diff --git a/src/dragon/config/defaults.yml b/src/dragon/config/defaults.yml
index eb341d30a..cdd1e5e62 100644
--- a/src/dragon/config/defaults.yml
+++ b/src/dragon/config/defaults.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Defaults:
   idflag: ''
   entflag: '-S'
   entfile: ''
+  stripflags: '-x'
   resource_dir: 'Resources'
   fw_dirs:
     - $dragon_root_dir/sdks/iPhoneOS.sdk/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/
diff --git a/src/dragon/config/rules.yml b/src/dragon/config/rules.yml
index da5efce07..526ffe32e 100644
--- a/src/dragon/config/rules.yml
+++ b/src/dragon/config/rules.yml
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ copy:
   cmd: "cp $in $out"
 lipo:
   name: "Lipo Utility"
-  desc: "Merging architechtures"
+  desc: "Merging architectures"
   cmd: "$lipo -create $in -output $out"
 bundle:
   name: "Bundle Resources"
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ bundle:
 debug:
   name: "DsymUtil"
   desc: "Generating Debug Symbols for $name"
-  cmd: "cp $in $out"
+  cmd: "$dsym $in"
 sign:
   name: "$codesign"
   desc: "Signing $name"
@@ -77,3 +77,7 @@ stage:
   name: "Staging Commands"
   desc: "Running Stage for $name"
   cmd: "$stage && $stage2"
+strip:
+  name: "Strip"
+  desc: "Stripping $name"
+  cmd: "$strip $stripflags $in"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/dragongen/generation.py b/src/dragongen/generation.py
index 5748d5c73..31df90a7b 100644
--- a/src/dragongen/generation.py
+++ b/src/dragongen/generation.py
@@ -227,6 +227,8 @@ def generate_vars(self, module_variables: dict, target: str) -> dict:
             project_dict['ld'] = toolchain.ld
         if 'codesign' not in project_dict:
             project_dict['codesign'] = toolchain.codesign
+        if 'strip' not in project_dict:
+            project_dict['strip'] = toolchain.strip
 
         # TODO: lazy hack
         if 'cxxflags' in project_dict:
@@ -282,7 +284,11 @@ def rules_and_build_statements(self) -> (list, list):
 
         build_state = []
         rule_list = []
-        used_rules = {'debug', 'sign', 'stage', 'lipo'}
+        used_rules = {'sign', 'stage', 'lipo'}
+        if _RELEASE_BUILD:
+            used_rules.add('strip')
+        else:
+            used_rules.add('debug')
         subdir: str = self.project_variables['dir'] + '/'
         filedict = classify({key: self.project_variables[key] for key in FILE_RULES})
         linker_conds = set()
@@ -357,10 +363,15 @@ def rules_and_build_statements(self) -> (list, list):
             Build('$internalsymtarget',
                   'lipo' if len(self.project_variables['archs']) > 1 else 'copy',
                   [f'$builddir/$name.{a}' for a in self.project_variables['archs']]),
+            # expecting a .unsigned
+            Build('$internalsigntarget', 'copy', '$internalsymtarget'),
             # Debug symbols
-            Build('$internalsigntarget', 'debug', '$internalsymtarget'),
+            # debug & strip run on a file as-is -- Ninja will skip that sort of build rule
+            # as there's nothing to track. we use a 'phonytarget' to tie the debug/strip step
+            # to the sign step, which is always run, via an implicit, secondary dependency (| dep)
+            Build('phonytarget', 'strip' if _RELEASE_BUILD else 'debug', '$internalsigntarget'),
             # Codesign
-            Build('$build_target_file', 'dummy' if self.project_variables['type'] == 'static' else 'sign', '$internalsigntarget'),
+            Build('$build_target_file', 'dummy' if self.project_variables['type'] == 'static' else 'sign', '$internalsigntarget|phonytarget'),
             # Stage commands (these are actually ran at a different point in the 'runner')
             Build('stage', 'stage', 'build.ninja'),
         ])
@@ -368,7 +379,8 @@ def rules_and_build_statements(self) -> (list, list):
         # Fix used_rules, TODO: maybe this could be optimized elsewhere?
         if len(self.project_variables['archs']) <= 1:
             used_rules.remove("lipo")
-            used_rules.add("copy")
+
+        used_rules.add("copy")
 
         if self.project_variables['type'] == 'static':
             # use a dummy rule to rename it to what the next rule expects
@@ -428,6 +440,7 @@ def generate_ninja_outline(self) -> list:
             Var('logos'),
             Var('optool'),
             Var('swift'),
+            Var('strip'),
             ___,
             Var('targetvers'),
             Var('targetos'),
@@ -443,6 +456,7 @@ def generate_ninja_outline(self) -> list:
             Var('debug'),
             Var('entfile'),
             Var('entflag'),
+            Var('stripflags'),
             Var('optim'),
             Var('warnings'),
             ___,
diff --git a/src/dragongen/toolchain.py b/src/dragongen/toolchain.py
index fbe1df63e..f62e52988 100644
--- a/src/dragongen/toolchain.py
+++ b/src/dragongen/toolchain.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.plutil = "plutil"
         self.lipo = "lipo"
         self.tapi = "tapi"
+        self.strip = "strip"
 
     @classmethod
     def locate_macos_toolchain(cls, use_objcs: bool):
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ def locate_linux_toolchain(cls, use_objcs: bool):
         tc.dsym = tc_dir + 'dsymutil'
         tc.lipo = tc_dir + 'lipo'
         tc.tapi = tc_dir + 'tapi'
+        tc.strip = tc_dir + 'strip'
 
         return tc