diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 16985d9f2..ff4c675ee 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+2003-10-01  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <aduret@src.lip6.fr>
+
+	* m4/debug.m4, m4/devel.m4, m4/gccoptim.m4, m4/ndebug.m4: New files.
+	* Makefile.am (EXTRA_DIST): Add them.
+	* configure.ac: Call adl_ENABLE_DEVEL, adl_ENABLE_DEBUG, ad_GCC_OPTIM,
+	and adl_NDEBUG.
+
 2003-09-30  Alexandre Duret-Lutz  <aduret@src.lip6.fr>
 
 	* src/tgba/state.hh (state_ptr_less_than, state_ptr_equal):
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index 9e58f5283..cfe8ae93a 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -9,9 +9,13 @@ SUBDIRS = $(MAYBE_BUDDY) $(MAYBE_LBTT) doc src wrap iface
 
 ACLOCAL_AMFLAGS = -I m4
 EXTRA_DIST = \
-  m4/gccwarn.m4 \
-  m4/pypath.m4 \
   m4/buddy.m4 \
-  m4/lbtt.m4 \
+  m4/debug.m4 \
+  m4/devel.m4 \
+  m4/gccoptim.m4 \
+  m4/gccwarn.m4 \
   m4/gspnlib.m4 \
+  m4/lbtt.m4 \
+  m4/ndebug.m4 \
+  m4/pypath.m4 \
   HACKING
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2141810de..16fe22ad4 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ AC_INIT([spot], [0.0i])
 AC_CONFIG_AUX_DIR([tools])
 AM_INIT_AUTOMAKE([foreign nostdinc check-news 1.7.3])
 
+adl_ENABLE_DEVEL
 adl_CHECK_PYTHON
 
 AC_PROG_CXX
@@ -19,6 +20,9 @@ AX_CHECK_GSPNLIB
 AC_PROG_LIBTOOL
 
 CF_GXX_WARNINGS
+adl_ENABLE_DEBUG
+ad_GCC_OPTIM
+adl_NDEBUG
 
 AC_CHECK_PROG([DOT], [dot], [dot])
 
diff --git a/m4/debug.m4 b/m4/debug.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d1dc6ec9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/debug.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+AC_DEFUN([adl_ENABLE_DEBUG],
+ [AC_ARG_ENABLE([debug],
+  [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug],[enable debugging symbols])])
+  case "${enable_debug}" in
+    yes)
+      AC_DEFINE([DEBUG],1,[Define if you want debugging code.])
+      # We used to use -ggdb3 when supported, but not all tools
+      # are able to grok the resulting debug infos.
+      if test "${ac_cv_prog_cc_g}" = yes; then
+        CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -g"
+      fi
+      ;;
+    no)
+      ;;
+    *)
+      if test "${ac_cv_prog_cc_g}" = yes; then
+        CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -g"
+      fi
+      ;;
+  esac])
diff --git a/m4/devel.m4 b/m4/devel.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cb501c020
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/devel.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+AC_DEFUN([adl_ENABLE_DEVEL],
+[AC_ARG_ENABLE([devel],
+	       [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-devel],
+			       [turn on useful developer options])])
+
+ # Turn on devel options for development version, unless
+ # explicitely turned off.
+ if test -z "$enable_devel"; then
+   case $VERSION in
+     *[abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz])
+       enable_devel=yes ;;
+   esac
+ fi
+
+ if test x"$enable_devel" = xyes; then
+   enable_debug=${enable_debug-yes}
+   enable_warnings=${enable_warnings-yes}
+   enable_assert=${enable_assert-yes}
+   enable_optimizations=${enable_optimizations--O}
+ fi
+])
diff --git a/m4/gccoptim.m4 b/m4/gccoptim.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..44c3ebfd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/gccoptim.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+dnl  Adapted from Akim Demaille <akim@epita.fr> ad_GCC_WARNINGS.
+AC_DEFUN([ad_GCC_OPTIM],
+[AC_ARG_ENABLE([optimizations],
+ [AC_HELP_STRING([--disable-optimizations],
+  [turn off aggressive optimizations])])
+ if test -n "$GCC" -a "${enable_optimizations-yes}" = "yes"; then
+  AC_CACHE_CHECK([for gcc optimization options], ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags,
+  [changequote(,)dnl
+  cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
+#line __oline__ "configure"
+int main(int argc, char *argv[]) { return argv[argc-1] == 0; }
+EOF
+  changequote([,])dnl
+  cf_save_CFLAGS="$CFLAGS"
+  ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags="-O3"
+  for cf_opt in \
+    ffast-math \
+    fstrict-aliasing \
+    fomit-frame-pointer
+  do
+    CFLAGS="$cf_save_CFLAGS $ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags -$cf_opt"
+    if AC_TRY_EVAL([ac_compile]); then
+      ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags="$ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags -$cf_opt"
+    fi
+  done
+  rm -f conftest*
+  CFLAGS="$cf_save_CFLAGS $ac_cv_prog_gcc_opt_flags"])
+else
+  case $enable_optimizations in
+    no) ;;
+    *) CFLAGS="$CFLAGS $enable_optimizations" ;;
+  esac
+fi])
diff --git a/m4/ndebug.m4 b/m4/ndebug.m4
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2e716a0a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/m4/ndebug.m4
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+AC_DEFUN([adl_NDEBUG],
+ [AC_ARG_ENABLE([assert],
+  [AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-assert],[turn on assertions])])
+  if test "$enable_assert" != yes; then
+    CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+  fi])