diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index ebf7679af3..2da0d178bd 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -21,6 +21,9 @@ UNUSED_ERROR ?= 0
 DEBUG        ?= 0
 # Adds -flto flag, which increases link time but results in a more efficient binary (especially in audio processing)
 LTO          ?= 0
+# Makes an optimized build for release, also enabling NDEBUG macro and disabling other debugging features
+# Enables LTO by default, but can be changed in the config.mk file
+RELEASE      ?= 0
 
 ifeq (compare,$(MAKECMDGOALS))
   COMPARE := 1
@@ -31,6 +34,11 @@ endif
 ifeq (debug,$(MAKECMDGOALS))
   DEBUG := 1
 endif
+ifneq (,$(filter release tidyrelease,$(MAKECMDGOALS)))
+  RELEASE := 1
+endif
+
+include config.mk
 
 # Default make rule
 all: rom
@@ -62,10 +70,15 @@ endif
 
 CPP := $(PREFIX)cpp
 
+ifeq ($(RELEASE),1)
+	FILE_NAME := $(FILE_NAME)-release
+endif
+
 ROM_NAME := $(FILE_NAME).gba
 OBJ_DIR_NAME := $(BUILD_DIR)/modern
 OBJ_DIR_NAME_TEST := $(BUILD_DIR)/modern-test
 OBJ_DIR_NAME_DEBUG := $(BUILD_DIR)/modern-debug
+OBJ_DIR_NAME_RELEASE := $(BUILD_DIR)/modern-release
 
 ELF_NAME := $(ROM_NAME:.gba=.elf)
 MAP_NAME := $(ROM_NAME:.gba=.map)
@@ -85,6 +98,9 @@ endif
 ifeq ($(DEBUG),1)
   OBJ_DIR := $(OBJ_DIR_NAME_DEBUG)
 endif
+ifeq ($(RELEASE),1)
+  OBJ_DIR := $(OBJ_DIR_NAME_RELEASE)
+endif
 ELF := $(ROM:.gba=.elf)
 MAP := $(ROM:.gba=.map)
 SYM := $(ROM:.gba=.sym)
@@ -120,6 +136,12 @@ else
 O_LEVEL ?= 2
 endif
 CPPFLAGS := $(INCLUDE_CPP_ARGS) -Wno-trigraphs -DMODERN=1 -DTESTING=$(TEST) -std=gnu17
+ifeq ($(RELEASE),1)
+	override CPPFLAGS += -DRELEASE
+	ifeq ($(USE_LTO_ON_RELEASE),1)
+		LTO := 1
+	endif
+endif
 ARMCC := $(PREFIX)gcc
 PATH_ARMCC := PATH="$(PATH)" $(ARMCC)
 CC1 := $(shell $(PATH_ARMCC) --print-prog-name=cc1) -quiet
@@ -212,8 +234,8 @@ MAKEFLAGS += --no-print-directory
 # Delete files that weren't built properly
 .DELETE_ON_ERROR:
 
-RULES_NO_SCAN += libagbsyscall clean clean-assets tidy tidymodern tidycheck generated clean-generated
-.PHONY: all rom agbcc modern compare check debug
+RULES_NO_SCAN += libagbsyscall clean clean-assets tidy tidymodern tidycheck tidyrelease generated clean-generated
+.PHONY: all rom agbcc modern compare check debug release
 .PHONY: $(RULES_NO_SCAN)
 
 infoshell = $(foreach line, $(shell $1 | sed "s/ /__SPACE__/g"), $(info $(subst __SPACE__, ,$(line))))
@@ -284,6 +306,7 @@ $(shell mkdir -p $(SUBDIRS))
 modern: all
 compare: all
 debug: all
+release: all
 # Uncomment the next line, and then comment the 4 lines after it to reenable agbcc.
 #agbcc: all
 agbcc:
@@ -332,7 +355,7 @@ clean-assets:
 	find . \( -iname '*.1bpp' -o -iname '*.4bpp' -o -iname '*.8bpp' -o -iname '*.gbapal' -o -iname '*.lz' -o -iname '*.smol' -o -iname '*.fastSmol' -o -iname '*.smolTM' -o -iname '*.rl' -o -iname '*.latfont' -o -iname '*.hwjpnfont' -o -iname '*.fwjpnfont' \) -exec rm {} +
 	find $(DATA_ASM_SUBDIR)/maps \( -iname 'connections.inc' -o -iname 'events.inc' -o -iname 'header.inc' \) -exec rm {} +
 
-tidy: tidymodern tidycheck tidydebug
+tidy: tidymodern tidycheck tidydebug tidyrelease
 
 tidymodern:
 	rm -f $(ROM_NAME) $(ELF_NAME) $(MAP_NAME)
@@ -345,6 +368,14 @@ tidycheck:
 tidydebug:
 	rm -rf $(DEBUG_OBJ_DIR_NAME)
 
+tidyrelease:
+ifeq ($(RELEASE),1)
+	rm -f $(ROM_NAME) $(ELF_NAME) $(MAP_NAME)
+else # Manually remove the release files on clean/tidy
+	rm -f $(FILE_NAME)-release.gba $(FILE_NAME)-release.elf $(FILE_NAME)-release.map
+endif
+	rm -rf $(OBJ_DIR_NAME_RELEASE)
+
 # Other rules
 include graphics_file_rules.mk
 include map_data_rules.mk
diff --git a/config.mk b/config.mk
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7360c158ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.mk
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# Enable LTO when making a release build. Disable by setting to 0.
+USE_LTO_ON_RELEASE ?= 1
diff --git a/include/config/debug.h b/include/config/debug.h
index 2446b9360c..7e28d33504 100644
--- a/include/config/debug.h
+++ b/include/config/debug.h
@@ -2,16 +2,16 @@
 #define GUARD_CONFIG_DEBUG_H
 
 // Overworld Debug
-#define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_MENU            TRUE                // Enables an overworld debug menu to change flags, variables, giving pokemon and more, accessed by holding R and pressing START while in the overworld by default.
+#define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_MENU            DISABLED_ON_RELEASE // Enables an overworld debug menu to change flags, variables, giving pokemon and more, accessed by holding R and pressing START while in the overworld by default.
 #define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_HELD_KEYS       (R_BUTTON)          // The keys required to be held to open the debug menu.
 #define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_TRIGGER_EVENT   pressedStartButton  // The event that opens the menu when holding the key(s) defined in DEBUG_OVERWORLD_HELD_KEYS.
 #define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_IN_MENU         FALSE               // Replaces the overworld debug menu button combination with a start menu entry (above Pokédex).
 
 // Battle Debug Menu
-#define DEBUG_BATTLE_MENU               TRUE    // If set to TRUE, enables a debug menu to use in battles by pressing the Select button.
+#define DEBUG_BATTLE_MENU               DISABLED_ON_RELEASE // If set to TRUE, enables a debug menu to use in battles by pressing the Select button.
 #define DEBUG_AI_DELAY_TIMER            FALSE   // If set to TRUE, displays the number of frames it takes for the AI to choose a move. Replaces the "What will PKMN do" text. Useful for devs or anyone who modifies the AI code and wants to see if it doesn't take too long to run.
 
 // Pokémon Debug
-#define DEBUG_POKEMON_SPRITE_VISUALIZER TRUE    // Enables a debug menu for Pokémon sprites and icons, accessed by pressing Select in the summary screen.
+#define DEBUG_POKEMON_SPRITE_VISUALIZER DISABLED_ON_RELEASE // Enables a debug menu for Pokémon sprites and icons, accessed by pressing Select in the summary screen.
 
 #endif // GUARD_CONFIG_DEBUG_H
diff --git a/include/config/general.h b/include/config/general.h
index db01fd22f9..c9958c668e 100644
--- a/include/config/general.h
+++ b/include/config/general.h
@@ -6,11 +6,16 @@
 // still has them in the ROM. This is because the developers forgot
 // to define NDEBUG before release, however this has been changed as
 // Ruby's actual debug build does not use the AGBPrint features.
+// 
+// Use `make release` to automatically enable NDEBUG.
+#ifdef RELEASE
 #define NDEBUG
+#endif
 
-// To enable printf debugging, comment out "#define NDEBUG". This allows
+// printf debugging is now enabled by default. This allows
 // the various AGBPrint functions to be used. (See include/gba/isagbprint.h).
 // See below for enabling different pretty printing versions.
+// To disable printf debugging, build a release build using `make release`.
 
 #ifndef NDEBUG
 
diff --git a/include/constants/global.h b/include/constants/global.h
index b2d892014c..a783475f2e 100644
--- a/include/constants/global.h
+++ b/include/constants/global.h
@@ -1,6 +1,21 @@
 #ifndef GUARD_CONSTANTS_GLOBAL_H
 #define GUARD_CONSTANTS_GLOBAL_H
 
+// You can use the ENABLED_ON_RELEASE and DISABLED_ON_RELEASE macros to
+// control whether a feature is enabled or disabled when making a release build.
+// 
+// For example, the overworld debug menu is enabled by default, but when using
+// `make release`, it will be automatically disabled.
+// 
+// #define DEBUG_OVERWORLD_MENU DISABLED_ON_RELEASE
+#ifdef RELEASE
+#define ENABLED_ON_RELEASE TRUE
+#define DISABLED_ON_RELEASE FALSE
+#else
+#define ENABLED_ON_RELEASE FALSE
+#define DISABLED_ON_RELEASE TRUE
+#endif
+
 #include "config/general.h"
 #include "config/battle.h"
 #include "config/debug.h"