diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index b0c47a7a95fd8b58cf2d729806a6e8209e9bd953..669b32a953f26b2d616a5546c0151799de5119ab 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ LIBS = -L${BOINC_PREFIX}/lib -Bstatic $(shell sdl-config --static-libs) -lfreety
 CPPFLAGS = -I/usr/include $(shell sdl-config --cflags) $(shell pkg-config --cflags ftgl)
 DEPS = Makefile
 OBJS = starlist.o snr_list.o pulsar_list.o AbstractGraphicsEngine.o Starsphere.o WindowManager.o ${RESOURCESPEC}.o Resource.o ResourceFactory.o
-DEBUGFLAGSCPP = -DDEBUG -pg -ggdb -O0
+DEBUGFLAGSCPP = -pg -ggdb -O0
 RESOURCESPEC = resources
 
 # primary role based tagets
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ release: clean starsphere
 debug: CPPFLAGS += $(DEBUGFLAGSCPP)
 memcheck: CPPFLAGS += $(DEBUGFLAGSCPP) -DDEBUG_VALGRIND
 callgrind: CPPFLAGS += $(DEBUGFLAGSCPP) -DDEBUG_VALGRIND
-release: CPPFLAGS += -O3 -Wall -Wno-switch-enum
+release: CPPFLAGS += -DNDEBUG -O3 -Wall -Wno-switch-enum
 release: LDFLAGS += -s
 
 # file based targets
diff --git a/WindowManager.cpp b/WindowManager.cpp
index 2f0bac57d8d5eaca0b6ed73903b18058067835f6..b1a249663679157eed5f0d15f6ab615611d4aa16 100644
--- a/WindowManager.cpp
+++ b/WindowManager.cpp
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ bool WindowManager::initialize()
 
 void WindowManager::eventLoop()
 {
+	// be sure there's at least one observer!
+	assert(eventObservers.size() > 0);
+	
 	SDL_AddTimer(40, &timerCallbackRenderEvent, NULL);
 	SDL_AddTimer(1000, &timerCallbackBOINCUpdateEvent, NULL);
 
diff --git a/WindowManager.h b/WindowManager.h
index 37266bcdf3df554a19166933550695f3dbe3da5e..9b6d2b029daf000025cdb6a8ffa0df38c3c56602 100644
--- a/WindowManager.h
+++ b/WindowManager.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <iostream>
 #include <string>
 #include <list>
+#include <cassert>
 
 #include <SDL.h>
 
diff --git a/main.C b/main.C
index 40500ed1dac34a8baab00e0b4843effa5dcbec71..e8d8d522810a12102c59c463437348d6b5e1b0cd 100644
--- a/main.C
+++ b/main.C
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 	graphics.initialize(window.windowWidth(), window.windowHeight(), fontResource);
 	graphics.render(0);
 	
-#ifndef DEBUG
+#ifdef NDEBUG
 	window.toggleFullscreen();
 #endif