diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 934236c17f7..335deb449e8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -81,6 +81,15 @@ cd servo
 ./mach run tests/html/about-mozilla.html
 ```
 
+By default, Servo builds in debug mode.  This is useful for development, but
+the resulting binary is very slow.  For benchmarking, performance testing, or
+real-world use, add the `--release` flag to create an optimized build:
+
+``` sh
+./mach build --release
+./mach run --release tests/html/about-mozilla.html
+```
+
 ### Building for Android target
 
 ``` sh