diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 440ac591a..b8b8c87ec 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@ export NINJA_STATUS="[%p %f/%t] "
 export MESON_RSP_THRESHOLD=16387
 
 # Build the project
+"${MESON:-meson}" configure build "-Dgdb_debugging=false"
 if [ "$target" = test ]; then
     "${MESON:-meson}" test -C build "$@"
 elif [ "$target" = rom ]; then
     "${MESON:-meson}" compile -C build "pokeplatinum.us.nds"
 elif [ "$target" = debug ]; then
+    "${MESON:-meson}" configure build "-Dgdb_debugging=true"
     "${MESON:-meson}" compile -C build "pokeplatinum.us.nds" "debug.nef" "overlay.map"
 else
     "${MESON:-meson}" compile -C build "$target" "$@"
diff --git a/include/game_overlay.h b/include/game_overlay.h
index 6939ec0dc..a869c3972 100644
--- a/include/game_overlay.h
+++ b/include/game_overlay.h
@@ -13,10 +13,6 @@ void Overlay_UnloadByID(const FSOverlayID param0);
 int Overlay_GetLoadDestination(const FSOverlayID param0);
 BOOL Overlay_LoadByID(const FSOverlayID param0, int param1);
 
-// TODO: this should integrate into build system instead of a manual define here.
-// to turn off overlay debugging and build a matching ROM, undefine this.
-// #define GDB_DEBUGGING
-
 #ifdef GDB_DEBUGGING
 // describes a single overlay entry, which GDB can inspect to determine which overlays are loaded.
 typedef struct {
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 0b02ad4d4..00b3a4ec4 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@ public_includes = include_directories('include', 'asm', 'res')
 ###                    COMPILER FLAGS                    ###
 ############################################################
 c_args = [
-    '-O4,p',
     '-proc', 'arm946e',
     '-enum', 'int',
     '-lang', 'c99',
@@ -35,6 +34,15 @@ c_args = [
     '-sym', 'on'
 ]
 
+if get_option('gdb_debugging')
+    c_args += [
+        '-O1,p',
+        '-inline', 'off'
+    ]
+else
+    c_args += '-O4,p'
+endif
+
 add_global_arguments(c_args,
     language: 'c',
     native: false
@@ -46,6 +54,10 @@ pokeplatinum_args = [
     '-DGAME_LANGUAGE=ENGLISH'
 ]
 
+if get_option('gdb_debugging')
+    pokeplatinum_args += '-DGDB_DEBUGGING'
+endif
+
 asm_args = [
     '-proc', 'arm5TE',
     '-16',
@@ -240,8 +252,7 @@ nef_fixer = custom_target('debug.nef',
     ],
     command : [
         nef_fixer_py, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'
-    ],
-    build_by_default: true
+    ]
 )
 
 ovly_mapper = custom_target('overlay.map',
@@ -253,8 +264,7 @@ ovly_mapper = custom_target('overlay.map',
     ],
     command : [
         overlay_mapper_py, '@INPUT@', '@OUTPUT@'
-    ],
-    build_by_default: true
+    ]
 )
 
 
diff --git a/meson.options b/meson.options
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd78cd4ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/meson.options
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+option('gdb_debugging', type : 'boolean', value : false)
\ No newline at end of file