diff --git a/meta/classes/package.bbclass b/meta/classes/package.bbclass
index 2bae34189d..54f7ae55cf 100644
--- a/meta/classes/package.bbclass
+++ b/meta/classes/package.bbclass
@@ -1039,6 +1039,8 @@ python populate_packages () {
 
     bb.utils.mkdirhier(outdir)
     os.chdir(dvar)
+    
+    autodebug = not (d.getVar("NOAUTOPACKAGEDEBUG", True) or False)
 
     # Sanity check PACKAGES for duplicates
     # Sanity should be moved to sanity.bbclass once we have the infrastucture
@@ -1048,6 +1050,8 @@ python populate_packages () {
         if pkg in package_list:
             msg = "%s is listed in PACKAGES multiple times, this leads to packaging errors." % pkg
             package_qa_handle_error("packages-list", msg, d)
+        elif autodebug and pkg.endswith("-dbg"):
+            package_list.insert(0, pkg)
         else:
             package_list.append(pkg)
     d.setVar('PACKAGES', ' '.join(package_list))
@@ -1058,6 +1062,16 @@ python populate_packages () {
     # os.mkdir masks the permissions with umask so we have to unset it first
     oldumask = os.umask(0)
 
+    debug = []
+    for root, dirs, files in cpath.walk(dvar):
+        dir = root[len(dvar):]
+        if not dir:
+            dir = os.sep
+        for f in (files + dirs):
+            path = "." + os.path.join(dir, f)
+            if "/.debug/" in path or path.endswith("/.debug"):
+                debug.append(path)
+
     for pkg in package_list:
         root = os.path.join(pkgdest, pkg)
         bb.utils.mkdirhier(root)
@@ -1071,6 +1085,9 @@ python populate_packages () {
         origfiles = filesvar.split()
         files = files_from_filevars(origfiles)
 
+        if autodebug and pkg.endswith("-dbg"):
+            files.extend(debug)
+
         for file in files:
             if (not cpath.islink(file)) and (not cpath.exists(file)):
                 continue
diff --git a/meta/recipes-qt/qt4/qt4.inc b/meta/recipes-qt/qt4/qt4.inc
index 2058e54d3d..91be769231 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-qt/qt4/qt4.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-qt/qt4/qt4.inc
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ PACKAGES_DYNAMIC += "^${QT_BASE_NAME}-plugin-.* ^${QT_BASE_NAME}-translation-.*
 
 ALLOW_EMPTY_${PN} = "1"
 FILES_${PN}     = ""
+NOAUTOPACKAGEDEBUG = "1"
 FILES_${PN}-dev = "${includedir}/${QT_DIR_NAME}/Qt/*"
 FILES_${PN}-dbg = "/usr/src/debug/"
 FILES_${QT_BASE_NAME}-demos-doc = "${docdir}/${QT_DIR_NAME}/qch/qt.qch"