diff --git a/Kconfig b/Kconfig
index 7e9ae4eed3c..c174c16e4cb 100644
--- a/Kconfig
+++ b/Kconfig
@@ -395,9 +395,14 @@ endmenu # Customize Header Files
 
 menu "Debug Options"
 
+config DEBUG_ALERT
+	bool
+	default n
+
 config DEBUG_FEATURES
 	bool "Enable Debug Features"
 	default n
+	select DEBUG_ALERT
 	---help---
 		Enables built-in debug features.  Selecting this option will (1) Enable
 		debug assertions in the code, (2) enable extended parameter testing in
diff --git a/arch/Kconfig b/arch/Kconfig
index 92c7021677c..b3dd65f1bfa 100644
--- a/arch/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/Kconfig
@@ -525,7 +525,7 @@ config ARCH_IRQPRIO
 config ARCH_STACKDUMP
 	bool "Dump stack on assertions"
 	default n
-	depends on DEBUG_FEATURES
+	select DEBUG_ALERT
 	---help---
 		Enable to do stack dumps after assertions
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/arm/up_assert.c b/arch/arm/src/arm/up_assert.c
index c740f3e25b9..3d188174b3d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/arm/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/arm/up_assert.c
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv6-m/up_assert.c b/arch/arm/src/armv6-m/up_assert.c
index 2c53f1f028d..f218cd477b0 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv6-m/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv6-m/up_assert.c
@@ -366,7 +366,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_assert.c b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_assert.c
index 84ff50e4957..3c798d33a0d 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_assert.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv7-a/arm_assert.c
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
   board_autoled_on(LED_ASSERTION);
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv7-m/up_assert.c b/arch/arm/src/armv7-m/up_assert.c
index 29dba2b2a65..b34cfc73950 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv7-m/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv7-m/up_assert.c
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/arm/src/armv7-r/arm_assert.c b/arch/arm/src/armv7-r/arm_assert.c
index 49937b525e8..b841416450b 100644
--- a/arch/arm/src/armv7-r/arm_assert.c
+++ b/arch/arm/src/armv7-r/arm_assert.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
   board_autoled_on(LED_ASSERTION);
diff --git a/arch/avr/src/common/up_assert.c b/arch/avr/src/common/up_assert.c
index 2d4197a4f46..92c3bde0175 100644
--- a/arch/avr/src/common/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/avr/src/common/up_assert.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ static int assert_tracecallback(FAR struct usbtrace_s *trace, FAR void *arg)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/hc/src/m9s12/m9s12_assert.c b/arch/hc/src/m9s12/m9s12_assert.c
index 3d2ab558714..496b3933a66 100644
--- a/arch/hc/src/m9s12/m9s12_assert.c
+++ b/arch/hc/src/m9s12/m9s12_assert.c
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/mips/src/mips32/up_assert.c b/arch/mips/src/mips32/up_assert.c
index f135ae748e0..5723fe18405 100644
--- a/arch/mips/src/mips32/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/mips/src/mips32/up_assert.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ static int assert_tracecallback(FAR struct usbtrace_s *trace, FAR void *arg)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/sh/src/common/up_assert.c b/arch/sh/src/common/up_assert.c
index d86c1b2531d..ec02578cfd0 100644
--- a/arch/sh/src/common/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/sh/src/common/up_assert.c
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ static int assert_tracecallback(FAR struct usbtrace_s *trace, FAR void *arg)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/x86/src/common/up_assert.c b/arch/x86/src/common/up_assert.c
index 09b2af9a4a4..7afec4e4bec 100644
--- a/arch/x86/src/common/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/x86/src/common/up_assert.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ static void _up_assert(int errorcode)
 
 void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/arch/z16/src/common/up_assert.c b/arch/z16/src/common/up_assert.c
index 67ad5f53306..5346e9d48c9 100644
--- a/arch/z16/src/common/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/z16/src/common/up_assert.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 void up_assert(void)
 #endif
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ void up_assert(void)
         filename, lineno);
 #endif
 #else
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   _alert("Assertion failed: task: %s\n", rtcb->name);
 #else
   _alert("Assertion failed\n");
diff --git a/arch/z80/src/common/up_assert.c b/arch/z80/src/common/up_assert.c
index 8d6488beac2..da899feb6f4 100644
--- a/arch/z80/src/common/up_assert.c
+++ b/arch/z80/src/common/up_assert.c
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ void up_assert(const uint8_t *filename, int lineno)
 void up_assert(void)
 #endif
 {
-#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES)
+#if CONFIG_TASK_NAME_SIZE > 0 && defined(CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT)
   struct tcb_s *rtcb = this_task();
 #endif
 
diff --git a/include/debug.h b/include/debug.h
index d9286224d1e..c2fc93dd53f 100644
--- a/include/debug.h
+++ b/include/debug.h
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
 #  define __arch_syslog syslog
 #endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT
 #  define _alert(format, ...) \
    __arch_syslog(LOG_EMERG, EXTRA_FMT format EXTRA_ARG, ##__VA_ARGS__)
 #else /* CONFIG_DEBUG_ERROR */
@@ -669,7 +669,7 @@
 
 /* Variadic macros NOT supported */
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+#ifndef CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT
 #  define _alert      (void)
 # endif
 
@@ -1483,7 +1483,7 @@ void lib_dumpbuffer(FAR const char *msg, FAR const uint8_t *buffer,
  */
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_CPP_HAVE_VARARGS
-#ifndef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT
 int _alert(const char *format, ...);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/libc/misc/lib_debug.c b/libc/misc/lib_debug.c
index 0bc5d81bf67..098f3cc2dd7 100644
--- a/libc/misc/lib_debug.c
+++ b/libc/misc/lib_debug.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@
  *
  ****************************************************************************/
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES
+#ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT
 int _alert(const char *format, ...)
 {
   va_list ap;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ int _alert(const char *format, ...)
 
   return ret;
 }
-#endif /* CONFIG_DEBUG_FEATURES */
+#endif /* CONFIG_DEBUG_ALERT */
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_DEBUG_ERROR
 int  _err(const char *format, ...)