diff --git a/ceno_host/tests/test_elf.rs b/ceno_host/tests/test_elf.rs
index 6353a0cf9..d7ec86bc9 100644
--- a/ceno_host/tests/test_elf.rs
+++ b/ceno_host/tests/test_elf.rs
@@ -104,11 +104,19 @@ fn test_ceno_rt_io() -> Result<()> {
     let _steps = run(&mut state)?;
 
     let all_messages = messages_to_strings(&read_all_messages(&state));
-    for msg in &all_messages {
-        print!("{msg}");
+
+    if cfg!(debug_assertions) {
+        println!("Running in debug mode\n");
+        for msg in &all_messages {
+            print!("Message: {msg}");
+        }
+        assert_eq!(&all_messages[0], "📜📜📜 Hello, World!\n");
+        assert_eq!(&all_messages[1], "🌏🌍🌎\n");
+    } else {
+        println!("Running in production mode\n");
+        assert_eq!(all_messages.len(),0);
     }
-    assert_eq!(&all_messages[0], "📜📜📜 Hello, World!\n");
-    assert_eq!(&all_messages[1], "🌏🌍🌎\n");
+
     Ok(())
 }
 
diff --git a/ceno_rt/src/io.rs b/ceno_rt/src/io.rs
index 3b0e0205b..12c6536ed 100644
--- a/ceno_rt/src/io.rs
+++ b/ceno_rt/src/io.rs
@@ -74,4 +74,22 @@ mod macros {
             let _ = core::writeln!($crate::info_out(), $($arg)*);
         };
     }
+
+    #[macro_export]
+    macro_rules! debug_print {
+        ($($arg:tt)*) => {
+
+            // compiles only in debug mode
+            #[cfg(debug_assertions)]
+            {
+                let _ = core::writeln!($crate::info_out(), $($arg)*);
+            }
+
+            // compiles only in production mode
+            #[cfg(not(debug_assertions))]
+            {
+
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/examples/examples/ceno_rt_io.rs b/examples/examples/ceno_rt_io.rs
index 76988c9a2..cdc3f9b42 100644
--- a/examples/examples/ceno_rt_io.rs
+++ b/examples/examples/ceno_rt_io.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 extern crate ceno_rt;
-use ceno_rt::println;
+use ceno_rt::debug_print;
 use core::fmt::Write;
 
 fn main() {
-    println!("📜📜📜 Hello, World!");
-    println!("🌏🌍🌎");
+    debug_print!("📜📜📜 Hello, World!");
+    debug_print!("🌏🌍🌎");
 }