diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 2faaa7fc8e..cae5061122 100755
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -185,6 +185,23 @@ CC="${CC% -std=c99}"
 
 AC_C_FLAG([-std=gnu11], [CC="$ac_cc"], [CC="$CC -std=gnu11"])
 
+dnl if the user has specified any CFLAGS, override our settings
+if test "x${enable_dev_build}" = "xyes"; then
+   AC_DEFINE(DEV_BUILD,,Build for development)
+   if test "z$orig_cflags" = "z"; then
+      AC_C_FLAG([-g3])
+      AC_C_FLAG([-O0])
+   fi
+else
+   if test "z$orig_cflags" = "z"; then
+      AC_C_FLAG([-g])
+      AC_C_FLAG([-Os], [
+        AC_C_FLAG([-O2])
+      ])
+   fi
+fi
+AM_CONDITIONAL([DEV_BUILD], [test "x$enable_dev_build" = "xyes"])
+
 dnl always want these CFLAGS
 AC_C_FLAG([-fno-omit-frame-pointer])
 AC_C_FLAG([-funwind-tables])
@@ -428,21 +445,6 @@ fi
 
 AM_CONDITIONAL([FPM], [test "x$enable_fpm" = "xyes"])
 
-if test "x${enable_dev_build}" = "xyes"; then
-   AC_DEFINE(DEV_BUILD,,Build for development)
-   AC_C_FLAG([-g])
-   AC_C_FLAG([-O0])
-else
-   dnl if the user specified any CFLAGS, we don't add "-g -Os/-O2" here
-   if test "z$orig_cflags" = "z"; then
-     AC_C_FLAG([-g])
-     AC_C_FLAG([-Os], [
-       AC_C_FLAG([-O2])
-     ])
-   fi
-fi
-AM_CONDITIONAL([DEV_BUILD], [test "x$enable_dev_build" = "xyes"])
-
 #
 # Python for clippy
 #
diff --git a/doc/install.texi b/doc/install.texi
index 9a98f46733..1930af95e6 100644
--- a/doc/install.texi
+++ b/doc/install.texi
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ Controls backtrace support for the crash handlers. This is autodetected by
 default. Using the switch will enforce the requested behaviour, failing with
 an error if support is requested but not available.  On BSD systems, this
 needs libexecinfo, while on glibc support for this is part of libc itself.
+@item --enable-dev-build
+Turn on some options for compiling FRR within a development environment in
+mind.  Specifically turn on -g3 -O0 for compiling options and add inclusion
+of grammar sandbox.
 @end table
 
 You may specify any combination of the above options to the configure