diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 864ce9f..72da122 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -119,14 +119,16 @@ i: install ## Shortcut for install
 
 # Native binary via Spinel (optional)
 SPINEL ?= spinel
-NATIVE  = dist/try
+SPINEL_FLAGS ?= -O s
+NATIVE = dist/try
 
 .PHONY: native native-test
 native: $(NATIVE)
 
 $(NATIVE): try.rb lib/tui.rb lib/fuzzy.rb
 	mkdir -p dist
-	$(SPINEL) try.rb -o $(NATIVE)
+	$(SPINEL) $(SPINEL_FLAGS) try.rb -o $(NATIVE)
+	strip $(NATIVE)
 
 native-test: $(NATIVE)
 	bash spec/tests/runner.sh $(NATIVE)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aa06a44..4eb0e66 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ echo '~/.local/try.rb init ~/src/tries | source' >> ~/.config/fish/config.fish
 Compile a native `try` with [Spinel](https://github.com/matz/spinel). Build Spinel from source; [PR 3906](https://github.com/matz/spinel/pull/3906) is required so `IO#tty?` / `#winsize` work on handles that are not statically typed IO.
 
 ```bash
-make native SPINEL=/path/to/spinel
+make native SPINEL=/path/to/spinel   # -O s, then strip
 ./dist/try --help
 eval "$(./dist/try init)"   # wires the shell function to the binary, not MRI
 make native-test SPINEL=/path/to/spinel