diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
index 2bc3b9cc..d9f9328f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build-test.yml
@@ -60,7 +60,17 @@ jobs:
       llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
       kernel: ${{ inputs.kernel }}
       download_sources: ${{ inputs.download_sources }}
-
+  build-release:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
+    with:
+      arch: ${{ inputs.arch }}
+      toolchain_full: ${{ inputs.toolchain_full }}
+      toolchain: ${{ inputs.toolchain }}
+      runs_on: ${{ inputs.runs_on }}
+      llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
+      kernel: ${{ inputs.kernel }}
+      download_sources: ${{ inputs.download_sources }}
+      release: true
   test:
     if: ${{ inputs.run_tests }}
     uses: ./.github/workflows/kernel-test.yml
@@ -93,4 +103,4 @@ jobs:
       aws_region: ${{ vars.AWS_REGION }}
       runs_on: ${{ inputs.runs_on }}
     secrets:
-      AWS_ROLE_ARN: ${{ secrets.AWS_ROLE_ARN }}
\ No newline at end of file
+      AWS_ROLE_ARN: ${{ secrets.AWS_ROLE_ARN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
index f12014d0..9f26041d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/kernel-build.yml
@@ -33,8 +33,12 @@ on:
         type: boolean
         description: Whether to download the linux sources into the working directory.
         default: false
+      release:
+        required: false
+        type: boolean
+        description: Build selftest with -O2 optimization
+        default: false
 
- 
 jobs:
   build:
     name: build for ${{ inputs.arch }} with ${{ inputs.toolchain_full }}
@@ -103,6 +107,8 @@ jobs:
           kbuild-output: ${{ env.KBUILD_OUTPUT }}
           max-make-jobs: 32
           llvm-version: ${{ inputs.llvm-version }}
+        env:
+          RELEASE: ${{ inputs.release && '1' || '0' }}
       - if: ${{ github.event_name != 'push' }}
         name: Build samples
         uses: libbpf/ci/build-samples@main
@@ -126,4 +132,4 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: vmlinux-${{ inputs.arch }}-${{ inputs.toolchain_full }}
           if-no-files-found: error
-          path: vmlinux-${{ inputs.arch }}-${{ inputs.toolchain_full }}.tar.zst
\ No newline at end of file
+          path: vmlinux-${{ inputs.arch }}-${{ inputs.toolchain_full }}.tar.zst