diff --git a/makeEXE.sh b/makeEXE.sh
index c514681..a941bd7 100755
--- a/makeEXE.sh
+++ b/makeEXE.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #!/bin/bash 
 
+release=${1:-"NO_RELEASE"}
+
 #
 # create build dir if does not exist, cd to build, conan install and then qmake
 # 
@@ -13,11 +15,11 @@ rm -fr *.app *dmg
 #
 
 conan install .. --build missing
-status=$?
-if [[ $status != 0 ]]
+cmd_status=$?
+if [[ $cmd_status != 0 ]]
 then
     echo "PBE: conan install failed";
-    exit $status;
+    exit $cmd_status;
 fi
 
 #
@@ -26,17 +28,17 @@ fi
 
 if [ -n "$release" ] && [ "$release" = "release" ]; then
     echo "******** RELEASE BUILD *************"    
-    qmake QMAKE_CXXFLAGS+="-D_SC_RELEASE" ../PBE.pro
+    qmake QMAKE_CXXFLAGS+=-D_SC_RELEASE ../PBE.pro
 else
     echo "********* NON RELEASE BUILD ********"
     qmake ../PBE.pro
 fi
 
-status=$?
-if [[ $status != 0 ]]
+cmd_status=$?
+if [[ $cmd_status != 0 ]]
 then
     echo "PBE: qmake failed";
-    exit $status;
+    exit $cmd_status;
 fi
 
 #
@@ -45,11 +47,11 @@ fi
 
 touch ../WorkflowAppPBE.cpp
 make -j 4
-status=$?;
-if [[ $status != 0 ]]
+cmd_status=$?;
+if [[ $cmd_status != 0 ]]
 then
     echo "PBE: make failed";
-    exit $status;
+    exit $cmd_status;
 fi
 
 # copy examples