diff --git a/conf/Makefile.linux b/conf/Makefile.linux
index f33ddc18c3..5a607503d6 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.linux
+++ b/conf/Makefile.linux
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ LD  ?= $(CC)
 Q=@
 
 OPT ?= 3
-DEBUG_INFO ?= n
+# Slightly bigger .elf files but gains the ability to decode macros
+DEBUG_FLAGS ?= -ggdb3
 CSTANDARD ?= -std=gnu99
 CINCS = $(INCLUDES) -I$(PAPARAZZI_SRC)/sw/include
 
@@ -42,11 +43,9 @@ CINCS = $(INCLUDES) -I$(PAPARAZZI_SRC)/sw/include
 # Common compiler flags.
 # add then to arch specific CFLAGS already defined in e.g. Makefile.arm-linux
 #
-ifneq ($(DEBUG_INFO),n)
-CFLAGS += -g
-endif
 CFLAGS += $(CINCS)
 CFLAGS += -O$(OPT) -fPIC
+CFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
 CFLAGS += -fno-short-enums
 # CFLAGS += -malignment-traps
 CFLAGS += -Wall -Wcast-qual -Wimplicit -Wcast-align
@@ -68,6 +67,7 @@ CFLAGS += $(USER_CFLAGS)
 LDFLAGS += -lm -pthread
 
 CXXFLAGS += -O$(OPT) -fPIC
+CXXFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
 CXXFLAGS += -pipe -fshow-column -ffast-math
 CXXFLAGS += -g -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 CXXFLAGS += -Wall -Wextra
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.lpc21 b/conf/Makefile.lpc21
index 3b9eb46ad5..e461cd670b 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.lpc21
+++ b/conf/Makefile.lpc21
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ ASRCARM = crt0.S
 # Optimization level, can be [0, 1, 2, 3, s].
 # 0 = turn off optimization. s = optimize for size.
 OPT ?= s
+# Slightly bigger .elf files but gains the ability to decode macros
+DEBUG_FLAGS ?= -ggdb3
 
 CSTANDARD = -std=gnu99
 
@@ -78,6 +80,8 @@ CINCS = $(INCLUDES) -I$(SRC_ARCH)/include
 # Compiler flags.
 CFLAGS = $(CINCS)
 CFLAGS += -O$(OPT)
+CFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
+
 # CFLAGS += -malignment-traps
 CFLAGS += -Wa,-adhlns=$(OBJDIR)/$(notdir $(subst $(suffix $<),.lst,$<))
 CFLAGS += $(patsubst %,-I%,$(EXTRAINCDIRS))
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.nps b/conf/Makefile.nps
index 18a585017e..43c4b89f3a 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.nps
+++ b/conf/Makefile.nps
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 SRC_ARCH = arch/sim
 
 OPT ?= 2
+# Slightly bigger .elf files but gains the ability to decode macros
+DEBUG_FLAGS ?= -ggdb3
 
 # Launch with "make Q=''" to get full command display
 Q=@
@@ -36,7 +38,7 @@ CFLAGS += $(INCLUDES)
 CFLAGS += $($(TARGET).CFLAGS)
 CFLAGS += $(USER_CFLAGS)
 CFLAGS += -O$(OPT)
-CFLAGS += -g
+CFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
 CFLAGS += -std=gnu99
 CFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --cflags-only-I ivy-glib)
 
@@ -45,7 +47,7 @@ CXXFLAGS += $(INCLUDES)
 CXXFLAGS += $($(TARGET).CFLAGS)
 CXXFLAGS += $(USER_CFLAGS)
 CXXFLAGS += -O$(OPT)
-CXXFLAGS += -g
+CXXFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
 CXXFLAGS += $(shell pkg-config --cflags-only-I ivy-glib)
 
 LDFLAGS	+= $($(TARGET).LDFLAGS)
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.stm32 b/conf/Makefile.stm32
index 44e4feb67a..2d41a9c041 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.stm32
+++ b/conf/Makefile.stm32
@@ -42,8 +42,9 @@ MCU   = cortex-m4
 else
 MCU   = cortex-m3
 endif
-#DEBUG = dwarf-2
 OPT ?= s
+# Slightly bigger .elf files but gains the ability to decode macros
+DEBUG_FLAGS ?= -ggdb3
 
 # input files
 SRCS = $($(TARGET).srcs)
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ endif
 
 CFLAGS = -I. -I./$(ARCH) -I../ext/libopencm3/include $(INCLUDES)
 CFLAGS += -D__thumb2__ -O$(OPT)
+CFLAGS += $(DEBUG_FLAGS)
 ifeq ($(ARCH_L), )
 CFLAGS += -msoft-float
 else ifeq ($(ARCH_L),f4)
@@ -87,7 +89,6 @@ CFLAGS += -mcpu=$(MCU) -mthumb -ansi
 CFLAGS += $(CSTANDARD)
 #CFLAGS += -malignment-traps
 CFLAGS += -fno-common
-CFLAGS += -g$(DEBUG)
 CFLAGS += -ffunction-sections -fdata-sections
 CFLAGS += -Wa,-adhlns=$(OBJDIR)/$(notdir $(subst $(suffix $<),.lst,$<))
 
@@ -118,7 +119,7 @@ CFLAGS += $($(TARGET).CFLAGS)
 
 AFLAGS  = -ahls -mapcs-32
 AFLAGS += -mcpu=$(MCU) -mthumb
-AFLAGS += -x assembler-with-cpp -Wa,-adhlns=$(OBJDIR)/$(<:.S=.lst),--g$(DEBUG)
+AFLAGS += -x assembler-with-cpp -Wa,-adhlns=$(OBJDIR)/$(<:.S=.lst)
 
 LDFLAGS += -L../ext/libopencm3/lib
 LDFLAGS += -T$(LDSCRIPT) -nostartfiles -O$(OPT) -mthumb -mcpu=$(MCU)