diff --git a/.github/workflows/matrix.yml b/.github/workflows/matrix.yml
index bfa5623351033..47d545d2805ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/matrix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/matrix.yml
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ jobs:
             os: ubuntu-20.04
             tiles: 0
             sound: 0
-            release: 1
             cmake: 0
             localize: 1
             test-stage: 1
@@ -102,7 +101,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: clang++
             os: macos-12
-            release: 1
             cmake: 0
             native: osx
             pch: 0
@@ -116,7 +114,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: g++-9
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            release: 1
             cmake: 0
             tiles: 0
             sound: 0
@@ -135,7 +132,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: clang++-12
             os: ubuntu-22.04
-            release: 0
             cmake: 0
             tiles: 1
             sound: 0
@@ -155,7 +151,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: g++-11
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            release: 0
             cmake: 0
             tiles: 0
             sound: 0
@@ -172,7 +167,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: g++
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            release: 0
             cmake: 0
             native:
             pch: 1
@@ -192,7 +186,6 @@ jobs:
 
           - compiler: g++-9
             os: ubuntu-latest
-            release: 1
             cmake: 1
             tiles: 1
             sound: 1
@@ -235,7 +228,7 @@ jobs:
         GOLD: ${{ matrix.gold }}
         LTO: ${{ matrix.lto }}
         LIBBACKTRACE: ${{ matrix.libbacktrace }}
-        RELEASE: ${{ matrix.release }}
+        RELEASE: 1
         ARCHIVE_SUCCESS: ${{ matrix.archive-success }}
         CCACHE_LIMIT: ${{ matrix.ccache_limit }}
         CCACHE_FILECLONE: true
@@ -350,3 +343,4 @@ jobs:
         name: cata_test
         path: tests/cata_test*
         if-no-files-found: ignore
+        retention-days: 9
diff --git a/build-scripts/gha_compile_only.sh b/build-scripts/gha_compile_only.sh
index da70ef620a171..4fdc72246503e 100755
--- a/build-scripts/gha_compile_only.sh
+++ b/build-scripts/gha_compile_only.sh
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ then
         ..
     make -j$num_jobs
 else
-    make -j "$num_jobs" RELEASE=1 CCACHE=1 CROSS="$CROSS_COMPILATION" LINTJSON=0 FRAMEWORK=1 UNIVERSAL_BINARY=1
+    make -j "$num_jobs" CCACHE=1 CROSS="$CROSS_COMPILATION" LINTJSON=0 FRAMEWORK=1 UNIVERSAL_BINARY=1 DEBUG_SYMBOLS=1
 
     # For CI on macOS, patch the test binary so it can find SDL2 libraries.
     if [[ ! -z "$OS" && "$OS" = "macos-12" ]]