diff --git a/meta-oe/recipes-support/webkitgtk/webkitgtk3_2.44.3.bb b/meta-oe/recipes-support/webkitgtk/webkitgtk3_2.44.3.bb
index 9493d86422..0dadf570e2 100644
--- a/meta-oe/recipes-support/webkitgtk/webkitgtk3_2.44.3.bb
+++ b/meta-oe/recipes-support/webkitgtk/webkitgtk3_2.44.3.bb
@@ -93,9 +93,8 @@ EXTRA_OECMAKE = " \
 	-DENABLE_MINIBROWSER=ON \
 	-DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=OFF \
 		"
-# Unless DEBUG_BUILD is enabled, pass -g1 to massively reduce the size of the
-# debug symbols (4.3GB to 700M at time of writing)
-DEBUG_FLAGS:append = "${@oe.utils.vartrue('DEBUG_BUILD', '', ' -g1', d)}"
+# pass -g1 to massively reduce the size of the debug symbols (4.3GB to 700M at time of writing)
+DEBUG_LEVELFLAG = "-g1"
 
 # Javascript JIT is not supported on ARC
 EXTRA_OECMAKE:append:arc = " -DENABLE_JIT=OFF "