diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 3bff270..b86b111 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ edition = "2021"
 [profile.dev]
 opt-level = 3
 
+[profile.release]
+strip = true
+
 [lib]
 crate-type = [
   "staticlib", # Ensure it gets compiled as a (static) C library
diff --git a/codex_storage_proofs.nim b/codex_storage_proofs.nim
index cdfec86..1205956 100644
--- a/codex_storage_proofs.nim
+++ b/codex_storage_proofs.nim
@@ -1,11 +1,22 @@
 
 import std/os
 
+const
+  currentDir = currentSourcePath().parentDir()
+  lib_path* = currentDir/"target"/"release"/"libcodex_storage_proofs.a"
+
 static:
-  let pth = currentSourcePath().parentDir()
-  echo "\n===="
-  echo "CODEX:STORAGE:PROOFS: ", pth
+  echo "\n==== CODEX:STORAGE:PROOFS: "
+  echo "cwd: ", currentDir
+  echo "lib_path: ", lib_path
   # echo "pwd: ", projectDir()
   # echo "cwd: ", getCurrentDir()
+  let cmd = "pwd && cargo build --release"
+  echo "\nBuilding codex-storage-proofs: " & cmd
+  let (output, exitCode) = gorgeEx cmd
+  echo output
+  if exitCode != 0:
+    # discard gorge "rm -rf " & buildDir
+    raise (ref Defect)(msg: "Failed to build codex-storage-proofs")
 
   echo "\n===="