diff --git a/sdk/cargo-build-sbf/src/main.rs b/sdk/cargo-build-sbf/src/main.rs
index fa9fd92420..70f1f1796a 100644
--- a/sdk/cargo-build-sbf/src/main.rs
+++ b/sdk/cargo-build-sbf/src/main.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use {
     solana_download_utils::download_file,
     solana_sdk::signature::{write_keypair_file, Keypair},
     std::{
+        borrow::Cow,
         collections::{HashMap, HashSet},
         env,
         ffi::OsStr,
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ struct Config<'a> {
     no_default_features: bool,
     offline: bool,
     remap_cwd: bool,
+    debug: bool,
     verbose: bool,
     workspace: bool,
     jobs: Option<String>,
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ impl Default for Config<'_> {
             no_default_features: false,
             offline: false,
             remap_cwd: true,
+            debug: false,
             verbose: false,
             workspace: false,
             jobs: None,
@@ -562,10 +565,16 @@ fn build_sbf_package(config: &Config, target_directory: &Path, package: &cargo_m
     env::set_var("OBJCOPY", llvm_bin.join("llvm-objcopy"));
 
     let rustflags = env::var("RUSTFLAGS").ok();
-    let rustflags = rustflags.as_deref().unwrap_or_default();
+    let mut rustflags = Cow::Borrowed(rustflags.as_deref().unwrap_or_default());
     if config.remap_cwd {
-        let rustflags = format!("{} -Zremap-cwd-prefix=", &rustflags);
-        env::set_var("RUSTFLAGS", &rustflags);
+        rustflags = Cow::Owned(format!("{} -Zremap-cwd-prefix=", &rustflags));
+    }
+    if config.debug {
+        // Replace with -Zsplit-debuginfo=packed when stabilized.
+        rustflags = Cow::Owned(format!("{} -g", &rustflags));
+    }
+    if let Cow::Owned(flags) = rustflags {
+        env::set_var("RUSTFLAGS", &flags);
     }
     if config.verbose {
         debug!(
@@ -649,6 +658,7 @@ fn build_sbf_package(config: &Config, target_directory: &Path, package: &cargo_m
         let program_unstripped_so = target_build_directory.join(&format!("{}.so", program_name));
         let program_dump = sbf_out_dir.join(&format!("{}-dump.txt", program_name));
         let program_so = sbf_out_dir.join(&format!("{}.so", program_name));
+        let program_debug = sbf_out_dir.join(&format!("{}.debug", program_name));
         let program_keypair = sbf_out_dir.join(&format!("{}-keypair.json", program_name));
 
         fn file_older_or_missing(prerequisite_file: &Path, target_file: &Path) -> bool {
@@ -728,6 +738,26 @@ fn build_sbf_package(config: &Config, target_directory: &Path, package: &cargo_m
             postprocess_dump(&program_dump);
         }
 
+        if config.debug && file_older_or_missing(&program_unstripped_so, &program_debug) {
+            #[cfg(windows)]
+            let llvm_objcopy = &llvm_bin.join("llvm-objcopy");
+            #[cfg(not(windows))]
+            let llvm_objcopy = &config.sbf_sdk.join("scripts").join("objcopy.sh");
+
+            let output = spawn(
+                llvm_objcopy,
+                &[
+                    "--only-keep-debug".as_ref(),
+                    program_unstripped_so.as_os_str(),
+                    program_debug.as_os_str(),
+                ],
+                config.generate_child_script_on_failure,
+            );
+            if config.verbose {
+                debug!("{}", output);
+            }
+        }
+
         check_undefined_symbols(config, &program_so);
 
         info!("To deploy this program:");
@@ -831,6 +861,12 @@ fn main() {
                 .takes_value(false)
                 .help("Disable remap of cwd prefix and preserve full path strings in binaries"),
         )
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new("debug")
+                .long("debug")
+                .takes_value(false)
+                .help("Enable debug symbols"),
+        )
         .arg(
             Arg::new("dump")
                 .long("dump")
@@ -933,6 +969,7 @@ fn main() {
         generate_child_script_on_failure: matches.is_present("generate_child_script_on_failure"),
         no_default_features: matches.is_present("no_default_features"),
         remap_cwd: !matches.is_present("remap_cwd"),
+        debug: matches.is_present("debug"),
         offline: matches.is_present("offline"),
         verbose: matches.is_present("verbose"),
         workspace: matches.is_present("workspace"),