diff --git a/build/debian/build.sh b/build/debian/build.sh
index 7fc9035..df0e750 100755
--- a/build/debian/build.sh
+++ b/build/debian/build.sh
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 	echo "Options:"
 	echo "-h         Print usage and this help message and exit."
 	echo "-a ARCH    Architecture of the image [default is aarch64]"
+	echo "-r         Release mode build"
 }
 
 check_sudo() {
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@
 }
 
 parse_options() {
-	while getopts "ha:" option; do
+	while getopts "hra:" option; do
 		case ${option} in
 			h)
 				show_help
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@
 					debian_arch="amd64"
 				fi
 				;;
+			r)
+				mode=release
+				;;
 			*)
 				echo "Invalid option: $OPTARG"
 				exit
@@ -119,11 +123,17 @@
 
 build_rust_binary_and_copy() {
 	pushd "$(dirname "$0")/../../guest/$1" > /dev/null
+	local release_flag=
+	local artifact_mode=debug
+	if [[ "$mode" == "release" ]]; then
+		release_flag="--release"
+		artifact_mode=release
+	fi
 	RUSTFLAGS="-C linker=${arch}-linux-gnu-gcc" cargo build \
 		--target "${arch}-unknown-linux-gnu" \
-		--target-dir "${workdir}/$1"
+		--target-dir "${workdir}/$1" ${release_flag}
 	mkdir -p "${dst}/files/usr/local/bin/$1"
-	cp "${workdir}/$1/${arch}-unknown-linux-gnu/debug/$1" "${dst}/files/usr/local/bin/$1/AVF"
+	cp "${workdir}/$1/${arch}-unknown-linux-gnu/${artifact_mode/$1" "${dst}/files/usr/local/bin/$1/AVF"
 	chmod 777 "${dst}/files/usr/local/bin/$1/AVF"
 
 	mkdir -p "${dst}/files/usr/share/doc/$1"
@@ -197,6 +207,7 @@
 resources_dir=${debian_cloud_image}/src/debian_cloud_images/resources
 arch=aarch64
 debian_arch=arm64
+mode=debug
 parse_options "$@"
 check_sudo
 install_prerequisites
diff --git a/build/debian/build_in_container.sh b/build/debian/build_in_container.sh
index fd1a975..d5680e0 100755
--- a/build/debian/build_in_container.sh
+++ b/build/debian/build_in_container.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 if [ -z "$ANDROID_BUILD_TOP" ]; then echo "forgot to source build/envsetup.sh?" && exit 1; fi
 
 arch=aarch64
-while getopts "a:" option; do
+release_flag=
+while getopts "ra:" option; do
   case ${option} in
     a)
       if [[ "$OPTARG" != "aarch64" && "$OPTARG" != "x86_64" ]]; then
@@ -12,6 +13,9 @@
       fi
       arch="$OPTARG"
       ;;
+    r)
+      release_flag="-r"
+      ;;
     *)
       echo "Invalid option: $OPTARG"
       exit
@@ -21,4 +25,4 @@
 
 docker run --privileged -it --workdir /root/Virtualization/build/debian -v \
   "$ANDROID_BUILD_TOP/packages/modules/Virtualization:/root/Virtualization" -v \
-  /dev:/dev ubuntu:22.04 /root/Virtualization/build/debian/build.sh -a "$arch"
+  /dev:/dev ubuntu:22.04 /root/Virtualization/build/debian/build.sh -a "$arch" $release_flag