diff --git a/orc/orccodemem.c b/orc/orccodemem.c
index aef02dc10712e074ee0f64c39521c49f7044f618..d56afcdeb892168a56f20d9d18602bef40262cbe 100644
--- a/orc/orccodemem.c
+++ b/orc/orccodemem.c
@@ -44,7 +44,9 @@ orc_compiler_allocate_codemem (OrcCompiler *compiler)
       ORC_COMPILER_ERROR (compiler, "failed to create temp file");
       return;
     }
-    unlink (filename);
+    if (!_orc_compiler_flag_debug) {
+      unlink (filename);
+    }
     free (filename);
   }
 
diff --git a/orc/orccompiler.c b/orc/orccompiler.c
index 1749b29f1c42d19c62f56d887fcddae21ccddb80..fd8ac5842247e52d37272321f42fbb080887ca4b 100644
--- a/orc/orccompiler.c
+++ b/orc/orccompiler.c
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ int orc_compiler_dup_temporary (OrcCompiler *compiler, int var, int j);
 void orc_compiler_check_sizes (OrcCompiler *compiler);
 
 static char **_orc_compiler_flag_list;
-static int _orc_compiler_flag_backup;
+int _orc_compiler_flag_backup;
+int _orc_compiler_flag_debug;
 
 void
 _orc_compiler_init (void)
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ _orc_compiler_init (void)
   }
 
   _orc_compiler_flag_backup = orc_compiler_flag_check ("backup");
+  _orc_compiler_flag_debug = orc_compiler_flag_check ("debug");
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/orc/orcprogram-sse.c b/orc/orcprogram-sse.c
index 52d308e6adee0d48eec2bd49356e0915223d69c0..e4d83f2974c598587f8f5e0d89cf7308d1701998 100644
--- a/orc/orcprogram-sse.c
+++ b/orc/orcprogram-sse.c
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ static OrcTarget sse_target = {
   sse_get_flag_name
 };
 
-static int _orc_compiler_flag_debug;
 
 
 void
@@ -68,8 +67,6 @@ orc_sse_init (void)
   orc_target_register (&sse_target);
 
   orc_compiler_sse_register_rules (&sse_target);
-
-  _orc_compiler_flag_debug = orc_compiler_flag_check ("debug");
 }
 
 unsigned int
diff --git a/orc/orcprogram.h b/orc/orcprogram.h
index 15b314b230bfa92bbaebba52e160579727c641b1..5d00ba3ebff4170ef2393cd35782f8cb1b85d0e2 100644
--- a/orc/orcprogram.h
+++ b/orc/orcprogram.h
@@ -605,6 +605,9 @@ extern int _orc_data_cache_size_level1;
 extern int _orc_data_cache_size_level2;
 extern int _orc_data_cache_size_level3;
 
+extern int _orc_compiler_flag_backup;
+extern int _orc_compiler_flag_debug;
+
 #endif
 
 #endif