diff --git a/build_libwallet_api.sh b/build_libwallet_api.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..832b48d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build_libwallet_api.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+
+# MONERO_URL=https://github.com/monero-project/monero.git
+# MONERO_BRANCH=master
+CPU_CORE_COUNT=$(grep -c ^processor /proc/cpuinfo 2>/dev/null || sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
+pushd $(pwd)
+ROOT_DIR="$( cd "$( dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" )" && pwd )"
+
+source $ROOT_DIR/utils.sh
+
+
+INSTALL_DIR=$ROOT_DIR/wallet
+MONERO_DIR=$ROOT_DIR/monero
+
+
+mkdir -p $MONERO_DIR/build/release
+pushd $MONERO_DIR/build/release
+
+# reusing function from "utils.sh"
+platform=$(get_platform)
+
+pushd $MONERO_DIR/build/release/src/wallet
+make -j$CPU_CORE_COUNT
+make install -j$CPU_CORE_COUNT
+popd
+
+# unbound is one more dependency. can't be merged to the wallet_merged
+# since filename conflict (random.c.obj)
+# for Linux, we use libunbound shipped with the system, so we don't need to build it
+
+if [ "$platform" != "linux" ]; then
+    echo "Building libunbound..."
+    pushd $MONERO_DIR/build/release/external/unbound
+    # no need to make, it was already built as dependency for libwallet
+    # make -j$CPU_CORE_COUNT
+    make install -j$CPU_CORE_COUNT
+    popd
+fi
+
+popd
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
diff --git a/get_libwallet_api.sh b/get_libwallet_api.sh
index 0cc850ed..d46b9910 100755
--- a/get_libwallet_api.sh
+++ b/get_libwallet_api.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 # MONERO_BRANCH=master
 MONERO_URL=https://github.com/mbg033/monero.git
 MONERO_BRANCH=develop
+# Buidling "debug" build optionally
+BUILD_TYPE=$1
+if [ -z $BUILD_TYPE ]; then
+    BUILD_TYPE=Release
+fi
 # thanks to SO: http://stackoverflow.com/a/20283965/4118915
 CPU_CORE_COUNT=$(grep -c ^processor /proc/cpuinfo 2>/dev/null || sysctl -n hw.ncpu)
 pushd $(pwd)
@@ -39,19 +44,19 @@ platform=$(get_platform)
 if [ "$platform" == "darwin" ]; then
     # Do something under Mac OS X platform        
     echo "Configuring build for MacOS.."
-    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR"  ../..
+    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR"  ../..
 elif [ "$platform" == "linux" ]; then
     # Do something under GNU/Linux platform
     echo "Configuring build for Linux.."
-    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR"  ../..
+    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR"  ../..
 elif [ "$platform" == "mingw64" ]; then
     # Do something under Windows NT platform
     echo "Configuring build for MINGW64.."
-    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR" -G "MSYS Makefiles" ../..
+    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR" -G "MSYS Makefiles" ../..
 elif [ "$platform" == "mingw32" ]; then
     # Do something under Windows NT platform
     echo "Configuring build for MINGW32.."
-    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR" -G "MSYS Makefiles" ../..
+    cmake -D CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE -D STATIC=ON -D BUILD_GUI_DEPS=ON -D INSTALL_VENDORED_LIBUNBOUND=ON -D CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$MONERO_DIR" -G "MSYS Makefiles" ../..
 else
     echo "Unsupported platform: $platform"
     popd