diff --git a/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py b/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..299493a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.waf-tools/default-compiler-flags.py
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# -*- Mode: python; py-indent-offset: 4; indent-tabs-mode: nil; coding: utf-8; -*-
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2014, Regents of the University of California
+#
+# GPL 3.0 license, see the COPYING.md file for more information
+
+from waflib import Logs, Configure
+
+def options(opt):
+    opt.add_option('--debug', '--with-debug', action='store_true', default=False, dest='debug',
+                   help='''Compile in debugging mode without all optimizations (-O0)''')
+
+def configure(conf):
+    areCustomCxxflagsPresent = (len(conf.env.CXXFLAGS) > 0)
+    if conf.options.debug:
+        conf.define('_DEBUG', 1)
+        defaultFlags = ['-O0', '-g3',
+                        '-Werror',
+                        '-Wall',
+                        '-fcolor-diagnostics', # only clang supports
+                        ]
+
+        if areCustomCxxflagsPresent:
+            missingFlags = [x for x in defaultFlags if x not in conf.env.CXXFLAGS]
+            if len(missingFlags) > 0:
+                Logs.warn("Selected debug mode, but CXXFLAGS is set to a custom value '%s'"
+                          % " ".join(conf.env.CXXFLAGS))
+                Logs.warn("Default flags '%s' are not activated" % " ".join(missingFlags))
+        else:
+            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(cxxflags=defaultFlags)
+    else:
+        defaultFlags = ['-O2', '-g', '-Wall']
+        if not areCustomCxxflagsPresent:
+            conf.add_supported_cxxflags(cxxflags=defaultFlags)
+
+@Configure.conf
+def add_supported_cxxflags(self, cxxflags):
+    """
+    Check which cxxflags are supported by compiler and add them to env.CXXFLAGS variable
+    """
+    self.start_msg('Checking allowed flags for c++ compiler')
+
+    supportedFlags = []
+    for flag in cxxflags:
+        if self.check_cxx(cxxflags=[flag], mandatory=False):
+            supportedFlags += [flag]
+
+    self.end_msg(' '.join (supportedFlags))
+    self.env.CXXFLAGS = supportedFlags + self.env.CXXFLAGS