diff --git a/build/config/BUILDCONFIG.gn b/build/config/BUILDCONFIG.gn
index 19e1985225c..462aaa5420e 100644
--- a/build/config/BUILDCONFIG.gn
+++ b/build/config/BUILDCONFIG.gn
@@ -236,6 +236,10 @@ if (is_win) {
 }
 if (is_posix) {
   _native_compiler_configs += [ "//build/config/gcc:no_exceptions" ]
+  if (is_product) {
+    _native_compiler_configs +=
+        [ "//build/config/gcc:symbol_visibility_hidden" ]
+  }
 }
 
 if (is_linux) {
diff --git a/build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn b/build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn
index d651e4ff719..52256f5dfc0 100644
--- a/build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn
+++ b/build/config/compiler/BUILD.gn
@@ -75,10 +75,13 @@ config("compiler") {
       # so we do so here. Normal function visibility is controlled by
       # //build/config/gcc:symbol_visibility_hidden.
       "-fvisibility-inlines-hidden",
-
-      # We need the frame pointer for CPU and heap profiling.
-      "-fno-omit-frame-pointer",
     ]
+    if (!is_product) {
+      common_flags += [
+        # We need the frame pointer for CPU and heap profiling.
+        "-fno-omit-frame-pointer",
+      ]
+    }
     cflags_cc += common_flags
     cflags_objcc += common_flags
 
diff --git a/runtime/BUILD.gn b/runtime/BUILD.gn
index f5c13e9615d..f813be13bc5 100644
--- a/runtime/BUILD.gn
+++ b/runtime/BUILD.gn
@@ -4,35 +4,6 @@
 
 import("runtime_args.gni")
 
-declare_args() {
-  # Instead of using is_debug, we introduce a different flag for specifying a
-  # Debug build of Dart so that clients can still use a Release build of Dart
-  # while themselves doing a Debug build.
-  dart_debug = false
-
-  # Set the runtime mode. This affects how the runtime is built and what
-  # features it has. Valid values are:
-  # 'develop' (the default) - VM is built to run as a JIT with all development
-  # features enabled.
-  # 'profile' - The VM is built to run with AOT compiled code with only the
-  # CPU profiling features enabled.
-  # 'release' - The VM is built to run with AOT compiled code with no developer
-  # features enabled.
-  #
-  # These settings are only used for Flutter, at the moment. A standalone build
-  # of the Dart VM should leave this set to "develop", and should set
-  # 'is_debug', 'is_release', or 'is_product'.
-  dart_runtime_mode = "develop"
-
-  # Explicitly set the target architecture in case of precompilation. Leaving
-  # this unspecified results in automatic target architecture detection.
-  # Available options are: arm, arm64, x64, and ia32
-  dart_target_arch = ""
-
-  # The optimization level to use for debug builds.
-  dart_debug_optimization_level = "2"
-}
-
 config("dart_public_config") {
   include_dirs = [ "." ]
 }
diff --git a/runtime/bin/BUILD.gn b/runtime/bin/BUILD.gn
index 77377779842..8de7a1b0a8c 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/BUILD.gn
+++ b/runtime/bin/BUILD.gn
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ template("dart_executable") {
     if (is_fuchsia) {
       configs -= [ "//build/config:symbol_visibility_hidden" ]
     }
-    if (defined(is_fuchsia_host) && is_fuchsia_host) {
+    if (is_fuchsia_host) {
       # We already have these in the standalone build, but Fuchsia doesn't
       # have them. They are needed for running Fuchsia binaries built for the
       # host.
@@ -631,7 +631,6 @@ template("dart_executable") {
     }
 
     deps = [
-             ":gen_resources_cc",
              ":standalone_dart_io",
              ":libdart_builtin",
              "$dart_zlib_path",
@@ -651,7 +650,6 @@ template("dart_executable") {
                 "snapshot_utils.h",
                 "vmservice_impl.cc",
                 "vmservice_impl.h",
-                "$target_gen_dir/resources_gen.cc",
               ] + extra_sources
 
     include_dirs = [
@@ -662,7 +660,9 @@ template("dart_executable") {
     if (is_win) {
       ldflags = [ "/EXPORT:Dart_True" ]
     } else {
-      ldflags = [ "-rdynamic" ]
+      if (dart_runtime_mode != "release") {
+        ldflags = [ "-rdynamic" ]
+      }
     }
 
     if (is_win) {
@@ -685,29 +685,39 @@ dart_executable("dart") {
   extra_deps = [
     "..:libdart_jit",
     ":dart_snapshot_cc",
-    "../observatory:standalone_observatory_archive",
+    ":gen_resources_cc",
   ]
+  if (dart_runtime_mode != "release") {
+    extra_deps += [ "../observatory:standalone_observatory_archive" ]
+  }
   extra_sources = [
     "builtin_nolib.cc",
     "dfe.cc",
     "dfe.h",
     "loader.cc",
     "loader.h",
+    "$target_gen_dir/resources_gen.cc",
   ]
+  if (dart_runtime_mode == "release") {
+    extra_sources += [ "observatory_assets_empty.cc" ]
+  }
 }
 
 dart_executable("dart_precompiled_runtime") {
   extra_configs = [ "..:dart_precompiled_runtime_config" ]
-  extra_deps = [
-    "..:libdart_precompiled_runtime",
-    "../observatory:standalone_observatory_archive",
-  ]
+  extra_deps = [ "..:libdart_precompiled_runtime" ]
+  if (dart_runtime_mode != "release") {
+    extra_deps += [ "../observatory:standalone_observatory_archive" ]
+  }
   extra_sources = [
     "builtin_nolib.cc",
     "snapshot_empty.cc",
     "loader.cc",
     "loader.h",
   ]
+  if (dart_runtime_mode == "release") {
+    extra_sources += [ "observatory_assets_empty.cc" ]
+  }
 }
 
 dart_executable("dart_bootstrap") {
@@ -716,21 +726,22 @@ dart_executable("dart_bootstrap") {
     "..:dart_no_snapshot_config",
   ]
   extra_deps = [
+    ":gen_resources_cc",
+    ":generate_blink_cc_file",
     ":generate_builtin_cc_file",
-    ":generate_io_cc_file",
-    ":generate_io_patch_cc_file",
+    ":generate_cached_patches_cc_file",
     ":generate_html_cc_file",
     ":generate_html_common_cc_file",
+    ":generate_indexed_db_cc_file",
+    ":generate_io_cc_file",
+    ":generate_io_patch_cc_file",
     ":generate_js_cc_file",
     ":generate_js_util_cc_file",
-    ":generate_blink_cc_file",
-    ":generate_indexed_db_cc_file",
-    ":generate_cached_patches_cc_file",
-    ":generate_web_gl_cc_file",
     ":generate_metadata_cc_file",
-    ":generate_web_sql_cc_file",
     ":generate_svg_cc_file",
     ":generate_web_audio_cc_file",
+    ":generate_web_gl_cc_file",
+    ":generate_web_sql_cc_file",
     "..:libdart_nosnapshot_with_precompiler",
   ]
   extra_defines = [ "NO_OBSERVATORY" ]
@@ -745,21 +756,22 @@ dart_executable("dart_bootstrap") {
     "snapshot_empty.cc",
 
     # Include generated source files.
+    "$target_gen_dir/blink_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/builtin_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/cached_patches_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/html_common_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/html_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/indexed_db_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/io_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/io_patch_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/html_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/html_common_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/js_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/js_util_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/blink_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/indexed_db_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/cached_patches_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/web_gl_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/metadata_gen.cc",
-    "$target_gen_dir/web_sql_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/resources_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/svg_gen.cc",
     "$target_gen_dir/web_audio_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/web_gl_gen.cc",
+    "$target_gen_dir/web_sql_gen.cc",
   ]
 }
 
diff --git a/runtime/bin/vmservice_impl.cc b/runtime/bin/vmservice_impl.cc
index 6a5cfccf7d1..82968c3ae45 100644
--- a/runtime/bin/vmservice_impl.cc
+++ b/runtime/bin/vmservice_impl.cc
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@ struct ResourcesEntry {
   int length_;
 };
 
+#if defined(DART_PRECOMPILED_RUNTIME)
+ResourcesEntry __service_bin_resources_[] = {{NULL, NULL, 0}};
+#else
 extern ResourcesEntry __service_bin_resources_[];
+#endif
 
 class Resources {
  public:
diff --git a/runtime/runtime_args.gni b/runtime/runtime_args.gni
index 750c2b4346b..d3f4710abf2 100644
--- a/runtime/runtime_args.gni
+++ b/runtime/runtime_args.gni
@@ -3,6 +3,38 @@
 # BSD-style license that can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
 declare_args() {
+  # Instead of using is_debug, we introduce a different flag for specifying a
+  # Debug build of Dart so that clients can still use a Release build of Dart
+  # while themselves doing a Debug build.
+  dart_debug = false
+
+  # Set the runtime mode. This affects how the runtime is built and what
+  # features it has. Valid values are:
+  # 'develop' (the default) - VM is built to run as a JIT with all development
+  # features enabled.
+  # 'profile' - The VM is built to run with AOT compiled code with only the
+  # CPU profiling features enabled.
+  # 'release' - The VM is built to run with AOT compiled code with no developer
+  # features enabled.
+  #
+  # These settings are only used for Flutter, at the moment. A standalone build
+  # of the Dart VM should leave this set to "develop", and should set
+  # 'is_debug', 'is_release', or 'is_product'.
+  #
+  # TODO(rmacnak): dart_runtime_mode no longer selects whether libdart is build
+  # for JIT or AOT, since libdart waw split into libdart_jit and
+  # libdart_precompiled_runtime. We should remove this flag and just set
+  # dart_debug/dart_product.
+  dart_runtime_mode = "develop"
+
+  # Explicitly set the target architecture in case of precompilation. Leaving
+  # this unspecified results in automatic target architecture detection.
+  # Available options are: arm, arm64, x64, ia32, and dbc.
+  dart_target_arch = ""
+
+  # The optimization level to use for debug builds.
+  dart_debug_optimization_level = "2"
+
   # Whether to fall back to built-in root certificates when they cannot be
   # verified at the operating system level.
   dart_use_fallback_root_certificates = false
diff --git a/third_party/tcmalloc/BUILD.gn b/third_party/tcmalloc/BUILD.gn
index 09d69a982ab..c1b9f102ed4 100644
--- a/third_party/tcmalloc/BUILD.gn
+++ b/third_party/tcmalloc/BUILD.gn
@@ -92,9 +92,12 @@ source_set("tcmalloc") {
     "NDEBUG",
   ]
 
-  # Disable stack sampling for heap profiling in Product builds.
   if (is_product) {
+    # Disable stack sampling for heap profiling in Product builds.
     defines += [ "NO_TCMALLOC_SAMPLES" ]
+
+    # To override the C library functions, we can't hide symbols.
+    configs -= [ "//build/config/gcc:symbol_visibility_hidden" ]
   }
 
   cflags = [
diff --git a/tools/gn.py b/tools/gn.py
index 9b7fe2f96d5..5ac0bc97666 100755
--- a/tools/gn.py
+++ b/tools/gn.py
@@ -189,7 +189,10 @@ def ToGnArgs(args, mode, arch, target_os):
   # This setting is only meaningful for Flutter. Standalone builds of the VM
   # should leave this set to 'develop', which causes the build to defer to
   # 'is_debug', 'is_release' and 'is_product'.
-  gn_args['dart_runtime_mode'] = 'develop'
+  if mode == 'product':
+    gn_args['dart_runtime_mode'] = 'release'
+  else:
+    gn_args['dart_runtime_mode'] = 'develop'
 
   dont_use_clang = DontUseClang(args, gn_args['target_os'],
                                       gn_args['host_cpu'],