diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 2d711a6be..f7c0ffe00 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug-freelist,
     AC_DEFINE(GUILE_DEBUG_FREELIST)
   fi)
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(debug-malloc,
+  [  --enable-debug-malloc      Include malloc debugging code],
+  if test "$enable_debug_malloc" = y || test "$enable_debug_malloc" = yes; then
+    AC_DEFINE(GUILE_DEBUG_MALLOC)
+  fi)
+
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(arrays,
   [  --disable-arrays        omit array and uniform array support],,
   enable_arrays=yes)
@@ -90,6 +96,10 @@ if test "$enable_networking" = yes; then
    AC_DEFINE(HAVE_NETWORKING)
 fi
 
+if test "$enable_debug_malloc" = yes; then
+   LIBOBJS="$LIBOBJS debug-malloc.o"
+fi
+
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 AC_LIBLTDL_CONVENIENCE