diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index ab2f17cf6ab2..376a9f236d34 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -455,6 +455,7 @@ build:windows --copt="-DCURL_STATICLIB"
 build:msvc-cl --action_env=USE_CLANG_CL=""
 build:msvc-cl --define clang_cl=0
 build:msvc-cl --features=-determinism
+build:msvc-cl --copt=-DNDEBUG
 
 # Windows build behaviors when using clang-cl
 build:clang-cl --action_env=USE_CLANG_CL=1
diff --git a/source/common/common/debug_recursion_checker.h b/source/common/common/debug_recursion_checker.h
index 437029db4415..4c5816e5d0f8 100644
--- a/source/common/common/debug_recursion_checker.h
+++ b/source/common/common/debug_recursion_checker.h
@@ -10,15 +10,19 @@ namespace Common {
 class DebugRecursionChecker {
 public:
   void enter() {
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB DebugRecursionChecker::enter" << std::endl;
     ASSERT(!entered_, "A resource should only be entered once");
 #if !defined(NDEBUG)
     entered_ = true;
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB DebugRecursionChecker::enter set entered_=true" << std::endl;
 #endif // !defined(NDEBUG)
   }
 
   void exit() {
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB DebugRecursionChecker::exit" << std::endl;
 #if !defined(NDEBUG)
     entered_ = false;
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB DebugRecursionChecker::exit set entered_=false" << std::endl;
 #endif // !defined(NDEBUG)
   }
 
@@ -29,10 +33,14 @@ class DebugRecursionChecker {
 class AutoDebugRecursionChecker {
 public:
   explicit AutoDebugRecursionChecker(DebugRecursionChecker& checker) : checker_(checker) {
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB AutoDebugRecursionChecker::CTOR" << std::endl;
     checker.enter();
   }
 
-  ~AutoDebugRecursionChecker() { checker_.exit(); }
+  ~AutoDebugRecursionChecker() {
+    std::cerr << "==> AAB AutoDebugRecursionChecker::DTOR" << std::endl;
+    checker_.exit();
+  }
 
 private:
   DebugRecursionChecker& checker_;