diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 0b92097..ba27f1a 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ from lockprefix import checkForLockPrefix
 from clangtest import getVariableSize
 from locktype import checkForLockingType
 from lamerpack import checkForLamerpack
+from debugmode import checkForDebugBuild
 
 conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
                       'MAINTAINER_MODE':checkForMaintainerMode,
@@ -57,7 +58,8 @@ conf = Configure(env,{'checkForCCOption':checkForCCOption,
 		      'checkPrefix':checkForUserPrefix,
 		      'sizeOf':getVariableSize,
 		      'checkForLockingType':checkForLockingType,
-		      'checkForLamerPack':checkForLamerpack
+		      'checkForLamerPack':checkForLamerpack,
+		      'checkForDebugBuild':checkForDebugBuild
 		      })
 # check for CC options
 for option in Split("""
@@ -105,7 +107,8 @@ conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DSYSCONFDIR=\\"'+PREFIX+'/etc\\"')
 EFENCE = conf.MAINTAINER_MODE()
 if EFENCE == True:
     EFENCE=conf.CheckLib("efence","EF_Abort")
-conf.checkForLamerPack()    
+conf.checkForLamerPack()
+conf.checkForDebugBuild()
 conf.Finish()
 
 env.Append(CPPFLAGS = "-DPACKAGE_VERSION=\\\""+VERSION+"\\\"")
diff --git a/site_scons/debugmode.py b/site_scons/debugmode.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13e744d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/site_scons/debugmode.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#
+# SCons debug mode build tester
+#
+# Version 1.0
+# 04-Aug-2009
+#
+
+from SCons.Script import ARGUMENTS
+
+def checkForDebugBuild(conf):
+    """Check command line arguments if user requested debug mode build."""
+    conf.Message("checking if we are building with extra debug code... ")
+    buildlamer=ARGUMENTS.get('enable-debug', 0)
+    if buildlamer == 0 or str(buildlamer).lower() == 'no':
+        conf.Result(0)
+    else:
+        conf.env.Append(CPPFLAGS = '-DDEBUG')
+        conf.Result(1)