diff --git a/utils/api_demos/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/api_demos/CMakeLists.txt
index e88d1cb56b3414603d2871187cb947ad0f09c5fe..f6ab8ed2f02ac7e50b849d85339bace4e3ff513b 100644
--- a/utils/api_demos/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/api_demos/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.6 FATAL_ERROR)
 
+# if CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE is specified use it; otherwise set the default
+# build type to "RelWithDebInfo" ("-O2 -g" with gcc) prior to calling
+# project()
+if(DEFINED CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+  set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE} CACHE STRING "Choose build type")
+else(DEFINED CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+  set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE RelWithDebInfo CACHE STRING "Choose build type")
+endif(DEFINED CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
+
 project(api_demos CXX)
 
 add_subdirectory(../.. "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/gmsh")
diff --git a/utils/api_demos/mainCartesian.cpp b/utils/api_demos/mainCartesian.cpp
index e77968119697fd34ab3c111461a09b9dd2bb9e49..295fac89504af2dd99d238a1c5d75cbc7745a60e 100644
--- a/utils/api_demos/mainCartesian.cpp
+++ b/utils/api_demos/mainCartesian.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 // plaqueEp.stp             0.2  0.2  0.2   0.3   3
 // plaqueEpRotated.stp      0.3  0.3  0.3   0.3   3
 // jonction_collee2.stp     6    6    6     10    3
-// panneau_raidi_simple.stp 3    3    50    10    2       0
+// panneau_raidi_simple.stp 3    3    50    5     2       0
 // plaque_trouee.stp        1    1    1     2     3
 
 #include "Gmsh.h"