diff --git a/make-build.sh b/make-build.sh
index a6b8cc4..a6fb0c2 100644
--- a/make-build.sh
+++ b/make-build.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,25 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS="-O3 -Wall -Wextra"
+COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS="-Wall -Wextra"
+COMMON_LD_EXTRA_FLAGS=""
+
+if [ "$1" = debug ]; then
+  COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS="-O0 -ggdb ${COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS}"
+elif [ "$1" = release ]; then
+  COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS="-O3 ${COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS}"
+  COMMON_LD_EXTRA_FLAGS="-s ${COMMON_LD_EXTRA_FLAGS}"
+else
+  echo pass either "debug" or "release" as an argument.
+  exit
+fi
+
 COMMON_CC_FLAGS="-std=c23 -ffreestanding -I include ${COMMON_CC_EXTRA_FLAGS}"
 KERNEL_CC_FLAGS="-mno-sse -I dependencies/limine ${COMMON_CC_FLAGS}"
 #in the future user code will be allowed to use sse
 USER_CC_FLAGS="-mno-sse ${COMMON_CC_FLAGS}"
 
+COMMON_LD_FLAGS="${COMMON_LD_EXTRA_FLAGS}"
+
 if [ -e build.ninja ]; then
   echo build.ninja already exists.
   exit
@@ -25,14 +39,14 @@ echo "  depfile = \$out.d" >> build.ninja
 echo "  command = cc -c -MD -MF \$out.d ${USER_CC_FLAGS} \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
 
 echo "rule kernel_ld" >> build.ninja
-echo "  command = ld -T src/kernel/link.ld \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
+echo "  command = ld ${COMMON_LD_FLAGS} -T src/kernel/link.ld \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
 
 echo "rule user_lib_ld" >> build.ninja
 echo "  command = ld -r \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
 
 #eventually maybe a libc will be linked in
 echo "rule user_app_ld" >> build.ninja
-echo "  command = ld \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
+echo "  command = ld ${COMMON_LD_FLAGS} \$in -o \$out" >> build.ninja
 
 #builds everything in a directory
 #  $1 - source directory