diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker_image.yml b/.github/workflows/docker_image.yml
index 9c78bf824dcc..ba6d414a9dc6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker_image.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker_image.yml
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ jobs:
   
       - name: Build Docker image
         run: |
-          docker build --build-arg git_commit=${{ env.GIT_COMMIT_LONG }} --build-arg build_flag="--release" --build-arg build_folder="release" \
+          docker build --build-arg git_commit=${{ env.GIT_COMMIT_LONG }} \
             -f docker/Dockerfile . \
             -t ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE }}:${{ env.BRANCH_NAME }} \
             -t ${{ env.DOCKER_IMAGE }}:${{ env.GIT_COMMIT_SHORT }} \
diff --git a/docker/Dockerfile b/docker/Dockerfile
index 03c5354cea2e..b6dc1749ec53 100644
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@ ARG build_date
 ARG target=x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
 ARG binaries=
 ARG copy=${binaries:+_copy}
-ARG build_flag=
-ARG build_folder=
+ARG build_flag=--release
+ARG build_folder=release
 
 FROM rust:1.74-slim-bookworm AS builder
 ARG git_commit
diff --git a/docker/compose.sh b/docker/compose.sh
index 893f21361b36..3278ba1b86bc 100755
--- a/docker/compose.sh
+++ b/docker/compose.sh
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ cd "$ROOT_DIR"
 GIT_COMMIT=$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)
 
 if [[ "$OSTYPE" == "linux-gnu"* ]]; then
-    docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" --build-arg build_flag="--release" --build-arg build_folder="release" -f docker/Dockerfile . -t linera || exit 1
+    docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" -f docker/Dockerfile . -t linera || exit 1
 elif [[ "$OSTYPE" == "darwin"* ]]; then
     CPU_ARCH=$(sysctl -n machdep.cpu.brand_string)
     if [[ "$CPU_ARCH" == *"Apple"* ]]; then
-        docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" --build-arg target=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu --build-arg build_flag="--release" --build-arg build_folder="release" -f docker/Dockerfile -t linera . || exit 1
+        docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" --build-arg target=aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu -f docker/Dockerfile -t linera . || exit 1
     else
         echo "Unsupported Architecture: $CPU_ARCH"
         exit 1
diff --git a/linera-service/src/cli_wrappers/docker.rs b/linera-service/src/cli_wrappers/docker.rs
index 15de912841d6..b83356618d55 100644
--- a/linera-service/src/cli_wrappers/docker.rs
+++ b/linera-service/src/cli_wrappers/docker.rs
@@ -65,12 +65,11 @@ impl DockerImage {
             .args(["--build-arg", &build_arg]);
 
         match build_mode {
-            BuildMode::Release => {
-                command.args(["--build-arg", "build_flag=--release"]);
-                command.args(["--build-arg", "build_folder=release"]);
-            }
+            // Release is the default, so no need to add any arguments
+            BuildMode::Release => {}
             BuildMode::Debug => {
                 command.args(["--build-arg", "build_folder=debug"]);
+                command.args(["--build-arg", "build_flag="]);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/scripts/deploy-validator.sh b/scripts/deploy-validator.sh
index 313551400ff3..79e07b7998bd 100755
--- a/scripts/deploy-validator.sh
+++ b/scripts/deploy-validator.sh
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ GENESIS_CONFIG="docker/genesis.json"
 
 if [ -z "$REMOTE_IMAGE" ]; then
   echo "Building local image from commit $GIT_COMMIT..."
-  docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" --build-arg build_flag="--release" --build-arg build_folder="release" -f  docker/Dockerfile . -t linera
+  docker build --build-arg git_commit="$GIT_COMMIT" -f  docker/Dockerfile . -t linera
   export LINERA_IMAGE=linera
 else
   export LINERA_IMAGE="us-docker.pkg.dev/linera-io-dev/linera-public-registry/linera:${BRANCH_NAME}_release"