diff --git a/config/config_default.cmake b/config/config_default.cmake
index 055f0b2..b4d1e6b 100755
--- a/config/config_default.cmake
+++ b/config/config_default.cmake
@@ -42,7 +42,8 @@
 
 set(TFM_INSTALL_PATH                    ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/install CACHE PATH "Path to which to install TF-M files")
 
-set(TFM_CODE_COVERAGE                   OFF         CACHE BOOL      "Whether to build the binary for lcov tools by adding -g")
+set(TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS                   ON          CACHE BOOL      "Add debug symbols. Note that setting CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE to Debug or RelWithDebInfo will also add debug symbols.")
+set(TFM_CODE_COVERAGE                   OFF         CACHE BOOL      "Whether to build the binary for lcov tools")
 
 set(TFM_SP_META_PTR_ENABLE              OFF         CACHE BOOL      "Use Partition Metadata Pointer")
 
diff --git a/docs/technical_references/instructions/tfm_build_instruction.rst b/docs/technical_references/instructions/tfm_build_instruction.rst
index 378b299..3000981 100644
--- a/docs/technical_references/instructions/tfm_build_instruction.rst
+++ b/docs/technical_references/instructions/tfm_build_instruction.rst
@@ -94,17 +94,20 @@
 types are:
 
  - ``Debug``
- - ``Relwithdebinfo``
+ - ``RelWithDebInfo``
  - ``Release``
- - ``Minsizerel``
+ - ``MinSizeRel``
 
 ``Release`` is default.
 
-Both ``Debug`` and ``Relwithdebinfo`` will include debug symbols in the output
-files. ``Relwithdebinfo``, ``Release`` and ``Minsizerel`` have optimization
-turned on and hence will produce smaller, faster code. ``Minsizerel`` will
-produce the smallest code, and hence is often a good idea on RAM or flash
-constrained systems.
+Debug symbols are added by default to all builds, but can be removed
+from ``Release`` and ``MinSizeRel`` builds by setting
+``TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS`` to ``OFF``.
+
+``RelWithDebInfo``, ``Release`` and ``MinSizeRel`` all have different
+optimizations turned on and hence will produce smaller, faster code
+than ``Debug``. ``MinSizeRel`` will produce the smallest code, and
+hence is often a good idea on RAM or flash constrained systems.
 
 Other cmake parameters
 ----------------------
diff --git a/toolchain_ARMCLANG.cmake b/toolchain_ARMCLANG.cmake
index c0e6a5c..1908bdc 100644
--- a/toolchain_ARMCLANG.cmake
+++ b/toolchain_ARMCLANG.cmake
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
         $<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C>,$<NOT:$<BOOL:${TFM_SYSTEM_FP}>>>:-mfpu=none>
         $<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:ASM>,$<NOT:$<BOOL:${TFM_SYSTEM_FP}>>>:--fpu=none>
         $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:ASM>:--cpu=${CMAKE_ASM_CPU_FLAG}>
+        $<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C>,$<BOOL:${TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS}>>:-g>
     )
 endmacro()
 
diff --git a/toolchain_GNUARM.cmake b/toolchain_GNUARM.cmake
index 359f846..78705c4 100644
--- a/toolchain_GNUARM.cmake
+++ b/toolchain_GNUARM.cmake
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
         -mthumb
         -nostdlib
         -std=c99
-        $<$<BOOL:${TFM_CODE_COVERAGE}>:-g>
+        $<$<BOOL:${TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS}>:-g>
         $<$<NOT:$<BOOL:${TFM_SYSTEM_FP}>>:-msoft-float>
     )
 endmacro()
diff --git a/toolchain_IARARM.cmake b/toolchain_IARARM.cmake
index ec532f1..0984c8e 100644
--- a/toolchain_IARARM.cmake
+++ b/toolchain_IARARM.cmake
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@
         $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C,CXX>:-DNO_TYPEOF>
         $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C,CXX>:-D_NO_DEFINITIONS_IN_HEADER_FILES>
         $<$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C,CXX>:--diag_suppress=Pe546,Pe940,Pa082,Pa084>
+        $<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:C,CXX>,$<BOOL:${TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS}>>:--debug>
+        $<$<AND:$<COMPILE_LANGUAGE:ASM>,$<BOOL:${TFM_DEBUG_SYMBOLS}>>:-r>
     )
 endmacro()
 
@@ -189,4 +191,4 @@
 
 macro(compiler_link_shared_code TARGET SHARED_CODE_PATH ORIG_TARGET LIB_LIST)
     message(FATAL_ERROR "Code sharing support is not implemented by IAR.")
-endmacro()
\ No newline at end of file
+endmacro()