diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 815afba8..7d21f364 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -31,7 +31,11 @@ add_project_arguments(cppflags, language : 'cpp')
 
 config_h = configuration_data()
 config_h.set('_GNU_SOURCE', '1')
-config_h.set_quoted('MESON_BUILD_ROOT', meson.build_root())
+if get_option('buildtype') == 'debug' or get_option('buildtype') == 'debugoptimized'
+	config_h.set_quoted('MESON_BUILD_ROOT', meson.build_root())
+else
+	config_h.set_quoted('MESON_BUILD_ROOT', '')
+endif
 
 prefix = '''#define _GNU_SOURCE 1
 #include <assert.h>
diff --git a/tools/shared.c b/tools/shared.c
index 74c0cdad..3cda4573 100644
--- a/tools/shared.c
+++ b/tools/shared.c
@@ -477,6 +477,11 @@ tools_execdir_is_builddir(void)
 	char *pathsep;
 	ssize_t sz;
 
+	/* In the case of release builds, the builddir is
+	   the empty string */
+	if (streq(MESON_BUILD_ROOT, ""))
+		return NULL;
+
 	sz = readlink("/proc/self/exe", execdir, sizeof(execdir) - 1);
 	if (sz <= 0 || sz == sizeof(execdir) - 1)
 		return NULL;
diff --git a/tools/test-builddir-lookup.c b/tools/test-builddir-lookup.c
index fc50b0f6..821ca70f 100644
--- a/tools/test-builddir-lookup.c
+++ b/tools/test-builddir-lookup.c
@@ -36,9 +36,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	if (streq(mode, "--builddir-is-null")) {
 		assert(builddir == NULL);
 	} else if (streq(mode, "--builddir-is-set")) {
-		assert(builddir != NULL);
-		assert(streq(MESON_BUILD_ROOT, builddir));
-		free(builddir);
+		/* In the case of release builds, the builddir is
+		   the empty string */
+		if (streq(MESON_BUILD_ROOT, "")) {
+			assert(builddir == NULL);
+		} else {
+			assert(builddir != NULL);
+			assert(streq(MESON_BUILD_ROOT, builddir));
+			free(builddir);
+		}
 	} else {
 		abort();
 	}