diff --git a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
index 7b4600c77a..c904c85509 100644
--- a/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cmake/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ endif()
 OPTION(USERSPACE_PYTHON_PREFIX "Installs IfcPython for the current user only instead of system-wide." OFF)
 OPTION(ADD_COMMIT_SHA "Add commit sha and branch in version number, warning results in many rebuilds, requires git" OFF)
 
+IF(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+	SET(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
+ENDIF()
+
 # TODO QtViewer is deprecated ATM as it uses the 0.4 API
 # OPTION(BUILD_QTVIEWER "Build IfcOpenShell Qt GUI Viewer (requires Qt 4 framework)." OFF)
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
@@ -444,13 +448,17 @@ if(HDF5_SUPPORT)
         else()
         	set(lib_ext a)
         endif()
+
+	if ("${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" STREQUAL "Debug")
+		set(debug_postfix "_debug")
+	endif() 
         
         SET(HDF5_LIBRARIES 
-            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libhdf5_cpp.${lib_ext}"
-            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libhdf5.${lib_ext}"
-            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libz${zlib_post}.${lib_ext}"
-            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libsz.${lib_ext}"
-            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libaec.${lib_ext}"
+            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libhdf5_cpp${debug_postfix}.${lib_ext}"
+            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libhdf5${debug_postfix}.${lib_ext}"
+            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libz${zlib_post}${debug_postfix}.${lib_ext}"
+            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libsz${debug_postfix}.${lib_ext}"
+            "${HDF5_LIBRARY_DIR}/libaec${debug_postfix}.${lib_ext}"
         )
     endif()
     
@@ -470,10 +478,6 @@ if(HDF5_SUPPORT)
 	set(SWIG_DEFINES ${SWIG_DEFINES} -DWITH_HDF5)
 endif()
 
-IF(NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
-	SET(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE "Release")
-ENDIF()
-
 if(ENABLE_BUILD_OPTIMIZATIONS)
 	if(MSVC)
         # NOTE: RelWithDebInfo and Release use O2 (= /Ox /Gl /Gy/ = Og /Oi /Ot /Oy /Ob2 /Gs /GF /Gy) by default,