diff --git a/lib/checkinternal.cpp b/lib/checkinternal.cpp
index 9112d01ce..c392635bc 100644
--- a/lib/checkinternal.cpp
+++ b/lib/checkinternal.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+
 #include "checkinternal.h"
 #include "symboldatabase.h"
 #include <string>
@@ -23,7 +25,8 @@
 
 using namespace std;
 
-// Register this check class (by creating a static instance of it)
+// Register this check class (by creating a static instance of it).
+// Disabled in release builds
 namespace {
     CheckInternal instance;
 }
@@ -186,3 +189,5 @@ void CheckInternal::missingPercentCharacterError(const Token* tok, const std::st
                 "Missing percent end character in Token::" + funcname + "() pattern: \"" + pattern + "\""
                );
 }
+
+#endif // #ifndef NDEBUG
diff --git a/lib/settings.cpp b/lib/settings.cpp
index 57175c2bc..559e07bb7 100644
--- a/lib/settings.cpp
+++ b/lib/settings.cpp
@@ -83,9 +83,11 @@ std::string Settings::addEnabled(const std::string &str)
     id.insert("performance");
     id.insert("portability");
     id.insert("information");
-    id.insert("internal");
     id.insert("missingInclude");
     id.insert("unusedFunction");
+#ifndef NDEBUG
+    id.insert("internal");
+#endif
 
     if (str == "all") {
         std::set<std::string>::const_iterator it;
diff --git a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
index db316463e..55399d883 100644
--- a/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
+++ b/test/testcmdlineparser.cpp
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@ private:
         TEST_CASE(enabledPortability);
         TEST_CASE(enabledUnusedFunction);
         TEST_CASE(enabledMissingInclude);
+#ifndef NDEBUG
         TEST_CASE(enabledInternal);
+#endif
         TEST_CASE(errorExitcode);
         TEST_CASE(errorExitcodeMissing);
         TEST_CASE(errorExitcodeStr);
@@ -445,6 +447,7 @@ private:
         ASSERT(settings.isEnabled("missingInclude"));
     }
 
+#ifndef NDEBUG
     void enabledInternal() {
         REDIRECT;
         const char *argv[] = {"cppcheck", "--enable=internal", "file.cpp"};
@@ -453,6 +456,7 @@ private:
         ASSERT(parser.ParseFromArgs(3, argv));
         ASSERT(settings.isEnabled("internal"));
     }
+#endif
 
     void errorExitcode() {
         REDIRECT;
diff --git a/test/testinternal.cpp b/test/testinternal.cpp
index 67dba8332..b84bb5aa7 100644
--- a/test/testinternal.cpp
+++ b/test/testinternal.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
  */
 
-
+#ifndef NDEBUG
 
 #include "tokenize.h"
 #include "checkinternal.h"
@@ -230,3 +230,5 @@ private:
 };
 
 REGISTER_TEST(TestInternal)
+
+#endif // #ifndef NDEBUG