diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 24509eb0..25fc2b86 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ jobs:
     with:
       enable_reflection: true
       b2_targets: libs/wave/test libs/wave/tool/build libs/wave/samples
+      b2_variant: release
       enable_cmake: false
       depinst_args: --include tool --include samples                       # fetch tool and sample dependencies
       enable_mingw: false                                                  # fails on non-ASCII test filename
diff --git a/test/build/Jamfile.v2 b/test/build/Jamfile.v2
index 1e860f09..706ee4f9 100644
--- a/test/build/Jamfile.v2
+++ b/test/build/Jamfile.v2
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ test-suite wave
             :
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <link>shared:<define>BOOST_ALL_DYN_LINK=1
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ test-suite wave
             : 
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <link>static     # Linking to DLL tested by testwave_dll
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ test-suite wave
             :
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
             :
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ test-suite wave
             :
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
             :
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ test-suite wave
             :
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 # to generate wave_lexertl_tables_next_token.hpp:
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ test-suite wave
             :
             # requirements
                 <threading>multi
-                <variant>debug
+                <variant>release
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_SCL_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
                 <toolset>msvc:<define>_CRT_SECURE_NO_DEPRECATE
             :