diff --git a/hypervisor/Makefile b/hypervisor/Makefile
index e0803b441..f80356da5 100644
--- a/hypervisor/Makefile
+++ b/hypervisor/Makefile
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ RC_VERSION=5
 API_MAJOR_VERSION=1
 API_MINOR_VERSION=0
 
-RELEASE ?= 0
-
 GCC_MAJOR=$(shell echo __GNUC__ | $(CC) -E -x c - | tail -n 1)
 GCC_MINOR=$(shell echo __GNUC_MINOR__ | $(CC) -E -x c - | tail -n 1)
 
@@ -172,7 +170,7 @@ endif
 endif
 
 C_OBJS := $(patsubst %.c,$(HV_OBJDIR)/%.o,$(C_SRCS))
-ifeq ($(RELEASE),0)
+ifeq ($(CONFIG_RELEASE),n)
 C_OBJS += $(patsubst %.c,$(HV_OBJDIR)/%.o,$(D_SRCS))
 CFLAGS += -DHV_DEBUG
 endif
@@ -190,10 +188,10 @@ all: efi
 .PHONY: efi
 efi: $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_FILE).bin
 	echo "building hypervisor as EFI executable..."
-	make -C bsp/uefi/efi HV_OBJDIR=$(HV_OBJDIR) RELEASE=$(RELEASE)
+	make -C bsp/uefi/efi HV_OBJDIR=$(HV_OBJDIR)
 
 install: efi
-	make -C bsp/uefi/efi HV_OBJDIR=$(HV_OBJDIR) RELEASE=$(RELEASE) install
+	make -C bsp/uefi/efi HV_OBJDIR=$(HV_OBJDIR) install
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(CONFIG_PLATFORM), sbl)
@@ -234,7 +232,7 @@ $(VERSION):
 	DIRTY=`git diff-index --name-only HEAD`;\
 	if [ -n "$$DIRTY" ];then PATCH="$$COMMIT-dirty";else PATCH="$$COMMIT";fi;\
 	TIME=`date "+%F %T"`;\
-	if [ $(RELEASE) = 0 ];then BUILD_TYPE="DBG";else BUILD_TYPE="REL";fi;\
+	if [ $(CONFIG_RELEASE) = "n" ];then BUILD_TYPE="DBG";else BUILD_TYPE="REL";fi;\
 	echo "/*" > $(VERSION); \
 	sed 's/^/ * /' ../LICENSE >> $(VERSION); \
 	echo " */" >> $(VERSION); \
diff --git a/hypervisor/arch/x86/Kconfig b/hypervisor/arch/x86/Kconfig
index a4328f740..cdb098d6c 100644
--- a/hypervisor/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/hypervisor/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ config PLATFORM
 	default "uefi" if PLATFORM_UEFI
 	default "sbl" if PLATFORM_SBL
 
+config RELEASE
+	bool "Release build"
+	default n
+
 config NR_IOAPICS
 	int "Maximum number of IOAPICs supported"
 	default 1
diff --git a/hypervisor/bsp/uefi/efi/Makefile b/hypervisor/bsp/uefi/efi/Makefile
index ac74f6a95..fb00eb3a0 100644
--- a/hypervisor/bsp/uefi/efi/Makefile
+++ b/hypervisor/bsp/uefi/efi/Makefile
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 # POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 #
 
-RELEASE:=0
 HV_OBJDIR:=build
 HV_FILE:=acrn
 EFI_OBJDIR:=$(HV_OBJDIR)/bsp/uefi/efi
diff --git a/hypervisor/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.mk b/hypervisor/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.mk
index a0e21ecb6..dd32fa4d8 100644
--- a/hypervisor/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.mk
+++ b/hypervisor/scripts/kconfig/kconfig.mk
@@ -20,8 +20,18 @@ HV_CONFIG_MK := include/config.mk
 
 KCONFIG_DIR := $(BASEDIR)/../scripts/kconfig
 
+# Backward-compatibility for RELEASE=(0|1)
+ifdef RELEASE
+ifeq ($(RELEASE),1)
+override RELEASE := y
+else
+override RELEASE := n
+endif
+endif
+
 -include $(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG_MK)
 $(eval $(call override_config,PLATFORM,sbl))
+$(eval $(call override_config,RELEASE,n))
 
 $(eval $(call check_dep_exec,python3,KCONFIG_DEPS))
 $(eval $(call check_dep_exec,pip3,KCONFIG_DEPS))
@@ -62,7 +72,8 @@ oldconfig: $(KCONFIG_DEPS)
 	@mkdir -p $(HV_OBJDIR)
 	@python3 $(KCONFIG_DIR)/silentoldconfig.py Kconfig \
 		$(HV_OBJDIR)/$(HV_CONFIG) \
-		PLATFORM_$(shell echo $(PLATFORM) | tr a-z A-Z)=y
+		PLATFORM_$(shell echo $(PLATFORM) | tr a-z A-Z)=y \
+		RELEASE=$(RELEASE)
 
 # Minimize the current .config. This target can be used to generate a defconfig
 # for future use.