diff --git a/appveyor.bat b/appveyor.bat
index 1a47c59727..8a1e01c40e 100644
--- a/appveyor.bat
+++ b/appveyor.bat
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed base-devel"
 
 rem Install the relevant native dependencies
 bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed git"
-bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed python2"
 bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed make"
 bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed autoconf"
 bash -xlc "pacman --noconfirm -S --needed automake-wrapper"
@@ -35,4 +34,10 @@ set CHERE_INVOKING=yes
 rem Build/test scripting
 bash -xlc "set pwd"
 bash -xlc "env"
-bash -xlc "./build.sh"
+
+IF "%1%" == "Release" (
+    bash -xlc "./build.sh --release"
+) ELSE (
+    bash -xlc "./build.sh"
+)
+
diff --git a/appveyor.yml b/appveyor.yml
index 1240f58b90..9e3ccd18ec 100644
--- a/appveyor.yml
+++ b/appveyor.yml
@@ -2,11 +2,13 @@ environment:
   matrix:
     - MSYS2_ARCH: x86_64
       MSYSTEM: MINGW64
-    # - MSYS2_ARCH: i686
-    #   MSYSTEM: MINGW32
+
+configuration:
+  - Release
+  - Debug
 
 build_script:
-  - '%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\appveyor.bat'
+  - '%APPVEYOR_BUILD_FOLDER%\appveyor.bat %CONFIGURATION%'
 
 deploy: off