diff --git a/make/autoconf/flags-cflags.m4 b/make/autoconf/flags-cflags.m4
index cb86f3acf0..a2abf6dec8 100644
--- a/make/autoconf/flags-cflags.m4
+++ b/make/autoconf/flags-cflags.m4
@@ -112,17 +112,36 @@ AC_DEFUN([FLAGS_SETUP_SHARED_LIBS],
 
 AC_DEFUN([FLAGS_SETUP_DEBUG_SYMBOLS],
 [
+  UTIL_ARG_WITH(NAME: native-debug-symbols-level, TYPE: string,
+    DEFAULT: "",
+    RESULT: DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL,
+    DESC: [set the native debug symbol level (GCC and Clang only)],
+    DEFAULT_DESC: [toolchain default])
+  AC_SUBST(DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL)
+
+  if test "x${TOOLCHAIN_TYPE}" = xgcc || \
+     test "x${TOOLCHAIN_TYPE}" = xclang; then
+    DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS="-g"
+    if test "x${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL}" != "x"; then
+      DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS="-g${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL}"
+      FLAGS_COMPILER_CHECK_ARGUMENTS(ARGUMENT: [${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS}],
+          IF_FALSE: AC_MSG_ERROR("Debug info level ${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL} is not supported"))
+    fi
+  fi
+
   # By default don't set any specific assembler debug
   # info flags for toolchains unless we know they work.
   # See JDK-8207057.
   ASFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS=""
   # Debug symbols
   if test "x$TOOLCHAIN_TYPE" = xgcc; then
-    CFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="-g"
-    ASFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="-g"
+    # Debug info level should follow the debug format to be effective.
+    CFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS}"
+    ASFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS}"
   elif test "x$TOOLCHAIN_TYPE" = xclang; then
-    CFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="-g"
-    ASFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="-g"
+    # Debug info level should follow the debug format to be effective.
+    CFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS}"
+    ASFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="${DEBUG_SYMBOLS_LEVEL_FLAGS}"
   elif test "x$TOOLCHAIN_TYPE" = xsolstudio; then
     # -g0 enables debug symbols without disabling inlining.
     CFLAGS_DEBUG_SYMBOLS="-g0 -xs"