diff --git a/build-windows/pEpPythonAdapter.vcxproj b/build-windows/pEpPythonAdapter.vcxproj
index 66ee151..cf75a0a 100644
--- a/build-windows/pEpPythonAdapter.vcxproj
+++ b/build-windows/pEpPythonAdapter.vcxproj
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@
   </ImportGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Label="UserMacros" />
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Debug|Win32'">
-    <NMakeBuildCommandLine>nmake /F "$(ProjectDir)..\make.mak" all</NMakeBuildCommandLine>
+    <NMakeBuildCommandLine>nmake /F "$(ProjectDir)..\make.mak" debug</NMakeBuildCommandLine>
     <NMakeOutput>
     </NMakeOutput>
     <NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;_DEBUG;_DLL;$(NMakePreprocessorDefinitions)</NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@
     <NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>_DEBUG;$(NMakePreprocessorDefinitions)</NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>
   </PropertyGroup>
   <PropertyGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)|$(Platform)'=='Release|Win32'">
-    <NMakeBuildCommandLine>nmake /F "$(ProjectDir)..\make.mak" all</NMakeBuildCommandLine>
+    <NMakeBuildCommandLine>nmake /F "$(ProjectDir)..\make.mak" release</NMakeBuildCommandLine>
     <NMakeOutput>
     </NMakeOutput>
     <NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>WIN32;NDEBUG;_DLL;$(NMakePreprocessorDefinitions)</NMakePreprocessorDefinitions>
diff --git a/make.mak b/make.mak
index 9dfc3af..721704d 100644
--- a/make.mak
+++ b/make.mak
@@ -16,12 +16,24 @@ dist-egg: compile
 # build the module into build
 compile:
     CD..
-    PY -3.8-32 setup.py build_ext
+    PY -3.8-32 setup.py build_ext --debug
 
 # delete output directories
 clean:
- @if exist $(BUILD_DIR) rmdir /S /Q $(BUILD_DIR)
- @if exist $(DIST_DIR) rmdir /S /Q $(DIST_DIR)
+    @if exist $(BUILD_DIR) rmdir /S /Q $(BUILD_DIR)
+    @if exist $(DIST_DIR) rmdir /S /Q $(DIST_DIR)
 
 # create directories and build application
-all: clean dist
+all: clean dist
+
+# release build
+release: clean
+    CD..
+    PY -3.8-32 setup.py build_ext
+    PY -3.8-32 setup.py bdist_wheel
+
+#debug build
+debug: clean
+    CD..
+    PY -3.8-32 setup.py build_ext --debug
+    PY -3.8-32 setup.py bdist_wheel
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e1e8136..fb9889c 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -70,9 +70,8 @@ class BuildExtCommand(build_ext):
         sys_includes = [
             join(inst_prefix),
         ] + [d[1] for d in self.windowsGetBoostDirs()]
-        sys_libdirs = [
-            join(inst_prefix, 'Release')
-        ] + [d[0] for d in self.windowsGetBoostDirs()]
+        sys_libdirs = [ join(inst_prefix, 'Debug')] if self.debug else [ join(inst_prefix, 'Release')]
+        sys_libdirs += [d[0] for d in self.windowsGetBoostDirs()]
         libs = [
             'pEpEngine',
             'libpEpAdapter',
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ class BuildExtCommand(build_ext):
         compile_flags = ['/std:c++14', '/permissive']
         if self.debug:
             pEpLog("debug mode")
-            compile_flags += ['/O0', '/g', '/UNDEBUG']
+            compile_flags += ['/Od', '/Zi', '/DEBUG']
 
         return (home, sys_includes, sys_libdirs, libs, compile_flags)