diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index cc4731c4a..abef344e8 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -154,6 +154,8 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug, AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug], [Enable debugging suite fo
 	CPPDEFINE([NDEBUG])
 ])
 
+AM_CONDITIONAL([DEBUG], [[[[ "$DEBUG" = "1" ]]]])
+
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(if you want to do a profile build)
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(profile, AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-profile], [Enable profiling]),
diff --git a/include/ircd/Makefile.am b/include/ircd/Makefile.am
index 05b4be342..9eb4de6bf 100644
--- a/include/ircd/Makefile.am
+++ b/include/ircd/Makefile.am
@@ -5,8 +5,17 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS =                 \
     @BOOST_CPPFLAGS@          \
     ###
 
+AM_CXXFLAGS = \
+	###
+
 if GCC
-AM_CXXFLAGS = -fpch-deps
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -fpch-deps
+endif
+
+if DEBUG
+if GCC
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -fmax-errors=2
+endif
 endif
 
 if BUILD_PCH
diff --git a/ircd/Makefile.am b/ircd/Makefile.am
index c6f915b62..a067da261 100644
--- a/ircd/Makefile.am
+++ b/ircd/Makefile.am
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ AUTOMAKE_OPTIONS = foreign
 libircddir	= @libdir@
 
 AM_CPPFLAGS = \
-	-fmax-errors=2 \
 	-ffriend-injection \
 	-I$(top_srcdir)/include \
 	@ROCKSDB_CPPFLAGS@ \
@@ -12,10 +11,19 @@ AM_CPPFLAGS = \
 	-include ircd/ircd.h \
 	###
 
+AM_CXXFLAGS = \
+	###
+
 if MINGW
 PLATFORM_LDFLAGS = -Wl,--enable-runtime-pseudo-reloc -export-symbols-regex '*'
 endif
 
+if DEBUG
+if GCC
+AM_CXXFLAGS += -fmax-errors=2
+endif
+endif
+
 AM_LDFLAGS = \
 	-avoid-version \
 	-Wl,-fuse-ld=gold \