diff --git a/bin/cdist-config b/bin/cdist-config
index bf3f5b24..b15d1f3e 100644
--- a/bin/cdist-config
+++ b/bin/cdist-config
@@ -21,8 +21,16 @@
 
 __cdist_version="1.8.0"
 
-# Enable debugging
-[ "$__cdist_debug" ] && set -x
+#
+# Enable debugging:
+#
+# __cdist_debug unset -> no debug
+# __cdist_debug = 1 -> debug via __cdist_echo
+# __cdist_debug = 2 -> debug via set -x
+#
+
+: ${__cdist_debug:=0}
+[ "$__cdist_debug" = 2 ] && set -x
 
 # Fail if something bogus is going on
 set -u
diff --git a/core/__cdist_echo b/core/__cdist_echo
index 2fcc93f0..37d24dd6 100755
--- a/core/__cdist_echo
+++ b/core/__cdist_echo
@@ -35,11 +35,9 @@ __cdist_echo()
 
    case "$__cdist_echo_type" in
       debug)
-         set +u
-         if [ "$__cdist_debug" ]; then
+         if [ "$__cdist_debug" = 1 ]; then
             echo $__cdist_echo_prefix "Debug: $@"
          fi
-         set -u
       ;;
       info)
          echo $__cdist_echo_prefix "$@"