diff --git a/core/binary.mk b/core/binary.mk
index 3c721ba..d58e02e 100644
--- a/core/binary.mk
+++ b/core/binary.mk
@@ -47,11 +47,11 @@
 arm_objects_mode := $(if $(LOCAL_ARM_MODE),$(LOCAL_ARM_MODE),arm)
 normal_objects_mode := $(if $(LOCAL_ARM_MODE),$(LOCAL_ARM_MODE),thumb)
 
-# Read the values from something like TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS or
-# TARGET_thumb_debug_CFLAGS.  HOST_(arm|thumb)_(release|debug)_CFLAGS
-# values aren't actually used (although they are usually empty).
-arm_objects_cflags := $($(my_prefix)$(arm_objects_mode)_$($(my_prefix)BUILD_TYPE)_CFLAGS)
-normal_objects_cflags := $($(my_prefix)$(normal_objects_mode)_$($(my_prefix)BUILD_TYPE)_CFLAGS)
+# Read the values from something like TARGET_arm_CFLAGS or
+# TARGET_thumb_CFLAGS.  HOST_(arm|thumb)_CFLAGS values aren't
+# actually used (although they are usually empty).
+arm_objects_cflags := $($(my_prefix)$(arm_objects_mode)_CFLAGS)
+normal_objects_cflags := $($(my_prefix)$(normal_objects_mode)_CFLAGS)
 
 ###########################################################
 ## Define per-module debugging flags.  Users can turn on
diff --git a/core/combo/linux-arm.mk b/core/combo/linux-arm.mk
index 6826c79..f252445 100644
--- a/core/combo/linux-arm.mk
+++ b/core/combo/linux-arm.mk
@@ -73,40 +73,39 @@
 
 $(combo_target)NO_UNDEFINED_LDFLAGS := -Wl,--no-undefined
 
-TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS :=    -O2 \
-                                -fomit-frame-pointer \
-                                -fstrict-aliasing    \
-                                -funswitch-loops     \
-                                -finline-limit=300
+TARGET_arm_CFLAGS :=    -O2 \
+                        -fomit-frame-pointer \
+                        -fstrict-aliasing    \
+                        -funswitch-loops     \
+                        -finline-limit=300
 
 # Modules can choose to compile some source as thumb. As 
 # non-thumb enabled targets are supported, this is treated
 # as a 'hint'. If thumb is not enabled, these files are just
 # compiled as ARM.
 ifeq ($(ARCH_ARM_HAVE_THUMB_SUPPORT),true)
-TARGET_thumb_release_CFLAGS :=  -mthumb \
-                                -Os \
-                                -fomit-frame-pointer \
-                                -fno-strict-aliasing \
-                                -finline-limit=64
+TARGET_thumb_CFLAGS :=  -mthumb \
+                        -Os \
+                        -fomit-frame-pointer \
+                        -fno-strict-aliasing \
+                        -finline-limit=64
 else
-TARGET_thumb_release_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS)
+TARGET_thumb_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_arm_CFLAGS)
 endif
 
-# When building for debug, compile everything as arm.
-TARGET_arm_debug_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS) -fno-omit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing
-TARGET_thumb_debug_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_thumb_release_CFLAGS) -marm -fno-omit-frame-pointer
-
-# NOTE: if you try to build a debug build with thumb, several
+# Set FORCE_ARM_DEBUGGING to "true" in your buildspec.mk
+# or in your environment to force a full arm build, even for
+# files that are normally built as thumb; this can make
+# gdb debugging easier.  Don't forget to do a clean build.
+#
+# NOTE: if you try to build a -O0 build with thumb, several
 # of the libraries (libpv, libwebcore, libkjs) need to be built
 # with -mlong-calls.  When built at -O0, those libraries are
 # too big for a thumb "BL <label>" to go from one end to the other.
-
-## As hopefully a temporary hack,
-## use this to force a full ARM build (for easier debugging in gdb)
-## (don't forget to do a clean build)
-##TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_arm_release_CFLAGS) -fno-omit-frame-pointer
-##TARGET_thumb_release_CFLAGS := $(TARGET_thumb_release_CFLAGS) -marm -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+ifeq ($(FORCE_ARM_DEBUGGING),true)
+  TARGET_arm_CFLAGS += -fno-omit-frame-pointer -fno-strict-aliasing
+  TARGET_thumb_CFLAGS += -marm -fno-omit-frame-pointer
+endif
 
 android_config_h := $(call select-android-config-h,linux-arm)
 arch_include_dir := $(dir $(android_config_h))
diff --git a/core/combo/select.mk b/core/combo/select.mk
index c54da22..273b660 100644
--- a/core/combo/select.mk
+++ b/core/combo/select.mk
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@
 #   $(combo_target)OS -- standard name for this host (LINUX, DARWIN, etc.)
 #   $(combo_target)ARCH -- standard name for process architecture (powerpc, x86, etc.)
 #   $(combo_target)GLOBAL_CFLAGS -- C compiler flags to use for everything
-#   $(combo_target)DEBUG_CFLAGS -- additional C compiler flags for debug builds
 #   $(combo_target)RELEASE_CFLAGS -- additional C compiler flags for release builds
 #   $(combo_target)GLOBAL_ARFLAGS -- flags to use for static linking everything
 #   $(combo_target)SHLIB_SUFFIX -- suffix of shared libraries
@@ -39,7 +38,6 @@
 
 # These flags might (will) be overridden by the target makefiles
 $(combo_target)GLOBAL_CFLAGS := -fno-exceptions -Wno-multichar
-$(combo_target)DEBUG_CFLAGS := -O0 -g
 $(combo_target)RELEASE_CFLAGS := -O2 -g -fno-strict-aliasing
 $(combo_target)GLOBAL_ARFLAGS := crs
 
diff --git a/core/config.mk b/core/config.mk
index 90a40a7..1ce5937 100644
--- a/core/config.mk
+++ b/core/config.mk
@@ -76,11 +76,9 @@
 
 # These can be changed to modify both host and device modules.
 COMMON_GLOBAL_CFLAGS:= -DANDROID -fmessage-length=0 -W -Wall -Wno-unused
-COMMON_DEBUG_CFLAGS:=
 COMMON_RELEASE_CFLAGS:= -DNDEBUG -UDEBUG
 
 COMMON_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS:=
-COMMON_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS:=
 COMMON_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS:=
 
 # Set the extensions used for various packages
@@ -227,19 +225,15 @@
 # ###############################################################
 
 HOST_GLOBAL_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_GLOBAL_CFLAGS)
-HOST_DEBUG_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_DEBUG_CFLAGS)
 HOST_RELEASE_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
 
 HOST_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS)
-HOST_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS)
 HOST_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
 
 TARGET_GLOBAL_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_GLOBAL_CFLAGS)
-TARGET_DEBUG_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_DEBUG_CFLAGS)
 TARGET_RELEASE_CFLAGS += $(COMMON_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
 
 TARGET_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS)
-TARGET_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS)
 TARGET_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS += $(COMMON_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
 
 HOST_GLOBAL_LD_DIRS += -L$(HOST_OUT_INTERMEDIATE_LIBRARIES)
@@ -250,7 +244,7 @@
 
 # Many host compilers don't support these flags, so we have to make
 # sure to only specify them for the target compilers checked in to
-# the source tree. The simulator uses the target flags but the
+# the source tree. The simulator passes the target flags to the
 # host compiler, so only set them for the target when the target
 # is not the simulator.
 ifneq ($(TARGET_SIMULATOR),true)
@@ -258,21 +252,11 @@
 TARGET_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS += $(TARGET_ERROR_FLAGS)
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(HOST_BUILD_TYPE),release)
-HOST_GLOBAL_CFLAGS+= $(HOST_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
-HOST_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS+= $(HOST_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
-else
-HOST_GLOBAL_CFLAGS+= $(HOST_DEBUG_CFLAGS)
-HOST_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS+= $(HOST_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS)
-endif
+HOST_GLOBAL_CFLAGS += $(HOST_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
+HOST_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS += $(HOST_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
 
-ifeq ($(TARGET_BUILD_TYPE),release)
-TARGET_GLOBAL_CFLAGS+= $(TARGET_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
-TARGET_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS+= $(TARGET_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
-else
-TARGET_GLOBAL_CFLAGS+= $(TARGET_DEBUG_CFLAGS)
-TARGET_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS+= $(TARGET_DEBUG_CPPFLAGS)
-endif
+TARGET_GLOBAL_CFLAGS += $(TARGET_RELEASE_CFLAGS)
+TARGET_GLOBAL_CPPFLAGS += $(TARGET_RELEASE_CPPFLAGS)
 
 # TODO: do symbol compression
 TARGET_COMPRESS_MODULE_SYMBOLS := false
diff --git a/core/product_config.mk b/core/product_config.mk
index 17cb413..7cfa5f4 100644
--- a/core/product_config.mk
+++ b/core/product_config.mk
@@ -256,13 +256,11 @@
     $(PRODUCTS.$(INTERNAL_PRODUCT).PRODUCT_OTA_PUBLIC_KEYS))
 
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------
-# Force the simulator to be the simulator, and make BUILD_TYPE
-# default to debug.
+# Simulator overrides
 ifeq ($(TARGET_PRODUCT),sim)
+  # Tell the build system to turn on some special cases
+  # to deal with the simulator product.
   TARGET_SIMULATOR := true
-  ifeq (,$(strip $(TARGET_BUILD_TYPE)))
-    TARGET_BUILD_TYPE := debug
-  endif
   # dexpreopt doesn't work when building the simulator
   DISABLE_DEXPREOPT := true
 endif