diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-server-2019.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-server-2019.yml
index bf3ff7856b..406d303f27 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-server-2019.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-server-2019.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
         mkdir build
         cd build
         cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$TOOLCHAIN_FILE" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_CONFIGURATION=Release -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS='/Zc:__cplusplus /permissive- /EHsc' -DCMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DCMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DCMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DDOWNLOAD_NYAN=YES -DCXX_OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL=auto -DCXX_SANITIZE_FATAL=False -DCXX_SANITIZE_MODE=none -DWANT_BACKTRACE=if_available -DWANT_GPERFTOOLS_PROFILER=if_available -DWANT_GPERFTOOLS_TCMALLOC=False -DWANT_INOTIFY=if_available -DWANT_NCURSES=if_available -DWANT_OPENGL=if_available -DWANT_VULKAN=if_available -DFLEX_EXECUTABLE="$FLEX_PATH" -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 ../source
-        cmake --build . --config RelWithDebInfo -- -nologo -maxCpuCount
+        cmake --build . --config Debug -- -nologo -maxCpuCount
       shell: pwsh
     - name: Package
       run: |
diff --git a/.github/workflows/windows-server-2022.yml b/.github/workflows/windows-server-2022.yml
index a721db5a52..10a6a52c59 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/windows-server-2022.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/windows-server-2022.yml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ jobs:
         mkdir build
         cd build
         cmake -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="$TOOLCHAIN_FILE" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DCMAKE_TRY_COMPILE_CONFIGURATION=Release -DCMAKE_CXX_FLAGS='/Zc:__cplusplus /permissive- /EHsc' -DCMAKE_EXE_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DCMAKE_MODULE_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DCMAKE_SHARED_LINKER_FLAGS='' -DDOWNLOAD_NYAN=YES -DCXX_OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL=auto -DCXX_SANITIZE_FATAL=False -DCXX_SANITIZE_MODE=none -DWANT_BACKTRACE=if_available -DWANT_GPERFTOOLS_PROFILER=if_available -DWANT_GPERFTOOLS_TCMALLOC=False -DWANT_INOTIFY=if_available -DWANT_NCURSES=if_available -DWANT_OPENGL=if_available -DWANT_VULKAN=if_available -DFLEX_EXECUTABLE="$FLEX_PATH" -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 ../source
-        cmake --build . --config RelWithDebInfo -- -nologo -maxCpuCount
+        cmake --build . --config Debug -- -nologo -maxCpuCount
       shell: pwsh
     - name: Package
       run: |
diff --git a/buildsystem/HandlePythonOptions.cmake b/buildsystem/HandlePythonOptions.cmake
index ef7da71f9b..20a35f3d61 100644
--- a/buildsystem/HandlePythonOptions.cmake
+++ b/buildsystem/HandlePythonOptions.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2015-2023 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
+# Copyright 2015-2025 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
 
 # finds the python interpreter, install destination and extension flags.
 
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ if(PYTHON_VER VERSION_GREATER_EQUAL 3.8 AND PYTHON_VERSION VERSION_LESS 3.9)
 endif()
 
 set(PYEXT_LIBRARY "${PYTHON_LIBRARIES}")
+
+#Windows always uses optimized version of Python lib
+if(WIN32 AND "${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}" STREQUAL "Debug")
+	#get index of string "optimized" and increment it by 1 so index points at the path of the optimized lib
+	list (FIND PYEXT_LIBRARY "optimized" _index)
+	if (${_index} GREATER -1)
+		MATH(EXPR _index "${_index}+1")
+		list(GET PYEXT_LIBRARY ${_index} PYEXT_LIBRARY)
+		set(force_optimized_lib_flag "--force_optimized_lib")
+	endif()
+endif()
+
 set(PYEXT_INCLUDE_DIRS "${PYTHON_INCLUDE_DIRS};${NUMPY_INCLUDE_DIR}")
 
 if(NOT CMAKE_PY_INSTALL_PREFIX)
diff --git a/buildsystem/cythonize.py b/buildsystem/cythonize.py
index 9e8ba8e234..e7ac86ae6f 100755
--- a/buildsystem/cythonize.py
+++ b/buildsystem/cythonize.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 #
-# Copyright 2015-2021 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
+# Copyright 2015-2025 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
 
 """
 Runs Cython on all modules that were listed via add_cython_module.
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ def remove_if_exists(filename):
         filename.unlink()
 
 
-def cythonize_wrapper(modules, **kwargs):
+def cythonize_wrapper(modules, force_optimized_lib = False, **kwargs):
     """ Calls cythonize, filtering useless warnings """
     bin_dir, bin_modules = kwargs['build_dir'], []
     src_dir, src_modules = Path.cwd(), []
@@ -88,13 +88,59 @@ def cythonize_wrapper(modules, **kwargs):
         with redirect_stdout(cython_filter):
             if src_modules:
                 cythonize(src_modules, **kwargs)
+                if sys.platform == 'win32' and force_optimized_lib:
+                    win_use_optimized_lib_python(src_modules, bin_dir)
 
             if bin_modules:
                 os.chdir(bin_dir)
                 cythonize(bin_modules, **kwargs)
+                if sys.platform == 'win32' and force_optimized_lib:
+                    win_use_optimized_lib_python(bin_modules, bin_dir)
                 os.chdir(src_dir)
 
 
+def win_use_optimized_lib_python(modules, path):
+    """
+    Add an #ifdef statement in cythonized .cpp files to temporarily undefine _DEBUG before
+    #include "Python.h"
+
+    This function modifies the generated C++ files from Cython to prevent linking to
+    the debug version of the Python library on Windows. The debug version of the
+    Python library cannot import Python libraries that contain extension modules.
+    see: https://github.com/python/cpython/issues/127619 (To unserstand the problem)
+    see: https://stackoverflow.com/a/59566420 (To understand the soloution)
+    """
+
+    for module in modules:
+        module = str(module)
+        if path:
+            module = path + "\\" + module
+        module = module.removesuffix(".py").removesuffix(".pyx")
+        module = module + ".cpp"
+        with open(module, "r", encoding='utf8') as file:
+            text = file.read()
+            if not text.count("OPENAGE: UNDEF_DEBUG_INSERTED"):
+                text = text.replace(
+                    '#include "Python.h"',
+                    (
+                        "\n\n// OPENAGE: UNDEF_DEBUG_INSERTED\n"
+                        "// Avoid linking to the debug version of the Python library on Windows\n\n"
+                        "#ifdef _DEBUG\n"
+                        "#define _DEBUG_WAS_DEFINED\n"
+                        "#undef _DEBUG\n#endif\n"
+                        "#include \"Python.h\"\n"
+                        "#ifdef _DEBUG_WAS_DEFINED\n"
+                        "#define _DEBUG\n"
+                        "#undef _DEBUG_WAS_DEFINED\n"
+                        "#endif\n\n"
+                        "// OPENAGE: UNDEF_DEBUG_INSERTED\n\n"
+                    ),
+                    1
+                )
+        with open(module, "w", encoding='utf8') as file:
+            file.write(text)
+
+
 def main():
     """ CLI entry point """
     cli = argparse.ArgumentParser()
@@ -125,6 +171,8 @@ def main():
     ))
     cli.add_argument("--threads", type=int, default=cpu_count(),
                      help="number of compilation threads to use")
+    cli.add_argument("--force_optimized_lib", action="store_true",
+                     help= "edit compiled .cpp files to link to optimized version of python libary")
     args = cli.parse_args()
 
     # cython emits warnings on using absolute paths to modules
@@ -159,12 +207,12 @@ def main():
     # writing funny lines at the head of each file.
     cythonize_args['language'] = 'c++'
 
-    cythonize_wrapper(modules, **cythonize_args)
+    cythonize_wrapper(modules, args.force_optimized_lib, **cythonize_args)
 
     # build standalone executables that embed the py interpreter
     Options.embed = "main"
 
-    cythonize_wrapper(embedded_modules, **cythonize_args)
+    cythonize_wrapper(embedded_modules, args.force_optimized_lib, **cythonize_args)
 
     # verify depends
     from Cython.Build.Dependencies import _dep_tree
diff --git a/buildsystem/python.cmake b/buildsystem/python.cmake
index f5c4d84de5..90117baadc 100644
--- a/buildsystem/python.cmake
+++ b/buildsystem/python.cmake
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright 2014-2020 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
+# Copyright 2014-2025 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
 
 # provides macros for defining python extension modules and pxdgen sources.
 # and a 'finalize' function that must be called in the end.
@@ -393,6 +393,7 @@ function(python_finalize)
 		"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/py/cython_modules"
 		"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/py/cython_modules_embed"
 		"${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/py/pxd_list"
+		${force_optimized_lib_flag}
 		"--build-dir" "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}"
 		COMMAND "${CMAKE_COMMAND}" -E touch "${CYTHONIZE_TIMEFILE}"
 		DEPENDS
diff --git a/libopenage/util/enum.h b/libopenage/util/enum.h
index 394db95b93..c6a9b4666b 100644
--- a/libopenage/util/enum.h
+++ b/libopenage/util/enum.h
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-// Copyright 2015-2024 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
+// Copyright 2015-2025 the openage authors. See copying.md for legal info.
 
 #pragma once
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ namespace util {
  *     NumericType numeric
  */
 template <typename DerivedType, typename NumericType = int>
-class OAAPI EnumValue {
+class EnumValue {
 public:
 	constexpr EnumValue(const char *value_name, NumericType numeric_value) :
 		name(value_name), numeric(numeric_value) {}
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class OAAPI EnumValue {
  *     bool operator >=(Enum[DerivedType] other) except +
  */
 template <typename DerivedType>
-class OAAPI Enum {
+class Enum {
 	using this_type = Enum<DerivedType>;
 
 public: