diff --git a/make-linux.mk b/make-linux.mk
index 5de1fbb52..5ea3a35e5 100644
--- a/make-linux.mk
+++ b/make-linux.mk
@@ -38,10 +38,13 @@ endif
 
 # "make debug" is a shortcut for this
 ifeq ($(ZT_DEBUG),1)
-	CFLAGS=-Wall -g -pthread $(INCLUDES) -DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT $(DEFS)
+#	DEFS+=-DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT 
+	CFLAGS=-Wall -g -pthread $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
 	LDFLAGS=
 	STRIP=echo
-	DEFS+=-DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT 
+	# The following line enables optimization for the crypto code, since
+	# C25519 in particular is almost UNUSABLE in heavy testing without it.
+ext/lz4/lz4.o node/Salsa20.o node/SHA512.o node/C25519.o node/Poly1305.o: CFLAGS = -Wall -O2 -ftree-vectorize -pthread $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
 else
 	CFLAGS=-Wall -O3 -fPIE -fvisibility=hidden -fstack-protector -pthread $(INCLUDES) -DNDEBUG $(DEFS)
 	LDFLAGS=-pie -Wl,-z,relro,-z,now
diff --git a/make-mac.mk b/make-mac.mk
index 1c3ed54bc..89560e8d9 100644
--- a/make-mac.mk
+++ b/make-mac.mk
@@ -24,9 +24,12 @@ DEFS+=-DZT_SALSA20_SSE
 
 # "make debug" is a shortcut for this
 ifeq ($(ZT_DEBUG),1)
-	CFLAGS=-Wall -g -pthread -DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
+#	DEFS+=-DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT 
+	CFLAGS=-Wall -g -pthread $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
 	STRIP=echo
-	DEFS+=-DZT_TRACE -DZT_LOG_STDOUT 
+	# The following line enables optimization for the crypto code, since
+	# C25519 in particular is almost UNUSABLE in heavy testing without it.
+ext/lz4/lz4.o node/Salsa20.o node/SHA512.o node/C25519.o node/Poly1305.o: CFLAGS = -Wall -O2 -ftree-vectorize -pthread $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
 else
 	CFLAGS=-arch i386 -arch x86_64 -Wall -O3 -flto -fPIE -fvectorize -fstack-protector -pthread -mmacosx-version-min=10.6 -DNDEBUG -Wno-unused-private-field $(INCLUDES) $(DEFS)
 	STRIP=strip
diff --git a/node/Peer.hpp b/node/Peer.hpp
index a24fb7b2f..ead14311d 100644
--- a/node/Peer.hpp
+++ b/node/Peer.hpp
@@ -50,7 +50,8 @@
 #include "NonCopyable.hpp"
 #include "Mutex.hpp"
 
-#define ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION 13
+// Comment out to disable peers.persist
+//#define ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION 13
 
 namespace ZeroTier {
 
@@ -404,6 +405,7 @@ public:
 		else return std::pair<InetAddress,InetAddress>();
 	}
 
+#ifdef ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
 	template<unsigned int C>
 	inline void serialize(Buffer<C> &b) const
 	{
@@ -456,6 +458,7 @@ public:
 
 		return (p - startAt);
 	}
+#endif // ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
 
 private:
 	void _announceMulticastGroups(const RuntimeEnvironment *RR,uint64_t now);
diff --git a/node/Topology.cpp b/node/Topology.cpp
index 5f8401dd0..10e5d9c72 100644
--- a/node/Topology.cpp
+++ b/node/Topology.cpp
@@ -290,6 +290,7 @@ bool Topology::authenticateRootTopology(const Dictionary &rt)
 
 void Topology::_dumpPeers()
 {
+#ifdef ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
 	Buffer<ZT_PEER_WRITE_BUF_SIZE> buf;
 	std::string pdpath(RR->homePath + ZT_PATH_SEPARATOR_S + "peers.persist");
 	Mutex::Lock _l(_activePeers_m);
@@ -335,14 +336,18 @@ void Topology::_dumpPeers()
 	}
 
 	fclose(pd);
-	Utils::lockDownFile(pdpath.c_str(),false);
 	buf.burn();
+
+	Utils::lockDownFile(pdpath.c_str(),false);
+#endif // ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
 }
 
 void Topology::_loadPeers()
 {
-	Buffer<ZT_PEER_WRITE_BUF_SIZE> buf;
 	std::string pdpath(RR->homePath + ZT_PATH_SEPARATOR_S + "peers.persist");
+
+#ifdef ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
+	Buffer<ZT_PEER_WRITE_BUF_SIZE> buf;
 	Mutex::Lock _l(_activePeers_m);
 
 	_activePeers.clear();
@@ -374,8 +379,10 @@ void Topology::_loadPeers()
 	}
 
 	fclose(pd);
-	Utils::rm(pdpath);
 	buf.burn();
+#endif // ZT_PEER_SERIALIZATION_VERSION
+
+	Utils::rm(pdpath);
 }
 
 } // namespace ZeroTier