diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1dc4be497f..53eb712fad 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ jobs:
               {
                 "name": "Linux Reldebug",
                 "os": "ubuntu-latest",
-                "check-level": 2,
+                "check-level": 0,  // for testing
                 "CMAKE_PRESET": "reldebug",
                 // exclude seriously slow/stackoverflowing tests
                 "CTEST_OPTIONS": "-E 'interactivetest|leanpkgtest|laketest|benchtest|bv_bitblast_stress|3807'"
diff --git a/CMakePresets.json b/CMakePresets.json
index e091376a1d..5ea57b5215 100644
--- a/CMakePresets.json
+++ b/CMakePresets.json
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@
     },
     {
       "name": "reldebug",
-      "displayName": "Release with debug info build config",
+      "displayName": "Release with assertions enabled",
       "cacheVariables": {
-        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithDebInfo"
+        "CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE": "RelWithAssert"
       },
       "generator": "Unix Makefiles",
       "binaryDir": "${sourceDir}/build/reldebug"
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index d03af695ca..b95396d641 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -191,10 +191,11 @@ set(CMAKE_MODULE_PATH ${CMAKE_MODULE_PATH} "${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/Modules")
 
 # Initialize CXXFLAGS.
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS                "${LEAN_EXTRA_CXX_FLAGS} -DLEAN_BUILD_TYPE=\"${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}\" -DLEAN_EXPORTING")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "-DLEAN_DEBUG -DLEAN_TRACE")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "-DLEAN_DEBUG")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "-DNDEBUG")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "-DNDEBUG")
 set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-DNDEBUG")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT  "-DLEAN_DEBUG")
 
 # SPLIT_STACK
 if (SPLIT_STACK)
@@ -221,6 +222,7 @@ elseif (MSVC)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "/Od /Zi ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "/Os /Zc:inline ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "/O2 /Oi /Oy /Zc:inline ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT  "/O2 /Oi /Oy /Zc:inline ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "/O2 /Oi /Zi ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
     set(LEAN_EXTRA_LINKER_FLAGS        "/LTCG:INCREMENTAL ${LEAN_EXTRA_LINKER_FLAGS}")
     set(CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS      "${CMAKE_STATIC_LINKER_FLAGS} ${LEAN_EXTRA_LINKER_FLAGS}")
@@ -240,11 +242,13 @@ if (NOT MSVC)
       set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "-Os ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
     endif ()
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "-O3 ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT  "-O3 ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "-O2 -g3 -fno-omit-frame-pointer ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 elseif (MULTI_THREAD)
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG          "/MTd ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL     "/MT ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_MINSIZEREL}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE        "/MT ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE}")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT  "/MT ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHASSERT}")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO "/MT ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELWITHDEBINFO}")
 endif ()