diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index d1d925f8b82a8a52dee4d57494dcb3f4cbe388ec..c56ce92b75319a9896655a55fabb482aeccc051f 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ endif
 
 GLUON_LANGS ?= en
 
-export GLUON_RELEASE GLUON_ATH10K_MESH GLUON_REGION
+export GLUON_RELEASE GLUON_ATH10K_MESH GLUON_REGION GLUON_DEBUG
 
 
 update: FORCE
diff --git a/targets/generic b/targets/generic
index 5c62cd6c40912fc4344f0ac9c59b0119dbe9d65c..acc19ba132b2c0d0562f10289ad1994a87ae0d61 100644
--- a/targets/generic
+++ b/targets/generic
@@ -12,3 +12,11 @@ config 'CONFIG_LUCI_SRCDIET=y'
 
 config 'CONFIG_TARGET_MULTI_PROFILE=y'
 config 'CONFIG_TARGET_PER_DEVICE_ROOTFS=y'
+
+if [ "$GLUON_DEBUG" ]
+then
+	config 'CONFIG_DEBUG=y'
+	config 'CONFIG_NO_STRIP=y'
+	config '# CONFIG_USE_STRIP is not set'
+	config '# CONFIG_USE_SSTRIP is not set'
+fi