diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d112302f01..6508784bbb 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -186,7 +186,6 @@ ifeq ($(AST_DEVMODE),yes)
   _ASTCFLAGS+=-Werror
   _ASTCFLAGS+=-Wunused
   _ASTCFLAGS+=$(AST_DECLARATION_AFTER_STATEMENT)
-  _ASTCFLAGS+=$(AST_FORTIFY_SOURCE)
   _ASTCFLAGS+=$(AST_TRAMPOLINES)
   _ASTCFLAGS+=-Wundef
   _ASTCFLAGS+=-Wmissing-format-attribute
diff --git a/Makefile.rules b/Makefile.rules
index fb63634ace..d035f978e4 100644
--- a/Makefile.rules
+++ b/Makefile.rules
@@ -82,6 +82,8 @@ CXX_LIBS=$(PTHREAD_LIBS) $(LIBS)
 # and if that doesn't fail then compile again with optimizer disabled
 ifeq ($(findstring DONT_OPTIMIZE,$(MENUSELECT_CFLAGS))$(AST_DEVMODE),DONT_OPTIMIZEyes)
 COMPILE_DOUBLE=yes
+else
+_ASTCFLAGS+=$(AST_FORTIFY_SOURCE)
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(findstring BUILD_NATIVE,$(MENUSELECT_CFLAGS)),BUILD_NATIVE)