diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 3f69c36cf..af49654d6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -146,10 +146,13 @@ message("Command      |   Description")
 message("-------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------")
 message("make install | Install to ${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}")
 message("             | To change that, do:   cmake . -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=yourpath")
-message("make doc     | Generate the API documentation, requires Doxygen & LaTeX")
-message("make btest   | Build the unit tests (doesn't run them)")
+message("make         | Build the unit tests")
+message("             | Note: that's NOT needed if you just want to install Eigen!")
 message("             | Note: this takes lots of time & memory! Easy on the -j option!")
 message("make test    | Build and run the unit tests (using CTest)")
 message("make test_qr | Build a specific test, here test_qr. To run it:   test/test_qr")
+message("make debug_qr| Build a test with full debug info. To run it:   test/debug_qr")
 message("make blas    | Build BLAS library")
+message("make doc     | Generate the API documentation, requires Doxygen & LaTeX")
 message("-------------+-----------------------------------------------------------------")
+
diff --git a/cmake/EigenTesting.cmake b/cmake/EigenTesting.cmake
index d4e0678f9..337e298c0 100644
--- a/cmake/EigenTesting.cmake
+++ b/cmake/EigenTesting.cmake
@@ -27,7 +27,11 @@ endmacro(ei_add_property)
 # void test_<testname>() { ... }
 #
 # this macro add an executable test_<testname> as well as a ctest test
-# named <testname>
+# named <testname>.
+#
+# it also adds another executable debug_<testname> that compiles in full debug mode
+# and is not added to the test target. The idea is that when a test fails you want
+# a quick way of rebuilding this specific test in full debug mode.
 #
 # On platforms with bash simply run:
 #   "ctest -V" or "ctest -V -R <testname>"
@@ -36,39 +40,50 @@ endmacro(ei_add_property)
 macro(ei_add_test testname)
 
   set(targetname test_${testname})
+  set(debug_targetname debug_${testname})
 
   set(filename ${testname}.cpp)
   add_executable(${targetname} ${filename})
-  add_dependencies(btest ${targetname})
+  add_executable(${debug_targetname} ${filename})
 
   if(NOT EIGEN_NO_ASSERTION_CHECKING)
 
     if(MSVC)
       set_target_properties(${targetname} PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "/EHsc")
+      set_target_properties(${debug_targetname} PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "/EHsc")
     else(MSVC)
       set_target_properties(${targetname} PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-fexceptions")
+      set_target_properties(${debug_targetname} PROPERTIES COMPILE_FLAGS "-fexceptions")
     endif(MSVC)
 
     option(EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS "Enable debuging of assertions" OFF)
     if(EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS)
       ei_add_target_property(${targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS=1")
+      ei_add_target_property(${debug_targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS=1")
     endif(EIGEN_DEBUG_ASSERTS)
 
   else(NOT EIGEN_NO_ASSERTION_CHECKING)
 
     ei_add_target_property(${targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_NO_ASSERTION_CHECKING=1")
+    ei_add_target_property(${debug_targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_NO_ASSERTION_CHECKING=1")
 
   endif(NOT EIGEN_NO_ASSERTION_CHECKING)
 
+  # let the user pass e.g. optimization flags, but don't apply them to the debug target
   if(${ARGC} GREATER 1)
     ei_add_target_property(${targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "${ARGV1}")
   endif(${ARGC} GREATER 1)
 
-  ei_add_target_property(${targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_TEST_FUNC=${testname}")
+  # for the debug target, add full debug options
+  if(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
+    # O0 is in principle redundant here, but doesn't hurt
+    ei_add_target_property(${debug_targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-O0 -g3")
+  elseif(MSVC)
+    ei_add_target_property(${debug_targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "/Od /Zi")
+  endif(CMAKE_COMPILER_IS_GNUCXX)
 
-  if(TEST_LIB)
-    target_link_libraries(${targetname} Eigen2)
-  endif(TEST_LIB)
+  ei_add_target_property(${targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_TEST_FUNC=${testname}")
+  ei_add_target_property(${debug_targetname} COMPILE_FLAGS "-DEIGEN_TEST_FUNC=${testname}")
 
   target_link_libraries(${targetname} ${EXTERNAL_LIBS})
   if(${ARGC} GREATER 2)
diff --git a/test/CMakeLists.txt b/test/CMakeLists.txt
index f7f268e48..f8fb5ad18 100644
--- a/test/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/test/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 project(EigenTesting)
 
-add_custom_target(btest)
 include(EigenTesting)
 ei_init_testing()