VIEW_MODEL_COMPONENT
+        component = AndroidClassNames.VIEW_MODEL_COMPONENT,
       )
       .addModifiers(Modifier.ABSTRACT)
       .addMethod(MethodSpec.constructorBuilder().addModifiers(Modifier.PRIVATE).build())
@@ -112,8 +114,8 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
       .addAnnotation(ClassNames.BINDS)
       .addAnnotation(ClassNames.INTO_MAP)
       .addAnnotation(
-        AnnotationSpec.builder(ClassNames.STRING_KEY)
-          .addMember("value", S, viewModelMetadata.className.reflectionName())
+        AnnotationSpec.builder(ClassNames.LAZY_CLASS_KEY)
+          .addMember("value", "$T.class", viewModelMetadata.className)
           .build()
       )
       .addAnnotation(AndroidClassNames.HILT_VIEW_MODEL_MAP_QUALIFIER)
@@ -125,11 +127,17 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
   private fun getKeyModuleTypeSpec() =
     createModuleTypeSpec(
         className = "KeyModule",
-        component = AndroidClassNames.ACTIVITY_RETAINED_COMPONENT
+        component = AndroidClassNames.ACTIVITY_RETAINED_COMPONENT,
       )
       .addModifiers(Modifier.FINAL)
+      .addAnnotation(ClassNames.IDENTIFIER_NAME_STRING)
       .addMethod(MethodSpec.constructorBuilder().addModifiers(Modifier.PRIVATE).build())
       .addMethod(getViewModelKeyProvidesMethod())
+      .addField(
+        FieldSpec.builder(String::class.java, "className", Modifier.PRIVATE, Modifier.STATIC)
+          .initializer(S, viewModelMetadata.className.reflectionName())
+          .build()
+      )
       .build()
 
   private fun getViewModelKeyProvidesMethod() =
@@ -139,7 +147,7 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
       .addAnnotation(AndroidClassNames.HILT_VIEW_MODEL_KEYS_QUALIFIER)
       .addModifiers(Modifier.PUBLIC, Modifier.STATIC)
       .returns(String::class.java)
-      .addStatement("return $S", viewModelMetadata.className.reflectionName())
+      .addStatement("return className")
       .build()
 
   /**
@@ -147,7 +155,7 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
    * ```
    * @Binds
    * @IntoMap
-   * @StringKey("pkg.FooViewModel")
+   * @LazyClassKey(pkg.FooViewModel.class)
    * @HiltViewModelAssistedMap
    * public abstract Object bind(FooViewModelAssistedFactory factory);
    * ```
@@ -160,8 +168,8 @@ internal class ViewModelModuleGenerator(
       .addAnnotation(ClassNames.BINDS)
       .addAnnotation(ClassNames.INTO_MAP)
       .addAnnotation(
-        AnnotationSpec.builder(ClassNames.STRING_KEY)
-          .addMember("value", S, viewModelMetadata.className.reflectionName())
+        AnnotationSpec.builder(ClassNames.LAZY_CLASS_KEY)
+          .addMember("value", "$T.class", viewModelMetadata.className)
           .build()
       )
       .addAnnotation(AndroidClassNames.HILT_VIEW_MODEL_ASSISTED_FACTORY_MAP_QUALIFIER)
diff --git a/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/ClassNames.java b/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/ClassNames.java
index bc0591cb0ff..9a1566805ae 100644
--- a/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/ClassNames.java
+++ b/java/dagger/hilt/processor/internal/ClassNames.java
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ public final class ClassNames {
   public static final ClassName DEFINE_COMPONENT_CLASSES =
       get("dagger.hilt.internal.definecomponent", "DefineComponentClasses");
 
+  public static final ClassName IDENTIFIER_NAME_STRING =
+      get("dagger.internal", "IdentifierNameString");
+
   public static final ClassName ASSISTED_INJECT = get("dagger.assisted", "AssistedInject");
   public static final ClassName ASSISTED_FACTORY = get("dagger.assisted", "AssistedFactory");
   public static final ClassName BINDS =
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ public final class ClassNames {
   public static final ClassName INTO_SET = get("dagger.multibindings", "IntoSet");
   public static final ClassName ELEMENTS_INTO_SET = get("dagger.multibindings", "ElementsIntoSet");
   public static final ClassName STRING_KEY = get("dagger.multibindings", "StringKey");
+  public static final ClassName LAZY_CLASS_KEY = get("dagger.multibindings", "LazyClassKey");
   public static final ClassName PROVIDES =
       get("dagger", "Provides");
   public static final ClassName COMPONENT = get("dagger", "Component");
diff --git a/java/dagger/internal/IdentifierNameString.java b/java/dagger/internal/IdentifierNameString.java
index 7d4b1d9e45e..95d2bfa6fa8 100644
--- a/java/dagger/internal/IdentifierNameString.java
+++ b/java/dagger/internal/IdentifierNameString.java
@@ -26,8 +26,9 @@
 /**
  * Annotates the dagger generated class that requires applying -identifiernamestring rule.
  *
- * <p>When applied, all the strings that corresponds to a class name within the annotated class will
- * be obfuscated if its corresponding class is obfuscated. This only works with r8. This annotation
+ * <p>When applied, all the strings fields that corresponds to a class name within the annotated
+ * class will be obfuscated if its corresponding class is obfuscated. This only works with r8.
+ *
  */
 @Documented
 @Retention(CLASS)