diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 62ad390..b2f65ab 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,4 +1,2 @@
 common --enable_bzlmod --enable_workspace
 build --cxxopt='-std=c++20'
-# HIGHS requires this define or else it is about 1.5x slower
-build --copt="-DNDEBUG=0"
diff --git a/WORKSPACE b/WORKSPACE
index 0061802..c2af5ef 100644
--- a/WORKSPACE
+++ b/WORKSPACE
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ git_repository(
 http_archive(
     name = "highs",
     sha256 = HIGHS_SHA_256,
+    build_file = "//external:highs.BUILD",
     strip_prefix = "HiGHS-" + HIGHS_VERSION,
     urls = ["https://github.com/ERGO-Code/HiGHS/archive/refs/tags/v" + HIGHS_VERSION + ".tar.gz"],
 )
diff --git a/external/highs.BUILD b/external/highs.BUILD
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed91646
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external/highs.BUILD
@@ -0,0 +1,178 @@
+load("@bazel_skylib//rules:copy_file.bzl", "copy_file")
+load("@rules_cc//cc:defs.bzl", "cc_library", "cc_binary", "cc_test")
+
+NDEBUG_COPTS = [
+  "-DNDEBUG",
+]
+
+copy_file(
+    name = "highs-config",
+    src = "src/HConfig.h.bazel.in",
+    out = "HConfig.h",
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "config",
+    srcs = ["HConfig.h"],
+    copts = NDEBUG_COPTS,
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "highs",
+    srcs = glob([
+        "extern/filereaderlp/*.cpp",
+        "src/interfaces/highs_c_api.cpp",
+        "src/io/*.cpp",
+        "src/ipm/*.cpp",
+        "src/ipm/ipx/*.cc",
+        "src/ipm/basiclu/*.c",
+        "src/lp_data/*.cpp",
+        "src/mip/*.cpp",
+        "src/model/*.cpp",
+        "src/parallel/*.cpp",
+        "src/pdlp/*.cpp",
+        "src/pdlp/cupdlp/*.c",
+        "src/presolve/*.cpp",
+        "src/qpsolver/*.cpp",
+        "src/simplex/*.cpp",
+        "src/test/*.cpp",
+        "src/util/*.cpp",
+    ]),
+    hdrs = glob([
+        "**/*.h",
+        "src/qpsolver/*.hpp",
+        "src/Highs.h",
+        "extern/filereaderlp/*.hpp",
+        "extern/zstr/*.hpp",
+    ]),
+    copts = [
+        "-Wno-unused-variable",
+        "-Wno-unused-but-set-variable",
+    ] + NDEBUG_COPTS,
+    includes = [
+        "extern",
+        # "extern/filereaderlp",
+        # "extern/zstr",
+        "src",
+        # "src/ipm",
+        # "src/ipm/ipx",
+        # "src/ipm/basiclu",
+        # "src/lp_data",
+        # "src/mip",
+        # "src/model",
+        # "src/parallel",
+        # "src/presolve",
+        # "src/qpsolver",
+        # "src/simplex",
+        # "src/test",
+        # "src/util",
+        "bazel-bin",
+    ],
+    linkopts = ["-lpthread"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = [
+        "//:config",
+        "@zlib",
+    ],
+)
+
+cc_binary(
+    name = "call-highs-example",
+    srcs = ["examples/call_highs_from_cpp.cpp"],
+    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    deps = [
+        "//:highs",
+    ],
+)
+
+## Add tests
+copy_file(
+    name = "highs-check-config",
+    src = "check/HCheckConfig.h.bazel.in",
+    out = "HCheckConfig.h",
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "check-config",
+    srcs = ["HCheckConfig.h"],
+)
+
+cc_library(
+    name = "test_lib",
+    testonly = True,
+    srcs = [
+        "HCheckConfig.h",
+        "check/Avgas.cpp",
+        "check/TestMain.cpp",
+    ],
+    hdrs = [
+        "check/Avgas.h",
+        "check/SpecialLps.h",
+        "check/matrix_multiplication.hpp",
+        "extern/catch.hpp",
+    ],
+    copts = ["-Iextern"],
+    data = glob(["check/instances/*"]),
+    includes = ["check"],
+    deps = [
+        ":highs",
+        "//:check-config",
+    ],
+)
+
+TEST_NAMES = [
+    "TestAlienBasis",
+    "TestBasis",
+    "TestBasisSolves",
+    "TestCheckSolution",
+    "TestCrossover",
+    "TestDualize",
+    "TestEkk",
+    "TestFactor",
+    "TestFilereader",
+    "TestFreezeBasis",
+    "TestHighsGFkSolve",
+    "TestHighsHash",
+    "TestHighsHessian",
+    "TestHighsIntegers",
+    "TestHighsModel",
+    "TestHighsParallel",
+    "TestHighsRbTree",
+    "TestHotStart",
+    "TestHSet",
+    "TestICrash",
+    "TestInfo",
+    "TestIO",
+    "TestIpx",
+    "TestLogging",
+    "TestLpModification",
+    "TestLpOrientation",
+    "TestLpSolvers",
+    "TestLpValidation",
+    "TestMipSolver",
+    "TestPresolve",
+    "TestQpSolver",
+    "TestRanging",
+    "TestRays",
+    "TestSemiVariables",
+    "TestSetup",
+    "TestSort",
+    "TestSpecialLps",
+    "TestThrow",
+]
+
+[cc_test(
+    name = name,
+    srcs = ["check/%s.cpp" % name],
+    copts = [
+        "-Iextern",
+        "-Wno-unused-variable",
+        "-Wno-unused-but-set-variable",
+    ],
+    deps = [
+        ":highs",
+        ":test_lib",
+    ],
+) for name in TEST_NAMES]
diff --git a/src/simplex.cc b/src/simplex.cc
index dfadb51..cc361dd 100644
--- a/src/simplex.cc
+++ b/src/simplex.cc
@@ -316,7 +316,8 @@ void SimplexDecoder::decode_to_errors(const std::vector<uint64_t>& detections) {
     }
 
     // Get the model status
-    const HighsModelStatus& model_status = highs->getModelStatus();
+    [[maybe_unused]] const HighsModelStatus& model_status =
+        highs->getModelStatus();
     assert(model_status == HighsModelStatus::kOptimal);
   }