diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6806e1bc710fc4b723812ef72f894a5430d85773..8f710fd8815a0ee52f45521f4cf3b28f89560141 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ include $(top_srcdir)/src/Makefile.subdir
 include $(top_srcdir)/tests/Makefile.subdir
 include $(top_srcdir)/doc/Makefile.subdir
 
+if USE_DEBUG
+AM_CPPFLAGS += -g
+AM_CFLAGS   += -g
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -g
+endif
+
 if USE_DARSHAN
 AM_CPPFLAGS += ${DARSHAN_CFLAGS} -DUSE_DARSHAN=1
 src_libcodes_la_SOURCES += src/workload/methods/codes-darshan-io-wrkld.c
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2e9bfdac31cfe17c096ce21c37626f108fde8a7f..9f4d05da6f8bdae58552406c0b9301fa4990e0c3 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -84,6 +84,12 @@ AC_TRY_COMPILE([#include <mpi.h>], [int ret = MPI_Init(0, (void*)0)],
 PKG_CHECK_MODULES_STATIC([ROSS], [ross], [],
                   [AC_MSG_ERROR([Could not find working ross installation via pkg-config])])
 
+# check for enable-g
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([g],[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-g],
+			[Build with GDB symbols])],
+		[use_debug=yes],[use_debug=no])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(USE_DEBUG, ["x${use_debug}" = xyes])
+
 # check for Darshan
 AC_ARG_WITH([darshan],[AS_HELP_STRING([--with-darshan],
                         [Build with the darshan workload support])],