diff --git a/Makefile.defaults b/Makefile.defaults
index 51090109e..f1ec46f73 100644
--- a/Makefile.defaults
+++ b/Makefile.defaults
@@ -114,12 +114,6 @@ NETSURF_USE_SANITIZERS := NO
 # But recover after sanitizer failure
 NETSURF_RECOVER_SANITIZERS := YES
 
-# Initial CFLAGS. Optimisation level etc. tend to be target specific.
-CFLAGS :=
-
-# Initial CXXFLAGS. Optimisation level etc. tend to be target specific.
-CXXFLAGS :=
-
 # Default installation/execution prefix
 PREFIX ?= /usr/local
 
diff --git a/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile b/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile
index bdedd903b..35179138a 100644
--- a/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile
+++ b/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ CFLAGS += '-DNETSURF_FB_FONT_MONOSPACE_BOLD="$(NETSURF_FB_FONT_MONOSPACE_BOLD)"'
 CFLAGS += '-DNETSURF_FB_FONT_CURSIVE="$(NETSURF_FB_FONT_CURSIVE)"'
 CFLAGS += '-DNETSURF_FB_FONT_FANTASY="$(NETSURF_FB_FONT_FANTASY)"'
 
-CFLAGS += -std=c99 -g -Dsmall \
+CFLAGS += -std=c99 -Dsmall \
 	  -D_BSD_SOURCE \
 	  -D_DEFAULT_SOURCE \
 	  -D_XOPEN_SOURCE=600 \
diff --git a/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile.defaults b/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile.defaults
index cc712e992..f132c97d6 100644
--- a/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile.defaults
+++ b/frontends/framebuffer/Makefile.defaults
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # Optimisation levels
-CFLAGS += -O2
+CFLAGS += 
 
 # Framebuffer default surface provider.
 # Valid values are: x, sdl, linux, vnc, able,
diff --git a/frontends/gtk/Makefile b/frontends/gtk/Makefile
index ec60ce70c..04af6df8f 100644
--- a/frontends/gtk/Makefile
+++ b/frontends/gtk/Makefile
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ GTKDEPFLAGS += -DGTK_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
 endif
 
 
-GTKCFLAGS := -std=c99 -Dgtk -Dnsgtk -g \
+GTKCFLAGS := -std=c99 -Dgtk -Dnsgtk \
 		$(GTKDEPFLAGS) \
 		-D_BSD_SOURCE \
 		-D_DEFAULT_SOURCE \
diff --git a/frontends/gtk/Makefile.defaults b/frontends/gtk/Makefile.defaults
index a98043eb9..bb5371230 100644
--- a/frontends/gtk/Makefile.defaults
+++ b/frontends/gtk/Makefile.defaults
@@ -39,4 +39,4 @@ NETSURF_FS_BACKING_STORE := YES
 NETSURF_GTK_MAJOR ?= 2
 
 # Optimisation levels
-CFLAGS += -O2
+CFLAGS += 
diff --git a/test/Makefile b/test/Makefile
index 4f9dd22c9..8bec9b88a 100644
--- a/test/Makefile
+++ b/test/Makefile
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ ifneq ($(CC_MAJOR),2)
   COMMON_WARNFLAGS += -Wno-unused-parameter
 endif
 
-BASE_TESTCFLAGS := -std=c99 -g \
+BASE_TESTCFLAGS := -std=c99 \
 	$(COMMON_WARNFLAGS) \
 	-D_DEFAULT_SOURCE \
 	-D_POSIX_C_SOURCE=200809L \