diff --git a/compiler/compiler.stanza b/compiler/compiler.stanza
index ae9f5046..826bd61e 100644
--- a/compiler/compiler.stanza
+++ b/compiler/compiler.stanza
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ defn compute-build-settings (projenv:StandardProjEnv,
       ;Compute build optimization level
       val build-optimization = optimize?(settings) or optimize(s)
       ;Compute build optimization level
-      val build-debug = debug?(settings)
+      val build-debug = debug?(settings) or debug(s)
       ;Compute assembly
       val build-asm = string-or?(original-asm(settings), value?(assembly(s)))
       ;Compute output
diff --git a/compiler/proj-field-types.stanza b/compiler/proj-field-types.stanza
index c5568592..8ffb0ea9 100644
--- a/compiler/proj-field-types.stanza
+++ b/compiler/proj-field-types.stanza
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ defmethod map-fields (s:BuildStmtS0, mapper:Mapper) :
     map-field(mapper, ccfiles(s), MULTIPLE-PATHS)
     map-field(mapper, ccflags(s), MULTIPLE-FLAGS)
     map-field(mapper, flags(s), MULTIPLE-SYMBOLS)
-    optimize(s))
+    optimize(s)
+    debug(s))
 defmethod convert (s:BuildStmtS0, extractor:Extractor) :
   BuildStmt(
     name(s)
@@ -175,7 +176,8 @@ defmethod convert (s:BuildStmtS0, extractor:Extractor) :
     extract-tuple(extractor, ccfiles(s), MULTIPLE-PATHS)
     extract-tuple(extractor, ccflags(s), MULTIPLE-FLAGS)
     extract-tuple(extractor, flags(s), MULTIPLE-SYMBOLS)
-    optimize(s))
+    optimize(s)
+    debug(s))
 
 defmethod map-fields (s:SyntaxPackagesDefinedInStmtS0, mapper:Mapper) :
   SyntaxPackagesDefinedInStmtS0(
diff --git a/compiler/proj-ir.stanza b/compiler/proj-ir.stanza
index 0b658870..48999fcd 100644
--- a/compiler/proj-ir.stanza
+++ b/compiler/proj-ir.stanza
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ public defstruct BuildStmt <: ProjStmt :
   ccflags: Tuple<String|Tuple<String>>
   flags: Tuple<Symbol>
   optimize: True|False
+  debug: True|False
 with:
   printer => true
 
diff --git a/compiler/proj-reader.stanza b/compiler/proj-reader.stanza
index 2c3e50ca..1af11f50 100644
--- a/compiler/proj-reader.stanza
+++ b/compiler/proj-reader.stanza
@@ -126,7 +126,8 @@ defsyntax stanza-projfile :
                   entry?(bs, `ccfiles)
                   entry?(bs, `ccflags)
                   entry?(bs, `flags)
-                  entry?(bs, `optimize, false))
+                  entry?(bs, `optimize, false)
+                  entry?(bs, `debug, false))
 
   defrule projstmt = (var ?name:#symbol! = ?v:#projvalue!) :
     VarStmtS0(closest-info(), name, v)
@@ -201,6 +202,7 @@ defsyntax stanza-projfile :
   defrule build-option! = (ccflags #:! ?v:#projvalue!) : `ccflags => v
   defrule build-option! = (flags #:! ?v:#projvalue!) : `flags => v
   defrule build-option! = (optimize) : `optimize => true
+  defrule build-option! = (debug) : `debug => true
 
   ;----------------------------------------------------------
   ;--------------------- Error Productions ------------------
diff --git a/compiler/proj-stage0.stanza b/compiler/proj-stage0.stanza
index 9c755d16..54fa492b 100644
--- a/compiler/proj-stage0.stanza
+++ b/compiler/proj-stage0.stanza
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ public defstruct BuildStmtS0 <: ProjStmt :
   ccflags: Maybe<ProjValue>
   flags: Maybe<ProjValue>
   optimize: True|False
+  debug: True|False
 with: (printer => true)
 
 ;Example:
@@ -311,7 +312,7 @@ public defn map<?T> (f:ProjItem -> ProjItem, x:?T&ProjItem) -> T :
                                       h(dependencies(x)), h(foreign-packages(x)), h(commands(x)))
     (x:BuildStmtS0) : BuildStmtS0(info(x), name(x), type(x), h(inputs(x)), h(supported-vm-packages(x)),
                                   h(pkg(x)), h(output(x)), h(assembly(x)), h(external-dependencies(x)),
-                                  h(ccfiles(x)), h(ccflags(x)), h(flags(x)), optimize(x))
+                                  h(ccfiles(x)), h(ccflags(x)), h(flags(x)), optimize(x), debug(x))
     (x:SyntaxPackagesDefinedInStmtS0) : SyntaxPackagesDefinedInStmtS0(info(x), packages(x), h(filename(x)))
     (x:VarStmtS0) : VarStmtS0(info(x), name(x), h(value(x)))
     (x:ForeignPackageParamsStmtS0) : ForeignPackageParamsStmtS0(info(x), package-manager(x), h(projdir(x)), h(entries(x)))