diff --git a/Makefile.global.in b/Makefile.global.in
index b3efb54ca..df8eb7cd8 100644
--- a/Makefile.global.in
+++ b/Makefile.global.in
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ endif
 
 # Add options passed to configure or computed therein, to CFLAGS/CPPFLAGS/...
 override CFLAGS += @CFLAGS@ @CITUS_CFLAGS@
-override CPPFLAGS := @CPPFLAGS@ -I '${citus_abs_top_srcdir}/src/include' -I'${citus_top_builddir}/src/include' $(CPPFLAGS)
+override CPPFLAGS := @CPPFLAGS@ @CITUS_CPPFLAGS@ -I '${citus_abs_top_srcdir}/src/include' -I'${citus_top_builddir}/src/include' $(CPPFLAGS)
 override LDFLAGS += @LDFLAGS@ @CITUS_LDFLAGS@
 
 # optional file with user defined, additional, rules
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index fa5a70cac..c61422438 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -625,6 +625,7 @@ LIBOBJS
 POSTGRES_BUILDDIR
 POSTGRES_SRCDIR
 CITUS_LDFLAGS
+CITUS_CPPFLAGS
 CITUS_CFLAGS
 EGREP
 GREP
@@ -4052,7 +4053,9 @@ if test "${enable_coverage+set}" = set; then :
 fi
 
 if test "$enable_coverage" = yes; then
-    CITUS_CFLAGS="$CITUS_CFLAGS -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage"
+    CITUS_CFLAGS="$CITUS_CFLAGS -O0 -g --coverage"
+    CITUS_CPPFLAGS="$CITUS_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+    CITUS_LDFLAGS="$CITUS_LDFLAGS --coverage"
 fi
 
 #
@@ -4183,7 +4186,9 @@ _ACEOF
 
 CITUS_CFLAGS="$CITUS_CFLAGS"
 
-CITUS_LDFLAGS="$LIBS"
+CITUS_CPPFLAGS="$CITUS_CPPFLAGS"
+
+CITUS_LDFLAGS="$LIBS $CITUS_LDFLAGS"
 
 POSTGRES_SRCDIR="$POSTGRES_SRCDIR"
 
diff --git a/configure.in b/configure.in
index 438e46571..315a03393 100644
--- a/configure.in
+++ b/configure.in
@@ -170,7 +170,9 @@ CITUSAC_PROG_CC_CFLAGS_OPT([-Werror=vla])  # visual studio does not support thes
 #
 AC_ARG_ENABLE([coverage], AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-coverage], [build with coverage testing instrumentation]))
 if test "$enable_coverage" = yes; then
-    CITUS_CFLAGS="$CITUS_CFLAGS -fprofile-arcs -ftest-coverage"
+    CITUS_CFLAGS="$CITUS_CFLAGS -O0 -g --coverage"
+    CITUS_CPPFLAGS="$CITUS_CPPFLAGS -DNDEBUG"
+    CITUS_LDFLAGS="$CITUS_LDFLAGS --coverage"
 fi
 
 #
@@ -201,7 +203,8 @@ AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(REPORTS_BASE_URL, "$REPORTS_BASE_URL",
                    [Base URL for statistics collection and update checks])
 
 AC_SUBST(CITUS_CFLAGS, "$CITUS_CFLAGS")
-AC_SUBST(CITUS_LDFLAGS, "$LIBS")
+AC_SUBST(CITUS_CPPFLAGS, "$CITUS_CPPFLAGS")
+AC_SUBST(CITUS_LDFLAGS, "$LIBS $CITUS_LDFLAGS")
 AC_SUBST(POSTGRES_SRCDIR, "$POSTGRES_SRCDIR")
 AC_SUBST(POSTGRES_BUILDDIR, "$POSTGRES_BUILDDIR")