diff --git a/Readme.md b/Readme.md
index 0bbd771a727..24485058250 100644
--- a/Readme.md
+++ b/Readme.md
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ Assuming `$cg_clif_dir` is the directory you cloned this repo into and you follo
 In the directory with your project (where you can do the usual `cargo build`), run:
 
 ```bash
-$ CHANNEL="release" $cg_clif_dir/cargo.sh run
+$ $cg_clif_dir/cargo.sh run
 ```
 
 This should build and run your project with rustc_codegen_cranelift instead of the usual LLVM backend.
 
-If you compiled cg_clif in debug mode (aka you didn't pass `--release` to `./test.sh`) you should use `CHANNEL="debug"` instead or omit `CHANNEL="release"` completely.
+If you compiled cg_clif in debug mode (aka you didn't pass `--release` to `./test.sh`) you should set `CHANNEL="debug"`.
 
 ### Rustc
 
diff --git a/cargo.sh b/cargo.sh
index 5ee21f467e2..d5be7773d34 100755
--- a/cargo.sh
+++ b/cargo.sh
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash
 
 if [ -z $CHANNEL ]; then
-export CHANNEL='debug'
+export CHANNEL='release'
 fi
 
 pushd $(dirname "$0") >/dev/null