diff --git a/Makefile.conf b/Makefile.conf
index 6eeb044..a095768 100644
--- a/Makefile.conf
+++ b/Makefile.conf
@@ -3,12 +3,13 @@
 # This file may be used under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3
 # see LICENSE
 
-HERE:=$(dir $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)))
+BUILD_CONF?=./build.conf
+-include $(BUILD_CONF)
 
 TARGET=libpEpCxx11.a
 
 # Defaults
-DEBUG=1
+DEBUG?=debug
 PREFIX?=$(HOME)
 LANG_VERSION=c++11
 CXXFLAGS+=-fPIC -Wall -Wextra -pedantic
@@ -19,16 +20,12 @@ else ifneq (,$(findstring clang,$(CXX)))
     CXXFLAGS+=-fcolor-diagnostics
 endif
 
-
-######### Overrides #########
--include $(HERE)local.conf
-
 CXXFLAGS+=-std=$(LANG_VERSION)
 
-ifeq ($(DEBUG),1)
-    CXXFLAGS+=-g -O0
-else
+ifeq ($(DEBUG),release)
     CXXFLAGS+=-DNDEBUG=1 -O3
+else
+    CXXFLAGS+=-g -O0
 endif
 
 CXXFLAGS+=-I$(PREFIX)/include
diff --git a/local.conf.example b/build.conf.example
similarity index 74%
rename from local.conf.example
rename to build.conf.example
index 6ed7024..c1d8adc 100644
--- a/local.conf.example
+++ b/build.conf.example
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 
 ######### C++ Compiler #########
 # Should work with clang and g++
-# DEBUG=1       # DEBUG Build (Default)
-# DEBUG=0       # RELEASE Build
+# DEBUG=debug         # DEBUG Build (Default)
+# DEBUG=release       # RELEASE Build
 
 ############# DIRS #############
 # PREFIX=$(HOME)/local
\ No newline at end of file