diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 919fd46f14..e3ad3588e5 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1245,10 +1245,8 @@ AC_SUBST(CLIENTLIBS)
 
 if test "${enable_debug}" = "yes" ; then
     CLIENTGUIFLAGS="${CLIENTGUIFLAGS} -D_DEBUG -DDEBUG"
-fi
-
-# disable wxWidgets debug support which is by default enabled since 2.9.1
-if test "${enable_wx_debug}" = "no" ; then
+else
+    # disable wxWidgets debug support which is by default enabled since 2.9.1
     CLIENTGUIFLAGS="${CLIENTGUIFLAGS} -DNDEBUG"
 fi
 
diff --git a/m4/boinc_wxwidgets.m4 b/m4/boinc_wxwidgets.m4
index 0ffcd8f04a..f5a64a1432 100644
--- a/m4/boinc_wxwidgets.m4
+++ b/m4/boinc_wxwidgets.m4
@@ -8,12 +8,6 @@ AC_DEFUN([BOINC_OPTIONS_WXWIDGETS],[
      [enable_unicode="$enableval"],
      [])
 
-   AC_ARG_ENABLE(wx-debug,
-     AS_HELP_STRING([--disable-wx-debug],
-                   [disable wxWidgets debug support]),
-     [enable_wx_debug="$enableval"],
-     [enable_wx_debug=yes])
-
    AM_OPTIONS_WXCONFIG
      AM_PATH_WXCONFIG($1, [_ac_cv_have_wxwidgets=yes], [_ac_cv_have_wxwidgets=no])
    AC_CACHE_CHECK([if wxWidgets works],[ac_cv_have_wxwidgets],