diff --git a/base/src/main/java/proguard/ProGuard.java b/base/src/main/java/proguard/ProGuard.java
index 8ce5ce68..aa03456d 100644
--- a/base/src/main/java/proguard/ProGuard.java
+++ b/base/src/main/java/proguard/ProGuard.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import proguard.evaluation.IncompleteClassHierarchyException;
 import proguard.logging.Logging;
 import proguard.mark.Marker;
+import proguard.normalize.StringNormalizer;
 import proguard.obfuscate.NameObfuscationReferenceFixer;
 import proguard.obfuscate.ObfuscationPreparation;
 import proguard.obfuscate.Obfuscator;
@@ -219,6 +220,7 @@ public void execute() throws Exception
                 configuration.obfuscate)
             {
                 expandPrimitiveArrayConstants();
+                normalizeStrings();
             }
 
             if (configuration.targetClassVersion != 0)
@@ -269,6 +271,11 @@ public void execute() throws Exception
         }
     }
 
+    private void normalizeStrings() throws Exception {
+        passRunner.run(new StringNormalizer(),appView);
+
+    }
+
 
     /**
      * Checks the GPL.
diff --git a/base/src/main/java/proguard/normalize/StringNormalizer.java b/base/src/main/java/proguard/normalize/StringNormalizer.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e65b21e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/base/src/main/java/proguard/normalize/StringNormalizer.java
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+package proguard.normalize;
+
+import proguard.AppView;
+import proguard.classfile.visitor.ParallelAllClassVisitor;
+import proguard.pass.Pass;
+import proguard.pass.PassId;
+
+/**
+ * Ensures all strings are at most 65535 bytes in length, when encoded as modified UTF-8.
+ *
+ * @see LargeStringSplitter
+ */
+public class StringNormalizer implements Pass {
+
+
+  @Override
+  public void execute(AppView appView) throws Exception {
+    appView.programClassPool.accept(
+        new ParallelAllClassVisitor(
+            () -> new LargeStringSplitter(appView.programClassPool, appView.libraryClassPool)));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/docs/md/manual/releasenotes.md b/docs/md/manual/releasenotes.md
index 04296e45..d15f0e3e 100644
--- a/docs/md/manual/releasenotes.md
+++ b/docs/md/manual/releasenotes.md
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+
+## Version 7.6.2
+
+### Bugfixes
+
+- Prevent `IllegalArgumentException` when strings longer than 65535 bytes are present in the application (#267).
+
 ## Version 7.6.1
 
 ### Bugfixes