diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_system/targets/native_assets.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_system/targets/native_assets.dart
index 10d1cd09ecf..e2ab35de109 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_system/targets/native_assets.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_system/targets/native_assets.dart
@@ -314,8 +314,13 @@ class NativeAssets extends Target {
     );
     final int targetAndroidNdkApi =
         int.parse(environment.defines[kMinSdkVersion] ?? minSdkVersion);
+    final String? environmentBuildMode = environment.defines[kBuildMode];
+    if (environmentBuildMode == null) {
+      throw MissingDefineException(kBuildMode, name);
+    }
+    final BuildMode buildMode = BuildMode.fromCliName(environmentBuildMode);
     return buildNativeAssetsAndroid(
-      buildMode: BuildMode.debug,
+      buildMode: buildMode,
       projectUri: projectUri,
       yamlParentDirectory: environment.buildDir.uri,
       fileSystem: fileSystem,
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/build_system/targets/native_assets_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/build_system/targets/native_assets_test.dart
index 077a624abf3..ef4fc8cb08a 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/build_system/targets/native_assets_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/build_system/targets/native_assets_test.dart
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void main() {
         await createPackageConfig(androidEnvironment);
         await fileSystem.file('libfoo.so').create();
 
-        final NativeAssetsBuildRunner buildRunner = FakeNativeAssetsBuildRunner(
+        final FakeNativeAssetsBuildRunner buildRunner = FakeNativeAssetsBuildRunner(
           packagesWithNativeAssetsResult: <Package>[
             Package('foo', androidEnvironment.buildDir.uri)
           ],
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ void main() {
           ]),
         );
         await NativeAssets(buildRunner: buildRunner).build(androidEnvironment);
+        expect(buildRunner.lastBuildMode, native_assets_cli.BuildMode.release);
       },
     );
   }
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/fake_native_assets_build_runner.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/fake_native_assets_build_runner.dart
index 8797becf0bb..27d6bce3148 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/fake_native_assets_build_runner.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/isolated/fake_native_assets_build_runner.dart
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ class FakeNativeAssetsBuildRunner implements NativeAssetsBuildRunner {
   int dryRunInvocations = 0;
   int hasPackageConfigInvocations = 0;
   int packagesWithNativeAssetsInvocations = 0;
+  BuildMode? lastBuildMode;
 
   @override
   Future<native_assets_builder.BuildResult> build({
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ class FakeNativeAssetsBuildRunner implements NativeAssetsBuildRunner {
     IOSSdk? targetIOSSdk,
   }) async {
     buildInvocations++;
+    lastBuildMode = buildMode;
     return buildResult;
   }