diff --git a/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/sdl2/build/build.py b/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/sdl2/build/build.py
index 73fbb94c24..9b398e420b 100755
--- a/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/sdl2/build/build.py
+++ b/pythonforandroid/bootstraps/sdl2/build/build.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ def select(fn):
     zf.close()
 
 
-def make_tar(tfn, source_dirs, ignore_path=[]):
+def make_tar(tfn, source_dirs, ignore_path=[], optimize_python=True):
     '''
     Make a zip file `fn` from the contents of source_dis.
     '''
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ def select(fn):
     files = []
     for sd in source_dirs:
         sd = realpath(sd)
-        compile_dir(sd)
+        compile_dir(sd, optimize_python=optimize_python)
         files += [(x, relpath(realpath(x), sd)) for x in listfiles(sd)
                   if select(x)]
 
@@ -208,14 +208,17 @@ def select(fn):
     tf.close()
 
 
-def compile_dir(dfn):
+def compile_dir(dfn, optimize_python=True):
     '''
     Compile *.py in directory `dfn` to *.pyo
     '''
     # -OO = strip docstrings
     if PYTHON is None:
         return
-    subprocess.call([PYTHON, '-OO', '-m', 'compileall', '-f', dfn])
+    args = [PYTHON, '-m', 'compileall', '-f', dfn]
+    if optimize_python:
+        args.insert(1, '-OO')
+    subprocess.call(args)
 
 
 def make_package(args):
@@ -245,7 +248,8 @@ def make_package(args):
         tar_dirs.append('crystax_python')
 
     if args.private:
-        make_tar('src/main/assets/private.mp3', tar_dirs, args.ignore_path)
+        make_tar('src/main/assets/private.mp3', tar_dirs, args.ignore_path,
+                 optimize_python=args.optimize_python)
     elif args.launcher:
         # clean 'None's as a result of main.py path absence
         tar_dirs = [tdir for tdir in tar_dirs if tdir]
@@ -512,6 +516,10 @@ def parse_args(args=None):
                           'the appropriate environment variables.'))
     ap.add_argument('--add-activity', dest='add_activity', action='append',
                     help='Add this Java class as an Activity to the manifest.')
+    ap.add_argument('--no-optimize-python', dest='optimize_python',
+                    action='store_false', default=True,
+                    help=('Whether to compile to optimised .pyo files, using -OO '
+                          '(strips docstrings and asserts)'))
 
     if args is None:
         args = sys.argv[1:]