diff --git a/tasks/build.js b/tasks/build.js
index e778bac0c5..4ba42ab908 100644
--- a/tasks/build.js
+++ b/tasks/build.js
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ function assertValidConfig(config, callback) {
       callback(new Error('Config missing "exports" array'));
       return;
     }
-    if (typeof config.compile !== 'object') {
-      callback(new Error('Config missing "compile" object'));
+    if (config.compile && typeof config.compile !== 'object') {
+      callback(new Error('Config "compile" must be an object'));
       return;
     }
     if (config.jvm && !Array.isArray(config.jvm)) {
@@ -128,6 +128,25 @@ function getDependencies(src, exports, callback) {
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * Concatenate all sources.
+ * @param {Array.<string>} paths List of paths to source files.
+ * @param {function(Error, string)} callback Called with the concatenated
+ *     output or any error.
+ */
+function concatenate(paths, callback) {
+  async.map(paths, fs.readFile, function(err, results) {
+    if (err) {
+      var msg = 'Trouble concatenating sources.  ' + err.message;
+      callback(new Error(msg));
+    } else {
+      var preamble = 'var CLOSURE_NO_DEPS = true;\n';
+      callback(null, preamble + results.join('\n'));
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Run the compiler.
  * @param {Object} config Build configuration object.
@@ -136,13 +155,19 @@ function getDependencies(src, exports, callback) {
  *     any error.
  */
 function build(config, paths, callback) {
-  log.info('ol', 'Compiling ' + paths.length + ' sources');
   var options = config.compile;
-  options.js = paths.concat(options.js || []);
-  if (config.jvm) {
-    closure.compile(options, config.jvm, callback);
+  if (!options) {
+    log.info('ol', 'No compile options found.  Concatenating ' +
+        paths.length + ' sources');
+    concatenate(paths, callback);
   } else {
-    closure.compile(options, callback);
+    log.info('ol', 'Compiling ' + paths.length + ' sources');
+    options.js = paths.concat(options.js || []);
+    if (config.jvm) {
+      closure.compile(options, config.jvm, callback);
+    } else {
+      closure.compile(options, callback);
+    }
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/tasks/readme.md b/tasks/readme.md
index ca57c7b137..720b0c0459 100644
--- a/tasks/readme.md
+++ b/tasks/readme.md
@@ -15,15 +15,17 @@ Build configuration files are JSON files that are used to determine what should
 
 **Required configuration properties**
 
- * **exports** - `Array.<string>` An array of symbol names or patterns to be exported (names that are used in your application).  For example, including `"ol.Map"` will export the map constructor.  Method names are prefixed with `#`.  So `"ol.Map#getView"` will export the map's `getView` method.  You can use a `*` at the end to match multiple names.  The pattern `"ol.Map#*"` will export all map methods.
-
- * **compile** - `Object` An object whose properties are [Closure Compiler options](https://github.com/openlayers/closure-util/blob/master/compiler-options.txt).  Property names match the option names without the `--` prefix (e.g. `"compilation_level": "ADVANCED_OPTIMIZATIONS"` would set the `--compilation_level` option).  Where an option can be specified multiple times, use an array for the value (e.g. `"externs": ["one.js", "two.js"]`).  Where an option is used as a flag, use a boolean value (e.g. `"use_types_for_optimization": true`).
+  * **exports** - `Array.<string>` An array of symbol names or patterns to be exported (names that are used in your application).  For example, including `"ol.Map"` will export the map constructor.  Method names are prefixed with `#`.  So `"ol.Map#getView"` will export the map's `getView` method.  You can use a `*` at the end to match multiple names.  The pattern `"ol.Map#*"` will export all map methods.
 
 **Optional configuration properties**
 
- * **src** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [path patterns](https://github.com/isaacs/minimatch/blob/master/README.md) for source files.  This defaults to `["src/**/*.js"]` which will match all `.js` files in the `src` directory.  To include a different set of source files, provide an array of path patterns.  Note that these patterns are `/` delimited even on Windows.
+  * **compile** - `Object` An object whose properties are [Closure Compiler options](https://github.com/openlayers/closure-util/blob/master/compiler-options.txt).  Property names match the option names without the `--` prefix (e.g. `"compilation_level": "ADVANCED_OPTIMIZATIONS"` would set the `--compilation_level` option).  Where an option can be specified multiple times, use an array for the value (e.g. `"externs": ["one.js", "two.js"]`).  Where an option is used as a flag, use a boolean value (e.g. `"use_types_for_optimization": true`).
 
- * **jvm** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [command line options](https://code.google.com/p/closure-compiler/wiki/FAQ#What_are_the_recommended_Java_VM_command-line_options?) for the compiler.  By default, the Compiler is run with `['-server', '-XX:+TieredCompilation']`.
+    If the **compile** object is not provided, the build task will generate a "debug" build of the library without any variable naming or other minification.  This is suitable for development or debugging purposes, but should not be used in production.
+
+  * **src** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [path patterns](https://github.com/isaacs/minimatch/blob/master/README.md) for source files.  This defaults to `["src/**/*.js"]` which will match all `.js` files in the `src` directory.  To include a different set of source files, provide an array of path patterns.  Note that these patterns are `/` delimited even on Windows.
+
+  * **jvm** - `Array.<string>` Optional array of [command line options](https://code.google.com/p/closure-compiler/wiki/FAQ#What_are_the_recommended_Java_VM_command-line_options?) for the compiler.  By default, the Compiler is run with `['-server', '-XX:+TieredCompilation']`.
 
 The build task generates a list of source files sorted in dependency order and passes these to the compiler.  This takes the place of the `--js` options that you would use when calling the compiler directly.  If you want to add additional source files, typically you would use the `src` array described above.  This works with sources that have `goog.require` and/or `goog.provide` calls (which are used to sort dependencies).  If you want to force the inclusion of files that don't use `goog.require` or `goog.provide`, you can use the `js` property of the `compile` object.  Paths in the `js` array will be passed to the compiler **after** all other source files.