diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 6ac9e63..324c4ee 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -49,8 +49,9 @@ lib_LTLIBRARIES = \
 # Also make the linker discard all unused symbols as we are not building a
 # shared library.
 #
-# When compiling in debug mode, we disable optimization and enable debug symbols
-# so debugging with gdb is easier.
+# When compiling in debug mode, we enable debug symbols so debugging with gdb
+# is easier. If optimizations are disabled, we pass -O0 to the compiler.
+# Otherwise, we use standard optimizations -O2.
 #
 
 AM_CFLAGS = \
@@ -63,9 +64,13 @@ AM_LDFLAGS = \
 	-Wl,--as-needed
 
 if DEBUG
-AM_CFLAGS += -O0 -g
-else
+AM_CFLAGS += -g
+endif
+
+if OPTIMIZATIONS
 AM_CFLAGS += -O2
+else
+AM_CFLAGS += -O0
 endif
 
 #
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 3e0990b..8c9f7a4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -154,10 +154,16 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug],
                               [whether to build with debugging on])])
 AC_MSG_RESULT([ok])
 
+AC_MSG_CHECKING([whether to disable code optimizations])
+AC_ARG_ENABLE([optimizations],
+              [AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-optimizations],
+                              [whether to disable code optimizations])])
+AC_MSG_RESULT([ok])
+
 #
-# Debug mode
-# In debug mode we use -g -O0 for compilation and set several flags so verbose
-# logging is possible.
+# Debug mode and code optimizations
+# In debug mode we compile with -g and enable several debug-messages and flags.
+# With optimizations (default), we add -O2 to compile-flags.
 #
 
 debug_enabled=no
@@ -165,6 +171,11 @@ if test x$enable_debug = xyes ; then
         debug_enabled=yes
 fi
 
+optimizations_enabled=no
+if test ! x$enable_optimizations = xno ; then
+        optimizations_enabled=yes
+fi
+
 if test x$debug_enabled = xyes ; then
         AC_DEFINE([KMSCON_ENABLE_DEBUG], [1],
                   [Enable debug for kmscon])
@@ -177,6 +188,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([DEBUG], [test x$debug_enabled = xyes])
+AM_CONDITIONAL([OPTIMIZATIONS], [test x$optimizations_enabled = xyes])
 
 #
 # Main dependencies
@@ -464,6 +476,7 @@ AC_OUTPUT([src/genshader.c])
 AC_MSG_NOTICE([Build configuration:
 
 	        debug: $debug_enabled
+	optimizations: $optimizations_enabled
 
 	      systemd: $systemd_enabled
 	         udev: $udev_enabled