diff --git a/apps/shared/expiring_pointer.h b/apps/shared/expiring_pointer.h
index 7184aab50..4dd7dd06b 100644
--- a/apps/shared/expiring_pointer.h
+++ b/apps/shared/expiring_pointer.h
@@ -11,31 +11,31 @@ class ExpiringPointer {
   friend class ExpiringPointer;
 public:
   ExpiringPointer(T * rawPointer) : m_rawPointer(rawPointer) {
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     s_global = rawPointer;
 #endif
   }
   T * pointer() { return m_rawPointer; }
   T *operator->() {
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     assert(m_rawPointer != nullptr && m_rawPointer == s_global);
 #endif
     return m_rawPointer;
   }
   T &operator*() {
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     assert(m_rawPointer != nullptr && m_rawPointer == s_global);
 #endif
     return *m_rawPointer;
   }
 private:
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
   static T * s_global;
 #endif
   T * m_rawPointer;
 };
 
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 template<class T>
 T * ExpiringPointer<T>::s_global = nullptr;
 #endif
diff --git a/apps/solver/test/equation_store.cpp b/apps/solver/test/equation_store.cpp
index 786d35eeb..24063863e 100644
--- a/apps/solver/test/equation_store.cpp
+++ b/apps/solver/test/equation_store.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ namespace Solver {
 void addEquationWithText(EquationStore * equationStore, const char * text, Context * context) {
   Ion::Storage::Record::ErrorStatus err = equationStore->addEmptyModel();
   quiz_assert_print_if_failure(err == Ion::Storage::Record::ErrorStatus::None, text);
-  (void) err; // Silence warning in DEBUG=0
+  (void) err; // Silence warning in release mode
   Ion::Storage::Record record = equationStore->recordAtIndex(equationStore->numberOfModels()-1);
   Shared::ExpiringPointer<Equation> model = equationStore->modelForRecord(record);
   model->setContent(text, context);
diff --git a/build/defaults.mak b/build/defaults.mak
index 628550f3d..237a9a6da 100644
--- a/build/defaults.mak
+++ b/build/defaults.mak
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ HOSTCC = gcc
 HOSTCXX = g++
 PYTHON = python3
 
-SFLAGS = -DDEBUG=$(DEBUG)
 SFLAGS += -DEPSILON_GETOPT=$(EPSILON_GETOPT)
 SFLAGS += -DEPSILON_TELEMETRY=$(EPSILON_TELEMETRY)
 SFLAGS += -DESCHER_LOG_EVENTS_BINARY=$(ESCHER_LOG_EVENTS_BINARY)
@@ -16,6 +15,7 @@ ifeq ($(DEBUG),1)
 SFLAGS += -O0 -g
 else
 SFLAGS += -Os
+SFLAGS += -DNDEBUG
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(ASAN),1)
diff --git a/build/platform.blackbox.mak b/build/platform.blackbox.mak
index 244c172ad..235feb87a 100644
--- a/build/platform.blackbox.mak
+++ b/build/platform.blackbox.mak
@@ -1,9 +1,4 @@
 TOOLCHAIN ?= host-gcc
 USE_LIBA ?= 0
 ION_KEYBOARD_LAYOUT = layout_B2
-EXE = bin
-
-ifeq ($(DEBUG),1)
-else
-SFLAGS += -DNDEBUG
-endif
+EXE = bin
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/build/platform.simulator.mak b/build/platform.simulator.mak
index c6a904e30..e25beb0b8 100644
--- a/build/platform.simulator.mak
+++ b/build/platform.simulator.mak
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ SFLAGS += -DEPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG=$(EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG)
 ifeq ($(EPSILON_SIMULATOR_HAS_LIBPNG),1)
 SFLAGS += `libpng-config --cflags`
 LDFLAGS += `libpng-config --ldflags`
-endif
+endif
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ion/include/ion/events.h b/ion/include/ion/events.h
index a20873e44..fa7db1e3f 100644
--- a/ion/include/ion/events.h
+++ b/ion/include/ion/events.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public:
   constexpr Event(int i) : m_id(i){} // TODO: Assert here that i>=0 && i<255
 
   constexpr explicit operator uint8_t() const { return m_id; }
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
   const char * name() const;
 #endif
   Event(Keyboard::Key key, bool shift, bool alpha, bool lock);
diff --git a/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B2/layout_events.h b/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B2/layout_events.h
index 0ad8a8228..d0621d3d6 100644
--- a/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B2/layout_events.h
+++ b/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B2/layout_events.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static constexpr EventData s_dataForEvent[4*Event::PageSize] = {
   U(), U(), U(), U(), U(), U(),
 };
 
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 
 static constexpr const char * s_nameForEvent[255] = {
  // Plain
diff --git a/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B3/layout_events.h b/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B3/layout_events.h
index 5ef49875f..0bdd59e56 100644
--- a/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B3/layout_events.h
+++ b/ion/include/ion/keyboard/layout_B3/layout_events.h
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ static constexpr EventData s_dataForEvent[4*Event::PageSize] = {
   U(), U(), U(), U(), U(), U(),
 };
 
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 
 static constexpr const char * s_nameForEvent[255] = {
  // Plain
diff --git a/ion/src/blackbox/events.cpp b/ion/src/blackbox/events.cpp
index 1c9f730f3..6dd8cde71 100644
--- a/ion/src/blackbox/events.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/blackbox/events.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Event getEvent(int * timeout) {
     char filename[32];
     sprintf(filename, "event%d.png", sEventCount);
     Ion::Display::Blackbox::writeFrameBufferToFile(filename);
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     printf("Event %d is %s\n", sEventCount, event.name());
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/ion/src/device/shared/boot/rt0.cpp b/ion/src/device/shared/boot/rt0.cpp
index 45a003f40..38ad5e9e6 100644
--- a/ion/src/device/shared/boot/rt0.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/device/shared/boot/rt0.cpp
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ extern "C" {
 }
 
 void __attribute__((noinline)) abort() {
-#if DEBUG
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+  Ion::Device::Reset::core();
+#else
   while (1) {
   }
-#else
-  Ion::Device::Reset::core();
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/ion/src/shared/tools/Makefile b/ion/src/shared/tools/Makefile
index 081339af1..b9976d268 100644
--- a/ion/src/shared/tools/Makefile
+++ b/ion/src/shared/tools/Makefile
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 $(BUILD_DIR)/ion/src/shared/tools/event_%: ion/src/shared/tools/event_%.cpp ion/src/shared/events.cpp
 	@echo "HOSTCXX $@"
-	@$(HOSTCXX) -std=c++11 -Iion/include -DDEBUG=1 $^ -o $@
+	@$(HOSTCXX) -std=c++11 -Iion/include $^ -o $@
diff --git a/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp b/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
index 4aaa96093..053118b23 100644
--- a/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/simulator/shared/events_stdin.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Event getPlatformEvent() {
     char filename[32];
     sprintf(filename, "event%d.png", sEventCount);
     Ion::Simulator::Framebuffer::writeToFile(filename);
-#if DEBUG
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     printf("Event %d is %s\n", sEventCount, event.name());
 #endif
   }
diff --git a/ion/src/simulator/shared/main_headless.cpp b/ion/src/simulator/shared/main_headless.cpp
index 0f1fee2de..15cf095d6 100644
--- a/ion/src/simulator/shared/main_headless.cpp
+++ b/ion/src/simulator/shared/main_headless.cpp
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@
 #endif
 
 constexpr int kHeapSize = 131072;
-#if DEBUG
-constexpr int kStackSize = 32768*2; // In DEBUG mode, we increase the stack to be able to pass the tests
-#else
+#ifdef NDEBUG
 constexpr int kStackSize = 32768;
+#else
+constexpr int kStackSize = 32768*2; // In DEBUG mode, we increase the stack to be able to pass the tests
 #endif
 
 char heap[kHeapSize];
diff --git a/liba/include/assert.h b/liba/include/assert.h
index e9d717ab9..ccbf4d8a3 100644
--- a/liba/include/assert.h
+++ b/liba/include/assert.h
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 
 #include "private/macros.h"
 
-#if DEBUG
-#define assert(e)  ((void) ((e) ? ((void)0) : __assert(#e, __FILE__, __LINE__)))
-#else
+#ifdef NDEBUG
 #define assert(e) ((void)0)
+#else
+#define assert(e)  ((void) ((e) ? ((void)0) : __assert(#e, __FILE__, __LINE__)))
 #endif
 
 LIBA_BEGIN_DECLS