diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/_platform_io.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/_platform_io.dart
index d7750c08b20..7fd4f35ff7a 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/_platform_io.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/_platform_io.dart
@@ -4,11 +4,13 @@
 
 import 'dart:io';
 import 'assertions.dart';
+import 'constants.dart';
 import 'platform.dart' as platform;
 
 export 'platform.dart' show TargetPlatform;
 
 /// The dart:io implementation of [platform.defaultTargetPlatform].
+@pragma('vm:platform-const-if', !kDebugMode)
 platform.TargetPlatform get defaultTargetPlatform {
   platform.TargetPlatform? result;
   if (Platform.isAndroid) {
@@ -30,7 +32,7 @@ platform.TargetPlatform get defaultTargetPlatform {
     }
     return true;
   }());
-  if (platform.debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride != null) {
+  if (kDebugMode && platform.debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride != null) {
     result = platform.debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride;
   }
   if (result == null) {
diff --git a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
index 60d90b22d77..b1905aea1a9 100644
--- a/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter/lib/src/foundation/platform.dart
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 import '_platform_io.dart'
   if (dart.library.js_util) '_platform_web.dart' as platform;
+import 'assertions.dart';
+import 'constants.dart';
 
 /// The [TargetPlatform] that matches the platform on which the framework is
 /// currently executing.
@@ -22,7 +24,7 @@ import '_platform_io.dart'
 /// originally written assuming Android-like behavior, and we added platform
 /// adaptations for iOS later). Tests can check iOS behavior by using the
 /// platform override APIs (such as [ThemeData.platform] in the material
-/// library) or by setting [debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride].
+/// library) or by setting [debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride] in debug builds.
 ///
 /// Tests can also create specific platform tests by and adding a `variant:`
 /// argument to the test and using a [TargetPlatformVariant].
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@ import '_platform_io.dart'
 // that would mean we'd be stuck with that platform forever emulating the other,
 // and we'd never be able to introduce dedicated behavior for that platform
 // (since doing so would be a big breaking change).
+@pragma('vm:platform-const-if', !kDebugMode)
 TargetPlatform get defaultTargetPlatform => platform.defaultTargetPlatform;
 
 /// The platform that user interaction should adapt to target.
@@ -76,7 +79,7 @@ enum TargetPlatform {
   windows,
 }
 
-/// Override the [defaultTargetPlatform].
+/// Override the [defaultTargetPlatform] in debug builds.
 ///
 /// Setting this to null returns the [defaultTargetPlatform] to its original
 /// value (based on the actual current platform).
@@ -94,5 +97,16 @@ enum TargetPlatform {
 /// certainly widgets to work assuming the presence of a system-wide back
 /// button, which will make those widgets unusable since iOS has no such button.
 ///
-/// In general, therefore, this property should not be used in release builds.
-TargetPlatform? debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride;
+/// Attempting to override this property in non-debug builds causes an error.
+TargetPlatform? get debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride =>
+    _debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride;
+
+set debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride(TargetPlatform? value) {
+  if (!kDebugMode) {
+    throw FlutterError(
+      'Cannot modify debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride in non-debug builds.');
+  }
+  _debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride = value;
+}
+
+TargetPlatform? _debugDefaultTargetPlatformOverride;