--- a/py/mkenv.mk
+++ a/py/mkenv.mk
@@ -52,7 +52,6 @@
 LD = $(CROSS_COMPILE)ld
 OBJCOPY = $(CROSS_COMPILE)objcopy
 SIZE = $(CROSS_COMPILE)size
-STRIP = $(CROSS_COMPILE)strip
 AR = $(CROSS_COMPILE)ar
 
 MAKE_MANIFEST = $(PYTHON) $(TOP)/tools/makemanifest.py
--- a/py/mkrules.mk
+++ a/py/mkrules.mk
@@ -211,11 +211,6 @@
 # Do not pass COPT here - it's *C* compiler optimizations. For example,
 # we may want to compile using Thumb, but link with non-Thumb libc.
 	$(Q)$(CC) -o $@ $^ $(LIB) $(LDFLAGS)
-ifndef DEBUG
-ifdef STRIP
-	$(Q)$(STRIP) $(STRIPFLAGS_EXTRA) $@
-endif
-endif
 	$(Q)$(SIZE) $$(find $(BUILD) -path "$(BUILD)/build/frozen*.o") $@
 
 clean: clean-prog