diff --git a/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/Config.in b/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/Config.in
index 92cd6e5642..beb95fbf06 100644
--- a/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/Config.in
+++ b/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/Config.in
@@ -130,4 +130,9 @@ config BR2_TARGET_ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_ADDITIONAL_VARIABLES
 	  Additional parameters for the ATF build
 	  E.G. 'DEBUG=1 LOG_LEVEL=20'
 
+config BR2_TARGET_ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_DEBUG
+	bool "Build in debug mode"
+	help
+	  Enable this option to build ATF with DEBUG=1.
+
 endif
diff --git a/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/arm-trusted-firmware.mk b/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/arm-trusted-firmware.mk
index f35e91eefe..9a23e3d336 100644
--- a/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/arm-trusted-firmware.mk
+++ b/boot/arm-trusted-firmware/arm-trusted-firmware.mk
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@ endif
 ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_INSTALL_IMAGES = YES
 
 ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_PLATFORM = $(call qstrip,$(BR2_TARGET_ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_PLATFORM))
+
+ifeq ($(BR2_TARGET_ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_DEBUG),y)
+ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_MAKE_OPTS += DEBUG=1
+ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_IMG_DIR = $(@D)/build/$(ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_PLATFORM)/debug
+else
 ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_IMG_DIR = $(@D)/build/$(ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_PLATFORM)/release
+endif
 
 ARM_TRUSTED_FIRMWARE_MAKE_OPTS += \
 	CROSS_COMPILE="$(TARGET_CROSS)" \