diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index f19db578..6c1a465d 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(pamuserpass, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-pamuserpass],
               [Build pam userpass support (default: no)]),
               [pamuserpass=true], [pamuserpass=false])
 AM_CONDITIONAL(SESMAN_PAMUSERPASS, [test x$pamuserpass = xtrue])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(xrdpdebug, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-xrdpdebug],
+              [Build debug (default: no)]),
+              [xrdpdebug=true], [xrdpdebug=false])
+AM_CONDITIONAL(XRDP_DEBUG, [test x$xrdpdebug = xtrue])
 
 # checking for openssl
 AC_CHECK_HEADER([openssl/rc4.h], [],
diff --git a/libxrdp/Makefile.am b/libxrdp/Makefile.am
index 5e545e57..697ad484 100644
--- a/libxrdp/Makefile.am
+++ b/libxrdp/Makefile.am
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 
+if XRDP_DEBUG
+EXTRA_DEFINES = -DXRDP_DEBUG
+else
+EXTRA_DEFINES = -DXRDP_NODEBUG
+endif
+
 AM_CFLAGS = \
   -DXRDP_CFG_PATH=\"${sysconfdir}/xrdp\" \
   -DXRDP_SBIN_PATH=\"${sbindir}\" \
   -DXRDP_SHARE_PATH=\"${datadir}/xrdp\" \
-  -DXRDP_PID_PATH=\"${localstatedir}/run\"
+  -DXRDP_PID_PATH=\"${localstatedir}/run\" \
+  $(EXTRA_DEFINES)
 
 INCLUDES = \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/common
diff --git a/xrdp/Makefile.am b/xrdp/Makefile.am
index 92c104cb..8da12298 100644
--- a/xrdp/Makefile.am
+++ b/xrdp/Makefile.am
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
 
+if XRDP_DEBUG
+EXTRA_DEFINES = -DXRDP_DEBUG
+else
+EXTRA_DEFINES = -DXRDP_NODEBUG
+endif
+
 AM_CFLAGS = \
   -DXRDP_CFG_PATH=\"${sysconfdir}/xrdp\" \
   -DXRDP_SBIN_PATH=\"${sbindir}\" \
   -DXRDP_SHARE_PATH=\"${datadir}/xrdp\" \
-  -DXRDP_PID_PATH=\"${localstatedir}/run\"
+  -DXRDP_PID_PATH=\"${localstatedir}/run\" \
+  $(EXTRA_DEFINES)
 
 INCLUDES = \
   -I$(top_srcdir)/common \