diff --git a/configure b/configure
index d87638c07d..01fcbe4804 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -26419,7 +26419,7 @@ $as_echo "all ($DEBUG_PKG)" >&6; }
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: none" >&5
 $as_echo "none" >&6; }
     DEBUG_PKG=
-    H5_CPPFLAGS="$H5_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+##    H5_CPPFLAGS="$H5_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
     ;;
   *)
     { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $DEBUG_PKG" >&5
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 895cb30b45..c84d933a49 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1772,7 +1772,7 @@ case "X-$DEBUG_PKG" in
   X-no|X-none)
     AC_MSG_RESULT([none])
     DEBUG_PKG=
-    H5_CPPFLAGS="$H5_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+##    H5_CPPFLAGS="$H5_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
     ;;
   *)
     AC_MSG_RESULT([$DEBUG_PKG])