diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e474a0f..9de9e60 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@ Skills compose by adoption-list order (`10123`) and trigger tags carry runtime e
 
 Didactyl will support local inference, which is very privacy preserving. Remote inference does however have it's advantages, and in those cases Didactyl supports using Bitcoin Lightning and eCash inference providers.
 
-## Current Status — v0.2.18
+## Current Status — v0.2.19
 
 **Active build — this project is barely working. Experiment at your own risk.**
 
-> Last release update: v0.2.18 — Add Python test harness and harden increment/push script for git identity and SSH remote handling
+> Last release update: v0.2.19 — Default test harness execution to build_static debug binary and add skip-build override flag
 
 - Connects to configured relays with auto-reconnect and relay state transition logging
 - Publishes configured startup events per relay as each relay becomes connected
diff --git a/src/main.h b/src/main.h
index 2071264..8c0a89f 100644
--- a/src/main.h
+++ b/src/main.h
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 // Using DIDACTYL_ prefix to avoid conflicts with nostr_core_lib VERSION macros
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MAJOR 0
 #define DIDACTYL_VERSION_MINOR 2
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 18
-#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.2.18"
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION_PATCH 19
+#define DIDACTYL_VERSION "v0.2.19"
 
 // Agent metadata
 #define DIDACTYL_NAME "Didactyl"
diff --git a/tests/__pycache__/run_tests.cpython-313.pyc b/tests/__pycache__/run_tests.cpython-313.pyc
index 7f78d71..a4db845 100644
Binary files a/tests/__pycache__/run_tests.cpython-313.pyc and b/tests/__pycache__/run_tests.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/tests/run_tests.py b/tests/run_tests.py
index 028629d..bc669c6 100755
--- a/tests/run_tests.py
+++ b/tests/run_tests.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
 import datetime as dt
+import subprocess
 import sys
 from pathlib import Path
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ from tests.harness.test_runner import TestRunner
 def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description="Didactyl automated test harness")
     parser.add_argument("--config", default="tests/configs/test_genesis.jsonc")
-    parser.add_argument("--binary", default="./didactyl")
+    parser.add_argument("--binary", default=None, help="Path to didactyl binary; if omitted, build_static --debug is used")
     parser.add_argument("--suite", action="append", help="Run only this suite (repeatable)")
     parser.add_argument("--test", action="append", help="Run only this test name (repeatable)")
     parser.add_argument("--api-port", type=int, default=8485)
@@ -30,9 +31,33 @@ def parse_args() -> argparse.Namespace:
     parser.add_argument("--output-dir", default=None)
     parser.add_argument("--verbose", action="store_true")
     parser.add_argument("--no-restart", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        "--skip-build-static-debug",
+        action="store_true",
+        help="Do not invoke ./build_static.sh --debug before running",
+    )
     return parser.parse_args()
 
 
+def build_static_debug_binary() -> None:
+    cmd = ["./build_static.sh", "--debug"]
+    print("Building debug static binary via ./build_static.sh --debug ...")
+    subprocess.run(cmd, check=True)
+
+
+def resolve_default_debug_binary() -> Path:
+    candidates = [
+        Path("./didactyl_static_x86_64_debug"),
+        Path("./didactyl_static_arm64_debug"),
+        Path("./didactyl_static_armv7_debug"),
+        Path("./didactyl_static_armv6_debug"),
+    ]
+    existing = [p for p in candidates if p.exists() and p.is_file()]
+    if existing:
+        return existing[0]
+    return Path("./didactyl_static_x86_64_debug")
+
+
 def main() -> int:
     args = parse_args()
 
@@ -40,9 +65,17 @@ def main() -> int:
     output_dir = args.output_dir or f"tests/results/{run_ts}"
     Path(output_dir).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
 
-    binary = Path(args.binary)
+    if not args.skip_build_static_debug:
+        try:
+            build_static_debug_binary()
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as exc:
+            print(f"build_static debug build failed with exit code {exc.returncode}")
+            return 2
+
+    binary = Path(args.binary) if args.binary else resolve_default_debug_binary()
     if not binary.exists():
         print(f"didactyl binary not found: {binary}")
+        print("Pass --binary <path> or run ./build_static.sh --debug")
         return 2
 
     config = Path(args.config)