diff --git a/autocmake/generate.py b/autocmake/generate.py
index ee0c422..37a4e23 100644
--- a/autocmake/generate.py
+++ b/autocmake/generate.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ def autogenerated_notice():
     return '\n'.join(s)
 
 
-def gen_setup(config, relative_path, setup_script_name):
+def gen_setup(config, default_build_type, relative_path, setup_script_name):
     """
     Generate setup script.
     """
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def gen_setup(config, relative_path, setup_script_name):
         rest = ' '.join(opt.split()[1:]).strip()
         options.append([first, rest])
 
-    options.append(['--type=<TYPE>', 'Set the CMake build type (debug, release, or relwithdeb) [default: release].'])
+    options.append(['--type=<TYPE>', 'Set the CMake build type (debug, release, relwithdebinfo, minsizerel) [default: {0}].'.format(default_build_type)])
     options.append(['--generator=<STRING>', 'Set the CMake build system generator [default: Unix Makefiles].'])
     options.append(['--show', 'Show CMake command and exit.'])
     options.append(['--cmake-executable=<CMAKE_EXECUTABLE>', 'Set the CMake executable [default: cmake].'])
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ def gen_setup(config, relative_path, setup_script_name):
     return s
 
 
-def gen_cmakelists(project_name, min_cmake_version, relative_path, modules):
+def gen_cmakelists(project_name, min_cmake_version, default_build_type, relative_path, modules):
     """
     Generate CMakeLists.txt.
     """
@@ -137,9 +137,14 @@ def gen_cmakelists(project_name, min_cmake_version, relative_path, modules):
     s.append('\n# do not rebuild if rules (compiler flags) change')
     s.append('set(CMAKE_SKIP_RULE_DEPENDENCY TRUE)')
 
+    build_type_capitalized = {'debug': 'Debug',
+                              'release': 'Release',
+                              'relwithdebinfo': 'RelWithDebInfo',
+                              'minsizerel': 'MinSizeRel'}
+
     s.append('\n# if CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE undefined, we set it to Debug')
     s.append('if(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)')
-    s.append('    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Debug")')
+    s.append('    set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "{0}")'.format(build_type_capitalized[default_build_type]))
     s.append('endif()')
 
     if len(modules) > 0:
diff --git a/test/boost_header_only/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/boost_header_only/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 3b319b1..7ab720b 100644
--- a/test/boost_header_only/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/boost_header_only/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/boost_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/boost_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 43f5d47..0ae1ebe 100644
--- a/test/boost_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/boost_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/cxx/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/cxx/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 5bfe461..7b24802 100644
--- a/test/cxx/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/cxx/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/cxx_accelerate/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/cxx_accelerate/cmake/autocmake.yml
index c2fccf4..e3d429a 100644
--- a/test/cxx_accelerate/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/cxx_accelerate/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/cxx_cblas/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/cxx_cblas/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 6df6437..567009e 100644
--- a/test/cxx_cblas/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/cxx_cblas/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/extra_cmake_options/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/extra_cmake_options/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 5bfe461..7b24802 100644
--- a/test/extra_cmake_options/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/extra_cmake_options/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 7d2318c..0bca6cf 100644
--- a/test/fc/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc_blas/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc_blas/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 0ed452b..1f390cf 100644
--- a/test/fc_blas/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc_blas/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc_git_info/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc_git_info/cmake/autocmake.yml
index af54162..5fb3b29 100644
--- a/test/fc_git_info/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc_git_info/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc_int64/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc_int64/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 0cc3d23..3d8f5f3 100644
--- a/test/fc_int64/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc_int64/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc_lapack/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc_lapack/cmake/autocmake.yml
index fa696e5..914522e 100644
--- a/test/fc_lapack/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc_lapack/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/fc_omp/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/fc_omp/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 09596a6..e45bdeb 100644
--- a/test/fc_omp/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/fc_omp/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - fc:
   - source: ../../../modules/fc.cmake
diff --git a/test/python_interpreter/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/python_interpreter/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 560fd7e..7cc0d91 100644
--- a/test/python_interpreter/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/python_interpreter/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/python_interpreter_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/python_interpreter_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 1bb701d..c547d70 100644
--- a/test/python_interpreter_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/python_interpreter_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/python_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/python_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 560fd7e..7cc0d91 100644
--- a/test/python_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/python_libs/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/test/python_libs_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml b/test/python_libs_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
index 560fd7e..7cc0d91 100644
--- a/test/python_libs_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
+++ b/test/python_libs_custom/cmake/autocmake.yml
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 name: example
 min_cmake_version: 2.8
+default_build_type: debug
 modules:
 - cxx:
   - source: ../../../modules/cxx.cmake
diff --git a/update.py b/update.py
index 9508edd..e0d2f1a 100644
--- a/update.py
+++ b/update.py
@@ -147,6 +147,12 @@ def process_yaml(argv):
         sys.stderr.write("ERROR: you have to specify min_cmake_version in autocmake.yml\n")
         sys.exit(-1)
 
+    if 'default_build_type' in config:
+        default_build_type = config['default_build_type'].lower()
+    else:
+        sys.stderr.write("ERROR: you have to specify default_build_type in autocmake.yml\n")
+        sys.exit(-1)
+
     if 'setup_script' in config:
         setup_script_name = config['setup_script']
     else:
@@ -173,13 +179,13 @@ def process_yaml(argv):
 
     # create CMakeLists.txt
     print('- generating CMakeLists.txt')
-    s = gen_cmakelists(project_name, min_cmake_version, relative_path, modules)
+    s = gen_cmakelists(project_name, min_cmake_version, default_build_type, relative_path, modules)
     with open(os.path.join(project_root, 'CMakeLists.txt'), 'w') as f:
         f.write('{0}\n'.format('\n'.join(s)))
 
     # create setup script
     print('- generating setup script')
-    s = gen_setup(cleaned_config, relative_path, setup_script_name)
+    s = gen_setup(cleaned_config, default_build_type, relative_path, setup_script_name)
     file_path = os.path.join(project_root, setup_script_name)
     with open(file_path, 'w') as f:
         f.write('{0}\n'.format('\n'.join(s)))