diff --git a/pkgs/development/libraries/glibc-2.12/default.nix b/pkgs/development/libraries/glibc-2.12/default.nix
index a57996ff35d7..89e8c60b7dad 100644
--- a/pkgs/development/libraries/glibc-2.12/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/development/libraries/glibc-2.12/default.nix
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 , installLocales ? true
 , profilingLibraries ? false
 , gccCross ? null
+, debugSymbols ? false
 }:
 
 assert stdenv.gcc.gcc != null;
@@ -13,7 +14,7 @@ let
   cross = if gccCross != null then gccCross.target else null;
 in
   build cross ({
-    name = "glibc";
+    name = "glibc${if debugSymbols then "-debug" else ""}";
 
     inherit fetchurl stdenv kernelHeaders installLocales profilingLibraries
       gccCross;
@@ -39,6 +40,18 @@ in
 
   //
 
+  (if debugSymbols
+   then {
+     # Build with debugging symbols, but leave optimizations on and don't
+     # attempt to keep the build tree.
+     dontStrip = true;
+     dontCrossStrip = true;
+     NIX_STRIP_DEBUG = 0;
+   }
+   else {})
+
+  //
+
   (if hurdHeaders != null
    then rec {
      inherit machHeaders hurdHeaders libpthreadHeaders mig fetchgit;