diff --git a/run_unittests.py b/run_unittests.py
index 06146c29e..ef1938329 100755
--- a/run_unittests.py
+++ b/run_unittests.py
@@ -1832,6 +1832,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
                 self.init(testdir, ['--cross-file=' + name], inprocess=True)
                 self.wipe()
 
+    def test_ndebug_if_release_disabled(self):
+        testdir = os.path.join(self.unit_test_dir, '25 ndebug if-release')
+        self.init(testdir, extra_args=['--buildtype=release', '-Db_ndebug=if-release'])
+        self.build()
+        exe = os.path.join(self.builddir, 'main')
+        self.assertEqual(b'NDEBUG=1', subprocess.check_output(exe).strip())
+
+    def test_ndebug_if_release_enabled(self):
+        testdir = os.path.join(self.unit_test_dir, '25 ndebug if-release')
+        self.init(testdir, extra_args=['--buildtype=debugoptimized', '-Db_ndebug=if-release'])
+        self.build()
+        exe = os.path.join(self.builddir, 'main')
+        self.assertEqual(b'NDEBUG=0', subprocess.check_output(exe).strip())
+
 
 class FailureTests(BasePlatformTests):
     '''
diff --git a/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/main.c b/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/main.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..70b3d044a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/main.c	
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+int main(void) {
+#ifdef NDEBUG
+    printf("NDEBUG=1\n");
+#else
+    printf("NDEBUG=0\n");
+#endif
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/meson.build b/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4af2406d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test cases/unit/25 ndebug if-release/meson.build	
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+project('ndebug enabled', 'c')
+
+executable('main', 'main.c')