diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 15c76eb9..6d29bc75 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -35,12 +35,12 @@ $(GLUON_SITEDIR)/site.mk:
 
 include $(GLUON_SITEDIR)/site.mk
 
-GLUON_WLAN_MESH ?= 11s
-
 GLUON_RELEASE ?= $(error GLUON_RELEASE not set. GLUON_RELEASE can be set in site.mk or on the command line)
 
+GLUON_WLAN_MESH ?= 11s
+GLUON_DEBUG ?= 0
 
-export GLUON_RELEASE GLUON_WLAN_MESH GLUON_REGION GLUON_DEBUG
+export GLUON_RELEASE GLUON_REGION GLUON_WLAN_MESH GLUON_DEBUG
 
 show-release:
 	@echo '$(GLUON_RELEASE)'
diff --git a/targets/generic b/targets/generic
index cd133948..7a008e89 100644
--- a/targets/generic
+++ b/targets/generic
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@ config 'CONFIG_PACKAGE_ATH_DEBUG=y'
 try_config 'CONFIG_TARGET_MULTI_PROFILE=y'
 try_config 'CONFIG_TARGET_PER_DEVICE_ROOTFS=y'
 
-if [ "$GLUON_DEBUG" ]
-then
+if [ "$GLUON_DEBUG" = 1 ]; then
 	config 'CONFIG_DEBUG=y'
 	config 'CONFIG_NO_STRIP=y'
 	config '# CONFIG_USE_STRIP is not set'