diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 6a951be..c9fdf6c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -877,7 +877,7 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           source ~/emsdk/emsdk_env.sh
           make features
-          make CIBUILD=true NOPLUGINS=true STATIC_BUILD=true USE_GLES2=true -j $(nproc)
+          make CIBUILD=true NOPLUGINS=true NOOPT=true STATIC_BUILD=true USE_GLES2=true -j $(nproc)
       - name: Make wasm versioned and compress
         run: |
           VERSION=$(cat Makefile | awk 'sub("VERSION = ","")')
diff --git a/dpf b/dpf
index 7994806..c9e9fe3 160000
--- a/dpf
+++ b/dpf
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 79948069d581c64bd19bc454234550de88b459a2
+Subproject commit c9e9fe3d5959cce389014b84f0c1e365f6112507
diff --git a/include/simd-compat/emmintrin.h b/include/simd-compat/emmintrin.h
index f844860..b349fb8 100644
--- a/include/simd-compat/emmintrin.h
+++ b/include/simd-compat/emmintrin.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+#if (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <emmintrin.h>
 #else
 # define SIMDE_ENABLE_NATIVE_ALIASES
diff --git a/include/simd-compat/immintrin.h b/include/simd-compat/immintrin.h
index 5400c92..1729310 100644
--- a/include/simd-compat/immintrin.h
+++ b/include/simd-compat/immintrin.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+#if (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <immintrin.h>
 #else
 # define SIMDE_ENABLE_NATIVE_ALIASES
diff --git a/include/simd-compat/mmintrin.h b/include/simd-compat/mmintrin.h
index 1efa66a..eab8d3b 100644
--- a/include/simd-compat/mmintrin.h
+++ b/include/simd-compat/mmintrin.h
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__)
+#if (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__)) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <mmintrin.h>
-#elif defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+#elif defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include <wasm_simd128.h>
 #else
 # define SIMDE_ENABLE_NATIVE_ALIASES
diff --git a/include/simd-compat/pmmintrin.h b/include/simd-compat/pmmintrin.h
index 33ec1c4..2db8f17 100644
--- a/include/simd-compat/pmmintrin.h
+++ b/include/simd-compat/pmmintrin.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__)
+#if (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__)) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <pmmintrin.h>
 
 // bring in extra SSE3 support via simde
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #  undef _WIN32_WAS_DEFINED
 # endif
 
-#elif defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+#elif defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <pmmintrin.h>
 
 static __inline__ __m64 __attribute__((__always_inline__, __nodebug__))
diff --git a/include/simd-compat/xmmintrin.h b/include/simd-compat/xmmintrin.h
index 5ee268f..80536af 100644
--- a/include/simd-compat/xmmintrin.h
+++ b/include/simd-compat/xmmintrin.h
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#if defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)
+#if (defined(__i386__) || defined(__x86_64__) || defined(__EMSCRIPTEN__)) && !defined(CARDINAL_NOOPT)
 # include_next <xmmintrin.h>
 #else
 # define SIMDE_ENABLE_NATIVE_ALIASES
diff --git a/plugins/Makefile b/plugins/Makefile
index 19aaf79..077f556 100644
--- a/plugins/Makefile
+++ b/plugins/Makefile
@@ -1179,23 +1179,16 @@ BASE_FLAGS += -I../src/Rack/dep/nanosvg/src
 BASE_FLAGS += -I../src/Rack/dep/oui-blendish
 BASE_FLAGS += -I../src/Rack/dep/pffft
 
-# SSE must always be enabled, even in debug builds
-ifeq ($(CPU_I386_OR_X86_64),true)
-BASE_FLAGS += -msse -msse2
-ifeq ($(WASM),true)
-BASE_FLAGS += -msse3 -msimd128
-endif
-endif
-
 ifeq ($(DEBUG),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -UDEBUG
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(HEADLESS),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -DHEADLESS
-ifeq ($(WITH_LTO),true)
-BASE_FLAGS += -ffat-lto-objects
 endif
+
+ifneq (,$(findstring true,$(DEBUG)$(NOOPT)))
+BASE_FLAGS += -DCARDINAL_NOOPT
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(BSD)$(WASM),true)
diff --git a/src/Makefile b/src/Makefile
index c5b45bc..809e8cb 100644
--- a/src/Makefile
+++ b/src/Makefile
@@ -73,10 +73,6 @@ endif
 
 ifeq ($(DEBUG),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -UDEBUG
-ifeq ($(WASM),true)
-# SSE must always be enabled on wasm, even in debug builds
-BASE_FLAGS += -msse -msse2 -msse3 -msimd128
-endif
 endif
 
 ifeq ($(HAVE_LIBLO),true)
@@ -87,6 +83,10 @@ ifeq ($(HEADLESS),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -DHEADLESS
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(findstring true,$(DEBUG)$(NOOPT)))
+BASE_FLAGS += -DCARDINAL_NOOPT
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(BSD),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -DCLOCK_MONOTONIC_RAW=CLOCK_MONOTONIC_PRECISE
 endif
diff --git a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
index 650a788..acfce24 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
+++ b/src/Makefile.cardinal.mk
@@ -298,6 +298,10 @@ ifeq ($(HEADLESS),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -DHEADLESS
 endif
 
+ifneq (,$(findstring true,$(DEBUG)$(NOOPT)))
+BASE_FLAGS += -DCARDINAL_NOOPT
+endif
+
 ifeq ($(MOD_BUILD),true)
 BASE_FLAGS += -DDISTRHO_PLUGIN_USES_MODGUI=1 -DDISTRHO_PLUGIN_MINIMUM_BUFFER_SIZE=0xffff
 endif