diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 # ats-pkg
 
+## 3.4.0.0
+
+  * Add `--debug` flag to `test` and `build` subcommands
+
 ## 3.3.0.6
 
   * Only run `./autogen.sh` when installing the compiler if
diff --git a/app/Main.hs b/app/Main.hs
--- a/app/Main.hs
+++ b/app/Main.hs
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
                      , _rebuildAll :: Bool
                      , _verbosity  :: Int
                      , _lint       :: Bool
+                     , _dbg        :: Bool
                      , _prof       :: Bool
                      }
              | Clean
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
                     , _rebuildAll :: Bool
                     , _verbosity  :: Int
                     , _lint       :: Bool
+                    , _dbg        :: Bool
                     , _prof       :: Bool
                     }
              | Bench { _targets    :: [String]
@@ -163,6 +165,7 @@
     <*> rebuild
     <*> verbosity
     <*> noLint
+    <*> debug
     <*> profile
 
 valgrind :: Parser Command
@@ -180,6 +183,11 @@
     <> help ("Targets to " <> s)
     <> completions'))
 
+debug :: Parser Bool
+debug = switch
+    (long "debug"
+    <> help "Don't strip generated executables and pass -g to targets")
+
 profile :: Parser Bool
 profile = switch
     (long "profile"
@@ -217,6 +225,7 @@
     <*> rebuild
     <*> verbosity
     <*> noLint
+    <*> debug
     <*> profile
 
 noLint :: Parser Bool
@@ -241,35 +250,35 @@
     ps <- getSubdirs p
     pkgDir <- fromMaybe p <$> findFile (p:ps) "atspkg.dhall"
     let setup = [buildAll v mStr Nothing (Just pkgDir)]
-    withCurrentDirectory (takeDirectory pkgDir) (mkPkg mStr False False False setup ["install"] Nothing 0)
+    withCurrentDirectory (takeDirectory pkgDir) (mkPkg mStr False False False setup ["install"] Nothing False 0)
     stopGlobalPool
 
 main :: IO ()
 main = setLocaleEncoding utf8 *>
     execParser wrapper >>= run
 
-runHelper :: Bool -> Bool -> Bool -> [String] -> Maybe String -> Maybe String -> Int -> IO ()
-runHelper rba lint tim rs mStr tgt v = g . bool x y . (&& isNothing tgt) =<< check mStr Nothing
-    where g xs = mkPkg mStr rba lint tim xs rs tgt v *> stopGlobalPool
+runHelper :: Bool -> Bool -> Bool -> [String] -> Maybe String -> Maybe String -> Bool -> Int -> IO ()
+runHelper rba lint tim rs mStr tgt dbg v = g . bool x y . (&& isNothing tgt) =<< check mStr Nothing
+    where g xs = mkPkg mStr rba lint tim xs rs tgt dbg v *> stopGlobalPool
           y = mempty
           x = [buildAll v mStr tgt Nothing]
 
 run :: Command -> IO ()
-run List                               = displayList "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vmchale/atspkg/master/ats-pkg/pkgs/pkg-set.dhall"
-run (Check p b)                        = void $ ($ Version [0,1,0]) <$> checkPkg p b
-run (CheckSet p b)                     = void $ checkPkgSet p b
-run Upgrade                            = upgradeBin "vmchale" "atspkg"
-run Nuke                               = cleanAll
-run (Fetch u mArg v)                   = fetchPkg mArg u v
-run Clean                              = mkPkg Nothing False True False mempty ["clean"] Nothing 0
-run (Build rs mArg tgt rba v lint tim) = runHelper rba lint tim rs mArg tgt v
-run (Test ts mArg rba v lint tim)      = runHelper rba lint tim ("test" : ts) mArg Nothing v
-run (Bench ts mArg rba v lint tim)     = runHelper rba lint tim ("bench" : ts) mArg Nothing v
-run (Run ts mArg rba v lint tim)       = runHelper rba lint tim ("run" : ts) mArg Nothing v
-run (Install tgt mArg)                 = runHelper False True False ["install"] mArg tgt 0
-run (Valgrind ts mArg)                 = runHelper False True False ("valgrind" : ts) mArg Nothing 0
-run (Pack dir')                        = packageCompiler dir'
-run Setup                              = installActions
+run List                                   = displayList "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vmchale/atspkg/master/ats-pkg/pkgs/pkg-set.dhall"
+run (Check p b)                            = void $ ($ Version [0,1,0]) <$> checkPkg p b
+run (CheckSet p b)                         = void $ checkPkgSet p b
+run Upgrade                                = upgradeBin "vmchale" "atspkg"
+run Nuke                                   = cleanAll
+run (Fetch u mArg v)                       = fetchPkg mArg u v
+run Clean                                  = mkPkg Nothing False True False mempty ["clean"] Nothing False 0
+run (Build rs mArg tgt rba v lint dbg tim) = runHelper rba lint tim rs mArg tgt dbg v
+run (Test ts mArg rba v lint  dbg tim)     = runHelper rba lint tim ("test" : ts) mArg Nothing dbg v
+run (Bench ts mArg rba v lint tim)         = runHelper rba lint tim ("bench" : ts) mArg Nothing False v
+run (Run ts mArg rba v lint tim)           = runHelper rba lint tim ("run" : ts) mArg Nothing False v
+run (Install tgt mArg)                     = runHelper False True False ["install"] mArg tgt False 0
+run (Valgrind ts mArg)                     = runHelper False True False ("valgrind" : ts) mArg Nothing False 0
+run (Pack dir')                            = packageCompiler dir'
+run Setup                                  = installActions
 
 installActions :: IO ()
 installActions = do
diff --git a/ats-pkg.cabal b/ats-pkg.cabal
--- a/ats-pkg.cabal
+++ b/ats-pkg.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 cabal-version:      2.0
 name:               ats-pkg
-version:            3.3.0.7
+version:            3.4.0.0
 license:            BSD3
 license-file:       LICENSE
 copyright:          Copyright: (c) 2018-2019 Vanessa McHale
diff --git a/man/atspkg.1 b/man/atspkg.1
--- a/man/atspkg.1
+++ b/man/atspkg.1
@@ -81,6 +81,9 @@
 .TP
 .B \f[B]-d\f[R], \f[B]--detailed\f[R]
 Enable detailed error messages when checking configuration files
+.TP
+.B \f[B]--debug\f[R]
+Disable binary stripping and pass -g to the C compiler
 .SH CONFIGURATION
 .PP
 \f[B]atspkg\f[R] is configured with Dhall, in an atspkg.dhall file.
diff --git a/src/Distribution/ATS/Build.hs b/src/Distribution/ATS/Build.hs
--- a/src/Distribution/ATS/Build.hs
+++ b/src/Distribution/ATS/Build.hs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 configureCabal :: IO LocalBuildInfo -> IO LocalBuildInfo
 configureCabal = (<*>) $ do
     -- TODO get host triple from Platform of LocalBuildInfo
-    build 1 mempty
+    build 1 False mempty
     libDir <- (<> [pathSeparator]) <$> getCurrentDirectory
     pure (modifyConf libDir)
 
diff --git a/src/Language/ATS/Package/Build.hs b/src/Language/ATS/Package/Build.hs
--- a/src/Language/ATS/Package/Build.hs
+++ b/src/Language/ATS/Package/Build.hs
@@ -50,17 +50,19 @@
 
 build' :: FilePath -- ^ Directory
        -> Maybe String -- ^ Target triple
+       -> Bool -- ^ Debug build?
        -> [String] -- ^ Targets
        -> IO ()
-build' dir tgt' rs = withCurrentDirectory dir (mkPkgEmpty mempty)
-    where mkPkgEmpty ts = mkPkg Nothing False True False ts rs tgt' 1
+build' dir tgt' dbg rs = withCurrentDirectory dir (mkPkgEmpty mempty)
+    where mkPkgEmpty ts = mkPkg Nothing False True False ts rs tgt' dbg 1
 
 -- | Build a set of targets
 build :: Int
+      -> Bool -- ^ Debug?
       -> [String] -- ^ Targets
       -> IO ()
-build v rs = bool (mkPkgEmpty [buildAll v Nothing Nothing Nothing]) (mkPkgEmpty mempty) =<< check Nothing Nothing
-    where mkPkgEmpty ts = mkPkg Nothing False True False ts rs Nothing 1
+build v dbg rs = bool (mkPkgEmpty [buildAll v Nothing Nothing Nothing]) (mkPkgEmpty mempty) =<< check Nothing Nothing
+    where mkPkgEmpty ts = mkPkg Nothing False True False ts rs Nothing dbg 1
 
 -- TODO clean generated ATS
 mkClean :: Rules ()
@@ -205,9 +207,10 @@
       -> [IO ()] -- ^ Setup
       -> [String] -- ^ Targets
       -> Maybe String -- ^ Target triple
+      -> Bool -- ^ Debug build?
       -> Int -- ^ Verbosity
       -> IO ()
-mkPkg mStr rba lint tim setup rs tgt v = do
+mkPkg mStr rba lint tim setup rs tgt dbg v = do
     cfg <- cleanConfig mStr rs
     setNumCapabilities =<< getNumProcessors
     cpus <- getNumCapabilities
@@ -216,7 +219,7 @@
         sequence_
             [ want (pkgToTargets cfg tgt rs)
             , mkClean
-            , pkgToAction mStr setup rs tgt cfg
+            , pkgToAction mStr setup rs tgt dbg cfg
             ]
 
 mkConfig :: Maybe String -> Rules ()
@@ -266,7 +269,7 @@
 
     let installDir = takeDirectory pkgPath
 
-    build' installDir tgt' ["install"]
+    build' installDir tgt' False ["install"]
 
 -- | The directory @~/.atspkg@
 pkgHome :: MonadIO m => CCompiler -> m String
@@ -300,9 +303,10 @@
             -> [IO ()] -- ^ Setup actions to be performed
             -> [String] -- ^ Targets
             -> Maybe String -- ^ Optional compiler triple (overrides 'ccompiler')
+            -> Bool -- ^ Debug build?
             -> Pkg -- ^ Package data type
             -> Rules ()
-pkgToAction mStr setup rs tgt ~(Pkg bs ts bnchs lbs mt _ v v' ds cds bdeps ccLocal cf af as dl slv deb al) =
+pkgToAction mStr setup rs tgt dbg ~(Pkg bs ts bnchs lbs mt _ v v' ds cds bdeps ccLocal cf af as dl slv deb al) =
 
     unless (rs == ["clean"]) $ do
 
@@ -341,10 +345,12 @@
         fold (debRules <$> deb)
 
     where g ph (Bin s t ls hs' atg gc' extra) =
-            atsBin (ATSTarget (unpack <$> cf) (atsToolConfig ph) gc' (unpack <$> ls) [unpack s] hs' (unpackTgt <$> atg) mempty (toTgt tgt t) (deps extra) Executable True)
+            atsBin (ATSTarget (dbgFlags (unpack <$> cf)) (atsToolConfig ph) gc' (unpack <$> ls) [unpack s] hs' (unpackTgt <$> atg) mempty (toTgt tgt t) (deps extra) Executable (not dbg))
 
           h ph (Lib _ s t ls _ hs' lnk atg extra sta) =
-            atsBin (ATSTarget (unpack <$> cf) (atsToolConfig ph) False (unpack <$> ls) (unpack <$> s) hs' (unpackTgt <$> atg) (unpackLinks <$> lnk) (unpack t) (deps extra) (k sta) False)
+            atsBin (ATSTarget (dbgFlags (unpack <$> cf)) (atsToolConfig ph) False (unpack <$> ls) (unpack <$> s) hs' (unpackTgt <$> atg) (unpackLinks <$> lnk) (unpack t) (deps extra) (k sta) False)
+
+          dbgFlags = if dbg then ("-g":) else id
 
           k False = SharedLibrary
           k True  = StaticLibrary