diff --git a/config/zfs-build.m4 b/config/zfs-build.m4
index ce6ed6b0d09f..e26cafccfe4a 100644
--- a/config/zfs-build.m4
+++ b/config/zfs-build.m4
@@ -38,12 +38,44 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEBUG], [
 		[ZFS_AC_DEBUG_DISABLE],
 		[AC_MSG_ERROR([Unknown option $enable_debug])])
 
-	AC_SUBST(DEBUG_CFLAGS)
 	AC_SUBST(DEBUG_STACKFLAGS)
 	AC_SUBST(DEBUG_ZFS)
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_debug])
 ])
 
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_KERNEL], [
+	KERNELMAKE_PARAMS="$KERNELMAKE_PARAMS CONFIG_DEBUG_INFO=y"
+])
+
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_USER], [
+	DEBUG_CFLAGS="$DEBUG_CFLAGS -g"
+])
+
+
+AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO], [
+	AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether debuginfo support will be forced])
+	AC_ARG_ENABLE([debuginfo],
+		[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debuginfo],
+		[Force generation of debuginfo @<:@default=no@:>@])],
+		[],
+		[enable_debuginfo=no])
+
+	AS_CASE(["x$enable_debuginfo"],
+		["xyes"],
+		[ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_KERNEL
+		ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_USER],
+		["xkernel"],
+		[ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_KERNEL],
+		["xuser"],
+		[ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO_USER],
+		["xno"],
+		[],
+		[AC_MSG_ERROR([Unknown option $enable_debug])])
+
+	AC_SUBST(DEBUG_CFLAGS)
+	AC_MSG_RESULT([$enable_debuginfo])
+])
+
 AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEBUG_DMU_TX], [
 	AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug-dmu-tx],
 		[AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug-dmu-tx],
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index bad15bd16e46..1bbb7b2f93e3 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ ZFS_AC_LICENSE
 ZFS_AC_PACKAGE
 ZFS_AC_CONFIG
 ZFS_AC_DEBUG
+ZFS_AC_DEBUGINFO
 ZFS_AC_DEBUG_DMU_TX
 
 AC_CONFIG_FILES([