diff --git a/tools/compiler.js b/tools/compiler.js
index 13d7c77d96..6fb07fb596 100644
--- a/tools/compiler.js
+++ b/tools/compiler.js
@@ -1106,7 +1106,8 @@ compiler.compile = function (packageSource, options) {
     cordovaDependencies: packageSource.cordovaDependencies,
     buildTimeDirectDependencies: buildTimeDeps.directDependencies,
     buildTimePluginDependencies: buildTimeDeps.pluginDependencies,
-    includeTool: packageSource.includeTool
+    includeTool: packageSource.includeTool,
+    debugOnly: packageSource.debugOnly
   });
 
   // Compile unibuilds. Might use our plugins, so needs to happen second.
diff --git a/tools/isopack.js b/tools/isopack.js
index 5c836319d0..4a5440149c 100644
--- a/tools/isopack.js
+++ b/tools/isopack.js
@@ -235,6 +235,7 @@ var Isopack = function () {
   self.version = null;
   self.earliestCompatibleVersion = null;
   self.isTest = false;
+  self.debugOnly = false;
 
   // Unibuilds, an array of class Unibuild.
   self.unibuilds = [];
@@ -317,6 +318,7 @@ _.extend(Isopack.prototype, {
     self.buildTimeDirectDependencies = options.buildTimeDirectDependencies;
     self.buildTimePluginDependencies = options.buildTimePluginDependencies;
     self.includeTool = options.includeTool;
+    self.debugOnly = options.debugOnly;
   },
 
   // Programmatically add a unibuild to this Isopack. Should only be
@@ -626,6 +628,7 @@ _.extend(Isopack.prototype, {
       self.version = mainJson.version;
       self.earliestCompatibleVersion = mainJson.earliestCompatibleVersion;
       self.isTest = mainJson.isTest;
+      self.debugOnly = !!mainJson.debugOnly;
     }
     _.each(mainJson.plugins, function (pluginMeta) {
       rejectBadPath(pluginMeta.path);
@@ -765,6 +768,9 @@ _.extend(Isopack.prototype, {
         plugins: []
       };
 
+      if (self.debugOnly) {
+        mainJson.debugOnly = true;
+      }
       if (! _.isEmpty(self.cordovaDependencies)) {
         mainJson.cordovaDependencies = self.cordovaDependencies;
       }