diff --git a/tools/perf/Makefile b/tools/perf/Makefile
index 64c6b7b57d85..65e6e52fe378 100644
--- a/tools/perf/Makefile
+++ b/tools/perf/Makefile
@@ -201,7 +201,14 @@ EXTRA_WARNINGS := $(EXTRA_WARNINGS) -Wold-style-definition
 EXTRA_WARNINGS := $(EXTRA_WARNINGS) -Wstrict-prototypes
 EXTRA_WARNINGS := $(EXTRA_WARNINGS) -Wdeclaration-after-statement
 
-CFLAGS = $(MBITS) -ggdb3 -Wall -Wextra -std=gnu99 -Werror -O6 -fstack-protector-all -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 $(EXTRA_WARNINGS)
+ifeq ("$(origin DEBUG)", "command line")
+  PERF_DEBUG = $(DEBUG)
+endif
+ifndef PERF_DEBUG
+  CFLAGS_OPTIMIZE = -O6
+endif
+
+CFLAGS = $(MBITS) -ggdb3 -Wall -Wextra -std=gnu99 -Werror $(CFLAGS_OPTIMIZE) -fstack-protector-all -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 $(EXTRA_WARNINGS)
 LDFLAGS = -lpthread -lrt -lelf -lm
 ALL_CFLAGS = $(CFLAGS)
 ALL_LDFLAGS = $(LDFLAGS)