diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index da649136..bbdb50ca 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ pre_args = [
 if get_option('buildtype') == 'debug'
   pre_args += '-DDEBUG'
   pre_args += '-DSPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL=SPDLOG_LEVEL_TRACE'
+else
+  pre_args += '-DSPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL=SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG'
 endif
-pre_args += '-DSPDLOG_ACTIVE_LEVEL=SPDLOG_LEVEL_DEBUG'
 # TODO: this is very incomplete
 is_unixy = false
 if ['linux', 'cygwin', 'gnu'].contains(host_machine.system())