diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 35ee9385f..8b4502334 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -37,8 +37,10 @@ usage() {
 INSTALL_PREFIX="${dir_root}/install"
 CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR="lib"
 CMAKE_OPTS=""
+BUILD_TYPE="${BUILD_TYPE:-"Release"}"
 BUILD_TARGET="${MACHINE_ID:-'localhost'}"
-BUILD_VERBOSE="NO"
+BUILD_JOBS="${BUILD_JOBS:-8}"
+BUILD_VERBOSE="${BUILD_VERBOSE:-"NO"}"
 BUILD_TESTING="OFF"
 CLONE_JCSDADATA="NO"
 CLEAN_BUILD="NO"
@@ -94,7 +96,13 @@ case ${BUILD_TARGET} in
     ;;
 esac
 
-CMAKE_OPTS+=" -DCLONE_JCSDADATA=$CLONE_JCSDADATA -DMACHINE=$BUILD_TARGET -DBUILD_TESTING=$BUILD_TESTING"
+CMAKE_OPTS+=" -DCLONE_JCSDADATA=$CLONE_JCSDADATA -DMACHINE=$BUILD_TARGET -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$BUILD_TYPE -DBUILD_TESTING=$BUILD_TESTING"
+
+# Intel debug build for NCO
+if [[ $BUILD_TYPE == "Debug" && $COMPILER == "intel" ]]; then
+    BUILD_VERBOSE="YES"
+    CMAKE_OPTS+=" -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=${dir_root}/nco-debug.cmake"
+fi
 
 # TODO: Remove LD_LIBRARY_PATH line as soon as permanent solution is available
 if [[ $BUILD_TARGET == 'wcoss2' ]]; then
diff --git a/nco-debug.cmake b/nco-debug.cmake
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7be739695
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nco-debug.cmake
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+set(CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS "-ftrapuv -g -traceback -check all,noarg_temp_created ${CMAKE_Fortran_FLAGS}" CACHE STRING "Fortran flags" FORCE)
+set(CMAKE_C_FLAGS "-ftrapuv -g -traceback -check=uninit ${CMAKE_C_FLAGS}" CACHE STRING "C flags" FORCE)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS "-ftrapuv -g -traceback -check=uninit ${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS}" CACHE STRING "C++ flags" FORCE)