diff --git a/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.cpp b/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.cpp
index 943710ab7..1d82b6afb 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.cpp
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 #include <mbgl/gl/debugging.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/gl/gl.hpp>
 #include <mbgl/gl/extension.hpp>
@@ -189,3 +190,5 @@ group::~group() {
 } // namespace debugging
 } // namespace gl
 } // namespace mbgl
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.hpp b/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.hpp
index 06b47a419..42c31cc6c 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.hpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/gl/debugging.hpp
@@ -1,14 +1,8 @@
 #pragma once
 
-#include <string>
-
 #ifndef NDEBUG
-#define __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME2(counter) __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_##counter
-#define __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME(counter) __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME2(counter)
-#define MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP(string) ::mbgl::gl::debugging::group __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME(__LINE__)(string);
-#else
-#define MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP(string)
-#endif
+
+#include <string>
 
 namespace mbgl {
 namespace gl {
@@ -24,3 +18,13 @@ struct group {
 } // namespace debugging
 } // namespace gl
 } // namespace mbgl
+
+#define __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME2(counter) __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_##counter
+#define __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME(counter) __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME2(counter)
+#define MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP(string) ::mbgl::gl::debugging::group __MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP_NAME(__LINE__)(string);
+
+#else // ifndef NDEBUG
+
+#define MBGL_DEBUG_GROUP(string)
+
+#endif
diff --git a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter.cpp b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter.cpp
index 42f883cef..4c624a0d7 100644
--- a/src/mbgl/renderer/painter.cpp
+++ b/src/mbgl/renderer/painter.cpp
@@ -40,7 +40,9 @@ using namespace style;
 
 Painter::Painter(const TransformState& state_)
     : state(state_) {
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     gl::debugging::enable();
+#endif
 
     shaders = std::make_unique<Shaders>(context);
 #ifndef NDEBUG