diff --git a/.vscode/tasks.json b/.vscode/tasks.json
index db62856d..c82910b5 100644
--- a/.vscode/tasks.json
+++ b/.vscode/tasks.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     "version": "2.0.0",
     "tasks": [
         {
-            "label": "build debug",
+            "label": "build local debug",
             "type": "shell",
             "command": "scons config=debug --no-packs --jobs=12",
             "problemMatcher": [],
@@ -12,6 +12,15 @@
                 "kind": "build"
             }
         },
+        {
+            "label": "build local release",
+            "type": "shell",
+            "command": "scons config=release --no-packs --jobs=12",
+            "problemMatcher": [],
+            "group": {
+                "kind": "build"
+            }
+        },
         {
             "label": "build flatpak",
             "type": "shell",
diff --git a/config.py b/config.py
index b85cbffc..eae1e73a 100644
--- a/config.py
+++ b/config.py
@@ -264,8 +264,8 @@ class Config:
             env.Append( CXXFLAGS = [ '-g' ] )
             env.Append( CPPDEFINES = [ '_DEBUG' ] )
         else:
-            env.Append( CFLAGS = [ '-O2', '-fno-strict-aliasing' ] )
-            env.Append( CXXFLAGS = [ '-O2', '-fno-strict-aliasing' ] )
+            env.Append( CFLAGS = [ '-O2', '-g', '-fno-strict-aliasing' ] )
+            env.Append( CXXFLAGS = [ '-O2', '-g', '-fno-strict-aliasing' ] )
 
             # this lets us catch libjpg and libpng libraries that we put in the same directory as radiant.bin
             env.Append( LINKFLAGS = '-Wl,-rpath,.' )