diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index 7ff363473..df48decba 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ variables:
   DOCKER_IMAGE: registry.git.rwth-aachen.de/acs/public/villas/node
   DOCKER_IMAGE_DEV: ${DOCKER_IMAGE}/dev-${DISTRO}
   DOCKER_CLI_EXPERIMENTAL: enabled
-  CMAKE_BUILD_OPTS: "--config Release --parallel 16"
+  CMAKE_BUILD_OPTS: "--parallel 16"
+  CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTS: "-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DVILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON"
 
 stages:
 - prepare
@@ -64,7 +65,8 @@ build:source:
     matrix:
     - DISTRO: [ fedora, fedora-minimal, debian, rocky, ubuntu ]
     - DISTRO: fedora-minimal
-      CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTS: -DWITH_API=OFF
+      CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTS: -DVILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR=ON
+                  -DWITH_API=OFF
                   -DWITH_CLIENTS=OFF
                   -DWITH_CONFIG=OFF
                   -DWITH_DOC=OFF
@@ -183,7 +185,7 @@ pkg:docker:
       --target ${TARGET}
       --build-arg ARCH=${ARCH}
       --build-arg TRIPLET=${TRIPLET}
-      --build-arg CMAKE_OPTS="${CMAKE_OPTS}"
+      --build-arg CMAKE_OPTS="${CMAKE_OPTS} ${CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTS}"
       --platform ${PLATFORM}
       --file ${DOCKER_FILE}
       --tag ${DOCKER_IMAGE}:${DOCKER_TAG}-${ARCH} .
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index e9a0f1062..0b90cbfdb 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ include(FindSymbol)
 include(CMakeDependentOption)
 
 add_definitions(-D_POSIX_C_SOURCE=200809L -D_GNU_SOURCE)
-add_compile_options(-Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -Werror -fdiagnostics-color=auto)
+add_compile_options(-Wall -Wno-unknown-pragmas -fdiagnostics-color=auto)
 
 # Check OS
 check_include_file("sys/eventfd.h" HAS_EVENTFD)
@@ -213,12 +213,27 @@ cmake_dependent_option(WITH_NODE_WEBRTC     "Build with webrtc node-type"
 cmake_dependent_option(WITH_NODE_WEBSOCKET  "Build with websocket node-type"                        ON "WITH_WEB; LIBWEBSOCKETS_FOUND" OFF)
 cmake_dependent_option(WITH_NODE_ZEROMQ     "Build with zeromq node-type"                           ON "LIBZMQ_FOUND;NOT WITHOUT_GPL" OFF)
 
+# set a default for the build type
+if("${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" STREQUAL "")
+    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Debug")
+endif()
+
 # Add more build configurations
 include(cmake/config/Debug.cmake)
 include(cmake/config/Release.cmake)
 include(cmake/config/Coverage.cmake)
 include(cmake/config/Profiling.cmake)
 
+if(NOT DEFINED VILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR)
+    set(VILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR ON)
+endif()
+
+if(VILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR)
+    add_compile_options(-Werror)
+else()
+    add_compile_options(-Wno-error)
+endif()
+
 # Get version info and buildid from Git
 GetVersion(${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR} "CMAKE_PROJECT")
 
diff --git a/cmake/config/Release.cmake b/cmake/config/Release.cmake
index 37961761c..1cc8307c5 100644
--- a/cmake/config/Release.cmake
+++ b/cmake/config/Release.cmake
@@ -4,3 +4,8 @@
 # @copyright 2014-2022, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems, EONERC
 # @license Apache 2.0
 ###################################################################################
+
+# don't treat warnings as errors on normal release builds
+if("${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" STREQUAL "Release" AND NOT DEFINED VILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR)
+    set(VILLAS_COMPILE_WARNING_AS_ERROR OFF)
+endif()
diff --git a/packaging/docker/Dockerfile.debian-multiarch b/packaging/docker/Dockerfile.debian-multiarch
index 304ae76c1..6564bd1c7 100644
--- a/packaging/docker/Dockerfile.debian-multiarch
+++ b/packaging/docker/Dockerfile.debian-multiarch
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ ADD cmake/toolchains/debian-${ARCH}.cmake /
 ENV PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/lib/${TRIPLET}/pkgconfig:/usr/local/lib/${TRIPLET}/pkgconfig
 
 ENV CMAKE_EXTRA_OPTS="-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/debian-${ARCH}.cmake \
+				-DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
 				-DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH=${PREFIX} \
 				-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=${PREFIX} \
 				-DCMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR=${PREFIX}/lib/${TRIPLET} \
diff --git a/packaging/nix/flake.nix b/packaging/nix/flake.nix
index 91c13f242..e2ef3f7d6 100644
--- a/packaging/nix/flake.nix
+++ b/packaging/nix/flake.nix
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@
         pkgs = pkgsFor system;
         shellHook = ''[ -z "$PS1" ] || exec "$SHELL"'';
         hardeningDisable = ["all"];
-        packages = with pkgs; [criterion];
+        packages = with pkgs; [bashInteractive criterion];
       in rec {
         default = full;