diff --git a/bitcoin-qt.pro b/bitcoin-qt.pro
index d1a7e68aa..a8f6b2d86 100644
--- a/bitcoin-qt.pro
+++ b/bitcoin-qt.pro
@@ -19,6 +19,17 @@ OBJECTS_DIR = build
 MOC_DIR = build
 UI_DIR = build
 
+# use: qmake "RELEASE=1"
+contains(RELEASE, 1) {
+    # Mac: compile for maximum compatibility (10.5, 32-bit)
+    macx:QMAKE_CXXFLAGS += -mmacosx-version-min=10.5 -arch i386 -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk
+
+    !windows:!macx {
+        # Linux: static link
+        LIBS += -Wl,-Bstatic
+    }
+}
+
 # use: qmake "USE_UPNP=1" ( enabled by default; default)
 #  or: qmake "USE_UPNP=0" (disabled by default)
 #  or: qmake "USE_UPNP=-" (not supported)
@@ -255,4 +266,11 @@ LIBS += $$join(BOOST_LIB_PATH,,-L,) $$join(BDB_LIB_PATH,,-L,) $$join(OPENSSL_LIB
 LIBS += -lssl -lcrypto -ldb_cxx$$BDB_LIB_SUFFIX
 LIBS += -lboost_system$$BOOST_LIB_SUFFIX -lboost_filesystem$$BOOST_LIB_SUFFIX -lboost_program_options$$BOOST_LIB_SUFFIX -lboost_thread$$BOOST_THREAD_LIB_SUFFIX
 
+contains(RELEASE, 1) {
+    !windows:!macx {
+        # Linux: turn dynamic linking back on for c/c++ runtime libraries
+        LIBS += -Wl,-Bdynamic
+    }
+}
+
 system($$QMAKE_LRELEASE -silent $$_PRO_FILE_)
diff --git a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
index 4e1da912d..72e40cd5a 100644
--- a/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
+++ b/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
@@ -43,6 +43,6 @@ script: |
   mkdir -p $OUTDIR/bin/$GBUILD_BITS
   install -s bitcoind $OUTDIR/bin/$GBUILD_BITS
   cd ..
-  qmake INCLUDEPATH="$INSTDIR/include" LIBS="-L$INSTDIR/lib"
+  qmake INCLUDEPATH="$INSTDIR/include" LIBS="-L$INSTDIR/lib" RELEASE=1
   make $MAKEOPTS
   install bitcoin-qt $OUTDIR/bin/$GBUILD_BITS
diff --git a/doc/release-process.txt b/doc/release-process.txt
index f0e1ca28c..4abd91389 100644
--- a/doc/release-process.txt
+++ b/doc/release-process.txt
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 * perform gitian builds
 
   * From a directory containing the bitcoin source, gitian-builder and gitian.sigs
+   export SIGNER=(your gitian key, ie bluematt, sipa, etc)
    export VERSION=0.5.0
    cd ./gitian-builder
 
@@ -42,12 +43,12 @@
 
   * Build bitcoind and bitcoin-qt on Linux32, Linux64, and Win32:
    ./bin/gbuild --commit bitcoin=v$VERSION ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
-   ./bin/gsign --signer (your gitian key, ie bluematt, sipa, etc) --release $VERSION --destination ../gitian.sigs/ ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
+   ./bin/gsign --signer $SIGNER --release $VERSION --destination ../gitian.sigs/ ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian.yml
    cd build/out
    zip bitcoin-$VERSION-linux-gitian.zip *
    mv bitcoin-$VERSION-linux-gitian.zip ../../
    ./bin/gbuild --commit bitcoin=v$VERSION ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win32.yml
-   ./bin/gsign --signer (your gitian key, ie bluematt, sipa, etc) --release $VERSION-win32 --destination ../gitian.sigs/ ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win32.yml
+   ./bin/gsign --signer $SIGNER --release $VERSION-win32 --destination ../gitian.sigs/ ../bitcoin/contrib/gitian-descriptors/gitian-win32.yml
    cd build/out
    zip bitcoin-$VERSION-win32-gitian.zip *
    mv bitcoin-$VERSION-win32-gitian.zip ../../
@@ -74,10 +75,13 @@
 
 
 * perform Mac build
+  See this blog post for how Gavin set up his build environment and
+  patched macdeployqt to build the OSX release:
+    http://gavintech.blogspot.com/2011/11/deploying-bitcoin-qt-on-osx.html
   qmake USE_SSL=1 USE_UPNP=1 bitcoin-qt.pro
   make
-  export QTDIR=/opt/local/share/qt4
-  contrib/macdeploy/macdeployqtplus Bitcoin-Qt.app -add-qt-tr de,ru -dmg -fancy contrib/macdeploy/fancy.plist  
+  export QTDIR=/opt/local/share/qt4  # needed to find translations/qt_*.qm files
+  contrib/macdeploy/macdeployqtplus Bitcoin-Qt.app -add-qt-tr de,es,ru -dmg -fancy contrib/macdeploy/fancy.plist  
 
  Build output expected:
   Bitcoin-Qt.dmg