diff --git a/ci_scripts/run_all.sh b/ci_scripts/run_all.sh
index 5a320d139..ae79262f8 100755
--- a/ci_scripts/run_all.sh
+++ b/ci_scripts/run_all.sh
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ cargo build --release -p deltachat_ffi
 
 # Statically link against libdeltachat.a.
 export DCC_RS_DEV=$(pwd)
+export DCC_RS_TARGET=release
 
 # Configure access to a base python and to several python interpreters
 # needed by tox below.
diff --git a/python/install_python_bindings.py b/python/install_python_bindings.py
index bc4fb4cf7..cac032751 100755
--- a/python/install_python_bindings.py
+++ b/python/install_python_bindings.py
@@ -17,8 +17,12 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
         os.environ["DCC_RS_DEV"] = dn
 
     cmd = ["cargo", "build", "-p", "deltachat_ffi"]
+
     if target == 'release':
+        extra = " -C lto=on -C embed-bitcode=yes"
+        os.environ["RUSTFLAGS"] = os.environ.get("RUSTFLAGS", "") + extra
         cmd.append("--release")
+
     print("running:", " ".join(cmd))
     subprocess.check_call(cmd)
     subprocess.check_call("rm -rf build/ src/deltachat/*.so" , shell=True)