diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 9973fe8fe..90bce2208 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -322,6 +322,16 @@ _MY_CXX_CHECK_OPT(CFG_CXXFLAGS_PARSER,-Wno-parentheses-equality)
 _MY_CXX_CHECK_OPT(CFG_CXXFLAGS_PARSER,-Wno-unused)
 AC_SUBST(CFG_CXXFLAGS_PARSER)
 
+# Flags for compiling the debug version of Verilator (in addition to above CFG_CXXFLAGS_SRC)
+_MY_CXX_CHECK_OPT(CFG_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG,-Og)
+_MY_CXX_CHECK_OPT(CFG_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG,-ggdb)
+_MY_CXX_CHECK_OPT(CFG_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG,-gz)
+AC_SUBST(CFG_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG)
+
+# Flags for linking the debug version of Verilator (in addition to above CFG_LDFLAGS_SRC)
+_MY_LDLIBS_CHECK_OPT(CFG_LDFLAGS_DEBUG,-gz)
+AC_SUBST(CFG_LDFLAGS_DEBUG)
+
 # Flags for Verilated makefile
 # For example, -Wno-div-by-zero isn't in 4.1.2
 # Random code often does / 0.  Unfortunately VL_DIV_I(0,0) will warn
diff --git a/src/Makefile_obj.in b/src/Makefile_obj.in
index fcd977e14..5fc473131 100644
--- a/src/Makefile_obj.in
+++ b/src/Makefile_obj.in
@@ -77,13 +77,11 @@ TGT = ../../verilator_bin$(EXEEXT)
 #################
 ifeq ($(VL_DEBUG),)
 # Optimize
-COPT = -O2
+CPPFLAGS += -O2
 else
 # Debug
-COPT = -ggdb -DVL_DEBUG -D_GLIBCXX_DEBUG
-# Debug & Profile:
-#LDFLAGS += -pg -g
-#COPT = -ggdb -pg -g
+CPPFLAGS += @CFG_CXXFLAGS_DEBUG@ -DVL_DEBUG -D_GLIBCXX_DEBUG
+LDFLAGS += @CFG_LDFLAGS_DEBUG@
 endif
 #################
 
@@ -96,7 +94,6 @@ LIBS = $(CFG_LIBS) -lm
 CPPFLAGS += -MMD
 CPPFLAGS += -I. -I$(bldsrc) -I$(srcdir) -I$(incdir) -I../../include
 #CPPFLAGS += -DVL_LEAK_CHECKS 	# If running valgrind or other hunting tool
-CPPFLAGS += $(COPT)
 CPPFLAGS += -MP # Only works on recent GCC versions
 ifeq ($(CFG_WITH_CCWARN),yes)	# Local... Else don't burden users
 CPPFLAGS += -W -Wall $(CFG_CXXFLAGS_WEXTRA) $(CFG_CXXFLAGS_SRC) -Werror