diff --git a/WINGs/Examples/Makefile.am b/WINGs/Examples/Makefile.am
index 877f233e..924d3782 100644
--- a/WINGs/Examples/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/Examples/Makefile.am
@@ -26,4 +26,4 @@ server_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/WINGs/libWUtil.la @LIBRARY_SEARCH_PATH@ @INTLIBS@
 
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/WINGs -I$(top_srcdir)/wrlib -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
-	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@ -DDEBUG
+	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@
diff --git a/WINGs/Extras/Makefile.am b/WINGs/Extras/Makefile.am
index ef2b9efd..f1dc17f7 100644
--- a/WINGs/Extras/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/Extras/Makefile.am
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ libExtraWINGs_la_SOURCES = 	\
 	wtabledelegates.h 
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/wrlib -I$(top_srcdir)/WINGs \
-	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@ -DDEBUG
+	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@
 
 LDADD= $(top_builddir)/WINGs/libWINGs.la $(top_builddir)/wrlib/libwraster.la \
 	$(top_builddir)/WINGs/libWUtil.la \
diff --git a/WINGs/Makefile.am b/WINGs/Makefile.am
index 8a904ffe..8792ae6f 100644
--- a/WINGs/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/Makefile.am
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ libWUtil_la_SOURCES = 	\
 	wutil.c
 
 
-AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(NLSDIR)\" -DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" -DDEBUG
+AM_CPPFLAGS = -DLOCALEDIR=\"$(NLSDIR)\" -DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\"
 AM_CFLAGS =
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/WINGs/WINGs -I$(top_srcdir)/wrlib -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
diff --git a/WINGs/Tests/Makefile.am b/WINGs/Tests/Makefile.am
index 54c90ffc..26091716 100644
--- a/WINGs/Tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/WINGs/Tests/Makefile.am
@@ -17,6 +17,4 @@ wtest_DEPENDENCIES = $(top_builddir)/WINGs/libWINGs.la
 EXTRA_DIST = logo.xpm upbtn.xpm wm.html wm.png
 
 INCLUDES = -I$(top_srcdir)/WINGs -I$(top_srcdir)/wrlib -I$(top_srcdir)/src \
-	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @XFTFLAGS@ @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@ \
-	-DDEBUG
-	
+	-DRESOURCE_PATH=\"$(datadir)/WINGs\" @XFTFLAGS@ @HEADER_SEARCH_PATH@
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index ddec7309..c55a5c58 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -73,6 +73,20 @@ AC_PROG_LN_S
 AC_PROG_GCC_TRADITIONAL
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
+
+dnl Debugging Options
+dnl =================
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug,
+    [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug], [enable debugging options, @<:@default=no@:>@])],
+    [AS_CASE(["$enableval"],
+        [yes], [debug=yes],
+        [no],  [debug=no],
+        [AC_MSG_ERROR([bad value $enableval for --enable-debug])] )],
+    [debug=no])
+AS_IF([test "x$debug" = "xyes"],
+    [CFLAGS="-g -O0 -DDEBUG"])
+
+
 AX_CFLAGS_GCC_OPTION(-Wall)
 AX_CFLAGS_GCC_OPTION(-Wextra -Wno-sign-compare -Wno-unused-parameter)
 
@@ -94,7 +108,7 @@ case "${host}" in
 	;;
 	*-*-openbsd*)
 		WM_OSDEP="bsd"
-	CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DOPENBSD"
+	        CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DOPENBSD"
 	;;
 	*-*-dragonfly*)
 		WM_OSDEP="bsd"
@@ -901,6 +915,7 @@ dnl echo "Supported languages beside English  : $languages"
 if test "x$MOFILES" != "x"; then
 	echo "Installation path for translations  : $NLSDIR" | sed -e 's|\$(prefix)|'"$prefix|"
 fi
+AS_IF([test "x$debug" = "xyes"], [echo "Debug information enabled           : $debug"])
 echo
 
 dnl WM_PRINT_REDCRAP_BUG_STATUS