diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ed0ff2e8..b35c4b94 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ DETECT  := $(shell clang -v 2>&1 | grep Target | cut -b 9-60)
 # version 1.3 on iPhone9,1 running 14.6
 VERSION := $(shell cat DEBIAN/control | grep Version | cut -b 9-60)
 COMMIT  := $(shell git log --oneline | sed '2,10000000d' | cut -b 1-7)
+ifndef RELEASE
+RELEASE := 0
+endif
+ifeq ($(filter 1,$(RELEASE)),)
+CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE := RelWithDebInfo
+else
+CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE := Debug
+endif
 
 # Distinguish iOS from macOS
 ifneq ($(filter arm64-apple-ios%,$(DETECT)),)
@@ -97,7 +105,7 @@ native:
 	@echo 'Starting build task - native application'
 	@mkdir -p Natives/build
 	@cd Natives/build && cmake . \
-		-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+		-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE) \
 		-DCMAKE_CROSSCOMPILING=true \
 		-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME=Darwin \
 		-DCMAKE_SYSTEM_PROCESSOR=aarch64 \
@@ -105,8 +113,9 @@ native:
 		-DCMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES=arm64 \
 		-DCMAKE_C_FLAGS="-arch arm64 -miphoneos-version-min=12.0" \
 		-DCONFIG_COMMIT="$(COMMIT)" \
+		-DCONFIG_RELEASE=$(RELEASE) \
 		..
-	@cd Natives/build && cmake --build . --config Release --target awt_headless awt_xawt pojavexec PojavLauncher
+	@cd Natives/build && cmake --build . --config $(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE) --target awt_headless awt_xawt pojavexec PojavLauncher
 	@rm Natives/build/libawt_headless.dylib
 	@echo 'Finished build task - native application'
 
diff --git a/Natives/AboutLauncherViewController.m b/Natives/AboutLauncherViewController.m
index a897a810..80b28b20 100644
--- a/Natives/AboutLauncherViewController.m
+++ b/Natives/AboutLauncherViewController.m
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 #import <sys/utsname.h>
 
-#ifdef NDEBUG
+#if CONFIG_RELEASE == 1
 # define CONFIG_TYPE "release"
 #else
 # define CONFIG_TYPE "debug"
diff --git a/Natives/CMakeLists.txt b/Natives/CMakeLists.txt
index 97addf93..c47c793f 100644
--- a/Natives/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/Natives/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ set(CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS} -rpath @executable_path/Fr
 set(CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS "${CMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS} -rpath /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk/lib")
 
 add_definitions(-DCONFIG_COMMIT="${CONFIG_COMMIT}")
+add_definitions(-DCONFIG_RELEASE=${CONFIG_RELEASE})
 
 # EXT: stub library, delete after compile awt_xawt
 add_library(awt_headless SHARED