diff --git a/backends/tfhe-cuda-backend/cuda/CMakeLists.txt b/backends/tfhe-cuda-backend/cuda/CMakeLists.txt
index ad452451ed..b152d20515 100644
--- a/backends/tfhe-cuda-backend/cuda/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/backends/tfhe-cuda-backend/cuda/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -67,9 +67,21 @@ endif()
 
 add_compile_definitions(CUDA_ARCH=${CUDA_ARCH})
 
+# Check if the DEBUG flag is defined
+if(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL "Debug")
+  # Debug mode
+  message("Compiling in Debug mode")
+  add_definitions(-DDEBUG)
+  set(OPTIMIZATION_FLAGS "${OPTIMIZATION_FLAGS} -O0 -G -g")
+else()
+  # Release mode
+  message("Compiling in Release mode")
+  set(OPTIMIZATION_FLAGS "${OPTIMIZATION_FLAGS} -O3")
+endif()
+
 # in production, should use -arch=sm_70 --ptxas-options=-v to see register spills -lineinfo for better debugging
 set(CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS
-    "${CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS} -ccbin ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} -O3 \
+    "${CMAKE_CUDA_FLAGS} -ccbin ${CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER} ${OPTIMIZATION_FLAGS}\
   -std=c++17 --no-exceptions  --expt-relaxed-constexpr -rdc=true \
   --use_fast_math -Xcompiler -fPIC")