diff --git a/.cirrus.yml b/.cirrus.yml
index 88f3c3e71319e..b2942ded3b186 100644
--- a/.cirrus.yml
+++ b/.cirrus.yml
@@ -60,10 +60,20 @@ task:
         cd $ENGINE_PATH/src/out/host_release/
         ./txt_benchmarks --benchmark_format=json > txt_benchmarks.json
         ./fml_benchmarks --benchmark_format=json > fml_benchmarks.json
+        ./fml_benchmarks --benchmark_format=json > shell_benchmarks.json
         cd $ENGINE_PATH/src/flutter/testing/benchmark
         pub get
         dart bin/parse_and_send.dart ../../../out/host_release/txt_benchmarks.json
         dart bin/parse_and_send.dart ../../../out/host_release/fml_benchmarks.json
+        dart bin/parse_and_send.dart ../../../out/host_release/shell_benchmarks.json
+    - name: build_and_test_linux_release
+      compile_host_script: |
+        cd $ENGINE_PATH/src
+        ./flutter/tools/gn --runtime-mode=release
+        ninja -C out/host_release
+      test_host_script: |
+        cd $ENGINE_PATH/src
+        ./flutter/testing/run_tests.sh host_release
     - name: build_and_test_linux_unopt_debug
       compile_host_script: |
         cd $ENGINE_PATH/src
diff --git a/flutter_frontend_server/test/to_string_test.dart b/flutter_frontend_server/test/to_string_test.dart
index 3ee7570973a67..406d595716a71 100644
--- a/flutter_frontend_server/test/to_string_test.dart
+++ b/flutter_frontend_server/test/to_string_test.dart
@@ -270,9 +270,13 @@ void main(List<String> args) async {
       ]));
       final ProcessResult runResult = Process.runSync(dart, <String>[regularDill]);
       _checkProcessResult(runResult);
+      String paintString = '"Paint.toString":"Paint(Color(0xffffffff))"';
+      if (const bool.fromEnvironment('dart.vm.product', defaultValue: false)) {
+        paintString = '"Paint.toString":"Instance of \'Paint\'"';
+      }
       expect(
         runResult.stdout.trim(),
-        '{"Paint.toString":"Paint(Color(0xffffffff))",'
+        '{$paintString,'
          '"Brightness.toString":"Brightness.dark",'
          '"Foo.toString":"I am a Foo",'
          '"Keep.toString":"I am a Keep"}',
diff --git a/shell/common/shell_unittests.cc b/shell/common/shell_unittests.cc
index 8a7bd5d51dcea..c9c1345541fcc 100644
--- a/shell/common/shell_unittests.cc
+++ b/shell/common/shell_unittests.cc
@@ -270,21 +270,19 @@ TEST_F(ShellTest, BlacklistedDartVMFlag) {
       fml::CommandLine::Option("dart-flags", "--verify_after_gc")};
   fml::CommandLine command_line("", options, std::vector<std::string>());
 
-#if !FLUTTER_RELEASE
   // Upon encountering a non-whitelisted Dart flag the process terminates.
   const char* expected =
       "Encountered blacklisted Dart VM flag: --verify_after_gc";
   ASSERT_DEATH(flutter::SettingsFromCommandLine(command_line), expected);
-#else
-  flutter::Settings settings = flutter::SettingsFromCommandLine(command_line);
-  EXPECT_EQ(settings.dart_flags.size(), 0u);
-#endif
 }
 
 TEST_F(ShellTest, WhitelistedDartVMFlag) {
   const std::vector<fml::CommandLine::Option> options = {
-      fml::CommandLine::Option("dart-flags",
-                               "--max_profile_depth 1,--random_seed 42")};
+#if !FLUTTER_RELEASE
+    fml::CommandLine::Option("dart-flags",
+                             "--max_profile_depth 1,--random_seed 42")
+#endif
+  };
   fml::CommandLine command_line("", options, std::vector<std::string>());
   flutter::Settings settings = flutter::SettingsFromCommandLine(command_line);
 
diff --git a/testing/run_tests.py b/testing/run_tests.py
index 083117458d448..68abca30b37de 100755
--- a/testing/run_tests.py
+++ b/testing/run_tests.py
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ def main():
   if 'benchmarks' in types and not IsWindows():
     RunEngineBenchmarks(build_dir, engine_filter)
 
-  if 'engine' in types or 'font-subset' in types:
+  if ('engine' in types or 'font-subset' in types) and args.variant != 'host_release':
     RunCmd(['python', 'test.py'], cwd=font_subset_dir)