diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index c0bf072d..4baea960 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -28,6 +28,16 @@ AC_CHECK_LIB([pthread], [pthread_create])
 # Program checks
 AC_CHECK_PROGS(TAR, tar)
 
+# Enable/Disable debug mode
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(
+  [debug],
+  [AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-debug], [Enable debug mode (disabled by default)])]
+)
+AS_IF(
+  [test "x$enable_debug" == "xyes"],
+  [AC_DEFINE(DEBUG_MODE, 1, [Debug enabled])]
+)
+
 
 # Enable/disable options
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(
diff --git a/scripts/github_actions/build_ci.bash b/scripts/github_actions/build_ci.bash
index 5a688ecd..38f5162b 100755
--- a/scripts/github_actions/build_ci.bash
+++ b/scripts/github_actions/build_ci.bash
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ sudo ln -s /usr/share/docutils/scripts/python3/rst2man /usr/bin/rst2man.py
 
 # Build Swupd
 autoreconf --verbose --warnings=none --install --force
-./configure CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fsanitize=address -Werror" --prefix=/usr --with-fallback-capaths="$PWD"/swupd_test_certificates --with-systemdsystemunitdir=/usr/lib/systemd/system --with-config-file-path="$PWD"/testconfig
+./configure CFLAGS="$CFLAGS -fsanitize=address -Werror" --prefix=/usr --with-fallback-capaths="$PWD"/swupd_test_certificates --with-systemdsystemunitdir=/usr/lib/systemd/system --with-config-file-path="$PWD"/testconfig --enable-debug
 make -j$CORES
 
 # Needed to initialize the host for auto-update. Without these steps auto-update
diff --git a/src/lib/macros.h b/src/lib/macros.h
index 6efbe719..71cd2f15 100644
--- a/src/lib/macros.h
+++ b/src/lib/macros.h
@@ -18,4 +18,14 @@
 /** @brief Return the max between 2 values. */
 #define MAX(_a, _b) ((_a) > (_b) ? (_a) : (_b))
 
+#ifdef DEBUG_MODE
+#define UNEXPECTED() abort()
+#else
+/**
+ * @brief To be used in all checks where we assume swupd should never get in to.
+ * This macro aborts execution only when DEBUG_MODE is used.
+ */
+#define UNEXPECTED()
+#endif
+
 #endif