diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3eb382db..f5d174da 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,6 +5,15 @@
 SOURCE_FILES = [os.path.join('http-parser', 'http_parser.c')] + \
                sorted(glob.glob(os.path.join('bjoern', '*.c')))
 
+_DEBUG = False
+if _DEBUG:
+	extra_compile_args = ['-std=c99', '-fno-strict-aliasing', '-fcommon',
+                          '-fPIC', '-Wall', '-Wextra', '-Wno-unused-parameter',
+                          '-Wno-missing-field-initializers', '-g']
+else:
+	extra_compile_args = ['-std=c99', '-fno-strict-aliasing', '-fcommon',
+                          '-fPIC', '-Wall', '-g']
+			   
 bjoern_extension = Extension(
     '_bjoern',
     sources       = SOURCE_FILES,
@@ -12,9 +21,7 @@
     include_dirs  = ['http-parser', '/usr/include/libev'],
     define_macros = [('WANT_SENDFILE', '1'),
                      ('WANT_SIGINT_HANDLING', '1')],
-    extra_compile_args = ['-std=c99', '-fno-strict-aliasing', '-fcommon',
-                          '-fPIC', '-Wall', '-Wextra', '-Wno-unused-parameter',
-                          '-Wno-missing-field-initializers', '-g']
+	extra_compile_args=extra_compile_args
 )
 
 setup(