diff --git a/src/configure b/src/configure
index f86f3abbc0..1ae6cb76b1 100755
--- a/src/configure
+++ b/src/configure
@@ -672,6 +672,7 @@ EXEEXT
 OBJEXT
 CPP
 RANLIB
+STRIP
 GREP
 EGREP
 PREFLAGS
@@ -1368,6 +1369,7 @@ Optional Features:
   --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness cannot be determined
   --enable-gprof          compile for profiling with gprof (gcc only)
   --enable-gcov           compile to gather gcov statistics (gcc3 only)
+  --enable-strip          strip debug on install (usually enabled by default)
   --enable-noopt          drop -O C flags (useful for low-level debugging)
 
 Some influential environment variables:
@@ -2154,6 +2156,11 @@ if test "${enable_gcov+set}" = set; then
 fi
 
 
+# Check whether --enable-noopt was given.
+if test "${enable_noopt+set}" = set; then
+  enableval=$enable_noopt;
+fi
+
 # Check whether --enable-noopt was given.
 if test "${enable_noopt+set}" = set; then
   enableval=$enable_noopt;
@@ -2376,6 +2383,8 @@ show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_gprof}" "gprof"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_gcov}" "gcov"
 
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_noopt}" "No-optimization" "Note that this mode is intended only for debugging purposes"
+show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_strip}" "Debug-symbol stripping"
+show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_strip}" "Debug-symbol stripping"
 
 show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_mac64}" "64-bit Mac OS X"
 
@@ -2461,6 +2470,7 @@ MAIN_VARIANT=3m
 INSTALL_SETUP_FLAGS=
 
 STRIP_DEBUG=":"
+enable_strip_by_default=yes
 
 use_flag_pthread=yes
 skip_iconv_check=no
@@ -4049,7 +4059,6 @@ case "$host_os" in
   linux*)
     LIBS="$LIBS -ldl -lm -rdynamic"
     DYN_CFLAGS="-fPIC"
-    STRIP_DEBUG="strip -S"
     try_poll_syscall=yes
     try_epoll_syscall=yes
     case "$host_cpu" in
@@ -4166,8 +4175,6 @@ _ACEOF
     PREFLAGS="$PREFLAGS -DOS_X -D_DARWIN_UNLIMITED_SELECT"
     try_kqueue_syscall=yes
 
-    STRIP_DEBUG="/usr/bin/strip -S"
-
     SO_SUFFIX=.dylib
 
     # Force 32-bit build unless mac64 is enabled:
@@ -4258,6 +4265,114 @@ if test "${enable_sgc}" = "yes" ; then
   OPTIONS="$OPTIONS -DUSE_SENORA_GC"
 fi
 
+############## Strip tool ################
+
+if test "${enable_strip}" = "" ; then
+  if test "${enable_strip_by_default}" = "yes" ; then
+    enable_strip=yes
+  fi
+fi
+
+if test "${enable_strip}" = "yes" ; then
+  if test -n "$ac_tool_prefix"; then
+  # Extract the first word of "${ac_tool_prefix}strip", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy ${ac_tool_prefix}strip; ac_word=$2
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_STRIP+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$STRIP"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_STRIP="$STRIP" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_STRIP="${ac_tool_prefix}strip"
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+STRIP=$ac_cv_prog_STRIP
+if test -n "$STRIP"; then
+  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $STRIP" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$STRIP" >&6; }
+else
+  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+
+fi
+if test -z "$ac_cv_prog_STRIP"; then
+  ac_ct_STRIP=$STRIP
+  # Extract the first word of "strip", so it can be a program name with args.
+set dummy strip; ac_word=$2
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: checking for $ac_word" >&5
+echo $ECHO_N "checking for $ac_word... $ECHO_C" >&6; }
+if test "${ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_STRIP+set}" = set; then
+  echo $ECHO_N "(cached) $ECHO_C" >&6
+else
+  if test -n "$ac_ct_STRIP"; then
+  ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_STRIP="$ac_ct_STRIP" # Let the user override the test.
+else
+as_save_IFS=$IFS; IFS=$PATH_SEPARATOR
+for as_dir in $PATH
+do
+  IFS=$as_save_IFS
+  test -z "$as_dir" && as_dir=.
+  for ac_exec_ext in '' $ac_executable_extensions; do
+  if { test -f "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" && $as_test_x "$as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext"; }; then
+    ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_STRIP="strip"
+    echo "$as_me:$LINENO: found $as_dir/$ac_word$ac_exec_ext" >&5
+    break 2
+  fi
+done
+done
+IFS=$as_save_IFS
+
+fi
+fi
+ac_ct_STRIP=$ac_cv_prog_ac_ct_STRIP
+if test -n "$ac_ct_STRIP"; then
+  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: $ac_ct_STRIP" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}$ac_ct_STRIP" >&6; }
+else
+  { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: result: no" >&5
+echo "${ECHO_T}no" >&6; }
+fi
+
+  if test "x$ac_ct_STRIP" = x; then
+    STRIP=""
+  else
+    case $cross_compiling:$ac_tool_warned in
+yes:)
+{ echo "$as_me:$LINENO: WARNING: In the future, Autoconf will not detect cross-tools
+whose name does not start with the host triplet.  If you think this
+configuration is useful to you, please write to autoconf@gnu.org." >&5
+echo "$as_me: WARNING: In the future, Autoconf will not detect cross-tools
+whose name does not start with the host triplet.  If you think this
+configuration is useful to you, please write to autoconf@gnu.org." >&2;}
+ac_tool_warned=yes ;;
+esac
+    STRIP=$ac_ct_STRIP
+  fi
+else
+  STRIP="$ac_cv_prog_STRIP"
+fi
+
+  STRIP_DEBUG="$STRIP -S"
+fi
+
 ############## C flags ################
 
 ac_ext=c
@@ -9770,6 +9885,7 @@ EXEEXT!$EXEEXT$ac_delim
 OBJEXT!$OBJEXT$ac_delim
 CPP!$CPP$ac_delim
 RANLIB!$RANLIB$ac_delim
+STRIP!$STRIP$ac_delim
 GREP!$GREP$ac_delim
 EGREP!$EGREP$ac_delim
 PREFLAGS!$PREFLAGS$ac_delim
@@ -9808,7 +9924,6 @@ OSX!$OSX$ac_delim
 NOT_OSX!$NOT_OSX$ac_delim
 MINGW!$MINGW$ac_delim
 NOT_MINGW!$NOT_MINGW$ac_delim
-FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR!$FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR$ac_delim
 _ACEOF
 
   if test `sed -n "s/.*$ac_delim\$/X/p" conf$$subs.sed | grep -c X` = 97; then
@@ -9850,6 +9965,7 @@ _ACEOF
 ac_delim='%!_!# '
 for ac_last_try in false false false false false :; do
   cat >conf$$subs.sed <<_ACEOF
+FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR!$FRAMEWORK_INSTALL_DIR$ac_delim
 FRAMEWORK_REL_INSTALL!$FRAMEWORK_REL_INSTALL$ac_delim
 FRAMEWORK_PREFIX!$FRAMEWORK_PREFIX$ac_delim
 INSTALL_ORIG_TREE!$INSTALL_ORIG_TREE$ac_delim
@@ -9906,7 +10022,7 @@ LIBOBJS!$LIBOBJS$ac_delim
 LTLIBOBJS!$LTLIBOBJS$ac_delim
 _ACEOF
 
-  if test `sed -n "s/.*$ac_delim\$/X/p" conf$$subs.sed | grep -c X` = 54; then
+  if test `sed -n "s/.*$ac_delim\$/X/p" conf$$subs.sed | grep -c X` = 55; then
     break
   elif $ac_last_try; then
     { { echo "$as_me:$LINENO: error: could not make $CONFIG_STATUS" >&5
diff --git a/src/gracket/Makefile.in b/src/gracket/Makefile.in
index 34c6990fa2..927a48a538 100644
--- a/src/gracket/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/gracket/Makefile.in
@@ -196,6 +196,7 @@ install-lib-cgc-wx_xt:
 install-wx_xt-cgc:
 	$(MAKE) @MRLIBINSTALL@-cgc-wx_xt
 	cd ..; $(ICP) gracket/gracket@CGC@ "$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@CGC_INSTALLED@"
+	cd ..; @STRIP_DEBUG@ "$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@CGC_INSTALLED@"
 	@RUN_RACKET_CGC@ -cu "$(srcdir)/../racket/collects-path.rkt" @DIRCVTPRE@"$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@CGC_INSTALLED@@EXE_SUFFIX@"@DIRCVTPOST@ @COLLECTS_PATH@
 
 install-wx_xt-cgc-final:
@@ -210,6 +211,7 @@ install-lib-3m-wx_xt:
 install-wx_xt-3m:
 	$(MAKE) @MRLIBINSTALL@-3m-wx_xt
 	cd ..; $(ICP) gracket/gracket@MMM@ "$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@MMM_INSTALLED@"
+	cd ..; @STRIP_DEBUG@ "$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@MMM_INSTALLED@"
 	@RUN_RACKET_MMM@ -cu "$(srcdir)/../racket/collects-path.rkt" @DIRCVTPRE@"$(DESTDIR)@MZINSTALLBINDIR@/gracket@MMM_INSTALLED@@EXE_SUFFIX@"@DIRCVTPOST@ @COLLECTS_PATH@
 
 install-wx_xt-3m-final:
diff --git a/src/racket/Makefile.in b/src/racket/Makefile.in
index 68297a5c31..624c80aac2 100644
--- a/src/racket/Makefile.in
+++ b/src/racket/Makefile.in
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ unix-install-cgc:
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/libmzgc.@LIBSFX@ "$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libmzgc.@LIBSFX@"
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/libracket.@LIBSFX@ "$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libracket.@LIBSFX@"
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/racket@CGC@ "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@CGC_INSTALLED@"
+	cd ..; $(STRIP_DEBUG) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@CGC_INSTALLED@"
 	cd ..; cp racket/mzdyn.o "$(DESTDIR)$(libpltdir)/mzdyn.o"
 	@RUN_RACKET_CGC@ -cu "$(srcdir)/collects-path.rkt" "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@CGC_INSTALLED@@EXE_SUFFIX@" @COLLECTS_PATH@
 
@@ -349,6 +350,7 @@ unix-install-cgc-final:
 
 unix-install-3m:
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/racket@MMM@ "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@MMM_INSTALLED@"
+	cd ..; $(STRIP_DEBUG) "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@MMM_INSTALLED@"
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/libracket3m.@LIBSFX@ "$(DESTDIR)$(libdir)/libracket3m.@LIBSFX@"
 	cd ..; $(ICP) racket/mzdyn3m.o "$(DESTDIR)$(libpltdir)/mzdyn3m.o"
 	@RUN_RACKET_MMM@ -cu "$(srcdir)/collects-path.rkt" "$(DESTDIR)$(bindir)/racket@MMM_INSTALLED@@EXE_SUFFIX@" @COLLECTS_PATH@
diff --git a/src/racket/configure.ac b/src/racket/configure.ac
index 1263301fa1..5b2d6a3bf9 100644
--- a/src/racket/configure.ac
+++ b/src/racket/configure.ac
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ AC_ARG_ENABLE(bigendian, [  --enable-bigendian      assume "big" if endianness c
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(gprof,   [  --enable-gprof          compile for profiling with gprof (gcc only)])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(gcov,    [  --enable-gcov           compile to gather gcov statistics (gcc3 only)])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(noopt,   [  --enable-strip          strip debug on install (usually enabled by default)])
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(noopt,   [  --enable-noopt          drop -O C flags (useful for low-level debugging)])
 
 ###### Some flags imply other flags #######
@@ -288,6 +289,8 @@ show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_gprof}" "gprof"
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_gcov}" "gcov"
 
 show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_noopt}" "No-optimization" "Note that this mode is intended only for debugging purposes"
+show_explicitly_enabled "${enable_strip}" "Debug-symbol stripping"
+show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_strip}" "Debug-symbol stripping"
 
 show_explicitly_disabled "${enable_mac64}" "64-bit Mac OS X"
 
@@ -373,6 +376,7 @@ MAIN_VARIANT=3m
 INSTALL_SETUP_FLAGS=
 
 STRIP_DEBUG=":"
+enable_strip_by_default=yes
 
 use_flag_pthread=yes
 skip_iconv_check=no
@@ -562,7 +566,6 @@ case "$host_os" in
   linux*)
     LIBS="$LIBS -ldl -lm -rdynamic"
     DYN_CFLAGS="-fPIC"
-    STRIP_DEBUG="strip -S"
     try_poll_syscall=yes
     try_epoll_syscall=yes
     case "$host_cpu" in
@@ -675,8 +678,6 @@ case "$host_os" in
     PREFLAGS="$PREFLAGS -DOS_X -D_DARWIN_UNLIMITED_SELECT"
     try_kqueue_syscall=yes
 
-    STRIP_DEBUG="/usr/bin/strip -S"
-
     SO_SUFFIX=.dylib
 
     # Force 32-bit build unless mac64 is enabled:
@@ -767,6 +768,19 @@ if test "${enable_sgc}" = "yes" ; then
   OPTIONS="$OPTIONS -DUSE_SENORA_GC"
 fi
 
+############## Strip tool ################
+
+if test "${enable_strip}" = "" ; then
+  if test "${enable_strip_by_default}" = "yes" ; then
+    enable_strip=yes
+  fi
+fi
+
+if test "${enable_strip}" = "yes" ; then
+  AC_CHECK_TOOL([STRIP], [strip])
+  STRIP_DEBUG="$STRIP -S"
+fi
+
 ############## C flags ################
 
 AC_LANG_C