diff --git a/depends/Makefile b/depends/Makefile
index f5fb5b865..fc763bede 100644
--- a/depends/Makefile
+++ b/depends/Makefile
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ host:=$(HOST)
 host_toolchain:=$(HOST)-
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(DEBUG),)
+release_type=debug
+else
+release_type=release
+endif
+
 base_build_dir=$(BASEDIR)/work/build
 base_staging_dir=$(BASEDIR)/work/staging
 canonical_host:=$(shell ./config.sub $(HOST))
@@ -103,12 +109,14 @@ $(host_prefix)/share/config.site : config.site.in $(host_prefix)/.stamp_$(final_
             -e 's|@STRIP@|$(toolchain_path)$(host_STRIP)|' \
             -e 's|@build_os@|$(build_os)|' \
             -e 's|@host_os@|$(host_os)|' \
-            -e 's|@CFLAGS@|$(host_CFLAGS)|' \
-            -e 's|@CXXFLAGS@|$(host_CXXFLAGS)|' \
-            -e 's|@LDFLAGS@|$(host_LDFLAGS)|' \
+            -e 's|@CFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_CFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_CFLAGS))|' \
+            -e 's|@CXXFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_CXXFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_CXXFLAGS))|' \
+            -e 's|@CPPFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_CPPFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_CPPFLAGS))|' \
+            -e 's|@LDFLAGS@|$(strip $(host_LDFLAGS) $(host_$(release_type)_LDFLAGS))|' \
             -e 's|@no_qt@|$(NO_QT)|' \
             -e 's|@no_wallet@|$(NO_WALLET)|' \
             -e 's|@no_upnp@|$(NO_UPNP)|' \
+            -e 's|@debug@|$(DEBUG)|' \
             $< > $@
 	$(AT)touch $@
 
diff --git a/depends/config.site.in b/depends/config.site.in
index 1df04eec3..abd814ea6 100644
--- a/depends/config.site.in
+++ b/depends/config.site.in
@@ -81,4 +81,7 @@ fi
 if test -n "@CXXFLAGS@"; then
   export CXXFLAGS="@CXXFLAGS@ $CXXFLAGS"
 fi
+if test -n "@CPPFLAGS@"; then
+  export CPPFLAGS="@CPPFLAGS@ $CPPFLAGS"
+fi
 export LDFLAGS="-L$prefix/lib @LDFLAGS@ $LDFLAGS"
diff --git a/depends/funcs.mk b/depends/funcs.mk
index 28bfb8549..c1fc0a0e3 100644
--- a/depends/funcs.mk
+++ b/depends/funcs.mk
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ $(1)_ar=$($($(1)_type)_AR)
 $(1)_ranlib=$($($(1)_type)_RANLIB)
 $(1)_libtool=$($($(1)_type)_LIBTOOL)
 $(1)_nm=$($($(1)_type)_NM)
-$(1)_cflags=$($($(1)_type)_CFLAGS)
-$(1)_cxxflags=$($($(1)_type)_CXXFLAGS)
-$(1)_ldflags=$($($(1)_type)_LDFLAGS) -L$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/lib
-$(1)_cppflags:=-I$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/include
+$(1)_cflags=$($($(1)_type)_CFLAGS) $($($(1)_type)_$(release_type)_CFLAGS)
+$(1)_cxxflags=$($($(1)_type)_CXXFLAGS) $($($(1)_type)_$(release_type)_CXXFLAGS)
+$(1)_ldflags=$($($(1)_type)_LDFLAGS) $($($(1)_type)_$(release_type)_LDFLAGS) -L$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/lib
+$(1)_cppflags=$($($(1)_type)_CPPFLAGS) $($($(1)_type)_$(release_type)_CPPFLAGS) -I$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/include
 $(1)_recipe_hash:=
 endef
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ define int_get_build_id
 $(eval $(1)_dependencies += $($(1)_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_dependencies) $($(1)_$(host_os)_dependencies))
 $(eval $(1)_all_dependencies:=$(call int_get_all_dependencies,$(1),$($($(1)_type)_native_toolchain) $($(1)_dependencies)))
 $(foreach dep,$($(1)_all_dependencies),$(eval $(1)_build_id_deps+=$(dep)-$($(dep)_version)-$($(dep)_recipe_hash)))
-$(eval $(1)_build_id_long:=$(1)-$($(1)_version)-$($(1)_recipe_hash) $($(1)_build_id_deps))
+$(eval $(1)_build_id_long:=$(1)-$($(1)_version)-$($(1)_recipe_hash)-$(release_type) $($(1)_build_id_deps))
 $(eval $(1)_build_id:=$(shell echo -n "$($(1)_build_id_long)" | $(build_SHA256SUM) | cut -c-$(HASH_LENGTH)))
 final_build_id_long+=$($(package)_build_id_long)
 
@@ -83,33 +83,40 @@ endef
 
 define int_config_attach_build_config
 $(eval $(call $(1)_set_vars,$(1)))
-$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_os))
-$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_os))
-$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_os))
-$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_os))
-$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_os))
-$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_os))
-$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
-
-$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch))
-$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_os))
-$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch)_$(host_os))
+$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch)) $($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cflags_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cflags+=$($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch)) $($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cxxflags+=$($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cxxflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch)) $($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cppflags_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_cppflags+=$($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $($(1)_cppflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(release_type))
+$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch)) $($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_os)) $($(1)_ldflags_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_ldflags+=$($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $($(1)_ldflags_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(release_type))
+$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch)) $$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_os)) $$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_build_opts+=$$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $$($(1)_build_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch)) $$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_os)) $$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_opts+=$$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $$($(1)_config_opts_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+
+$(1)_config_env+=$$($(1)_config_env_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch)) $($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_os)) $($(1)_config_env_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
+$(1)_config_env+=$($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)) $($(1)_config_env_$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type))
 
 $(1)_config_env+=PKG_CONFIG_LIBDIR=$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/lib/pkgconfig
 $(1)_config_env+=PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$($($(1)_type)_prefix)/share/pkgconfig
diff --git a/depends/hosts/default.mk b/depends/hosts/default.mk
index b9fe5d858..6f60d6b3f 100644
--- a/depends/hosts/default.mk
+++ b/depends/hosts/default.mk
@@ -11,13 +11,16 @@ default_host_NM = $(host_toolchain)nm
 define add_host_tool_func
 $(host_os)_$1?=$$(default_host_$1)
 $(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$1?=$$($(host_os)_$1)
+$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type)_$1?=$$($(host_os)_$1)
 host_$1=$$($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$1)
 endef
 
 define add_host_flags_func
 $(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$1 += $($(host_os)_$1)
+$(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type)_$1 += $($(host_os)_$(release_type)_$1)
 host_$1 = $$($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$1)
+host_$(release_type)_$1 = $$($(host_arch)_$(host_os)_$(release_type)_$1)
 endef
 
 $(foreach tool,CC CXX AR RANLIB STRIP NM LIBTOOL OTOOL INSTALL_NAME_TOOL,$(eval $(call add_host_tool_func,$(tool))))
-$(foreach flags,CFLAGS CXXFLAGS LDFLAGS, $(eval $(call add_host_flags_func,$(flags))))
+$(foreach flags,CFLAGS CXXFLAGS CPPFLAGS LDFLAGS, $(eval $(call add_host_flags_func,$(flags))))