diff --git a/auto/make b/auto/make
index 2468ea39e..c0e96d408 100644
--- a/auto/make
+++ b/auto/make
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ AR =			$AR
 
 EXTRA_CFLAGS =
 CFLAGS = 		$NXT_CFLAGS $NXT_CC_OPT $CFLAGS \$(EXTRA_CFLAGS)
-RUST_FLAGS =
-NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC =
+
+RUST_FLAGS =		--release
+NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC =	$NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/release/libotel.a
 
 NXT_EXEC_LINK =		$NXT_EXEC_LINK $NXT_LD_OPT
 NXT_SHARED_LOCAL_LINK =	$NXT_SHARED_LOCAL_LINK $NXT_LD_OPT
@@ -63,9 +64,8 @@ D := 0
 
 ifeq (\$D,1)
         CFLAGS += -O0
-        RUST_FLAGS += --debug
-else
-        RUST_FLAGS += --release
+        RUST_FLAGS =
+        NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC = $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/debug/libotel.a
 endif
 
 # Optionally disable -Werror with
@@ -80,18 +80,6 @@ END
 
 fi
 
-# potentially set otel lib location
-if [ $NXT_OTEL = YES ]; then
-cat << END >> $NXT_MAKEFILE
-
-ifeq (\$D,1)
-	NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC = $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/debug/libotel.a
-else
-	NXT_OTEL_LIB_STATIC = $NXT_OTEL_LIB_DIR/target/release/libotel.a
-endif
-
-END
-fi
 
 # The include paths list.