diff --git a/.prev_configure.cmake b/.prev_configure.cmake
index 8b5b3333c65..8f9be0d9636 100644
--- a/.prev_configure.cmake
+++ b/.prev_configure.cmake
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@ qt_feature_definition("developer-build" "QT_BUILD_INTERNAL")
 qt_feature_config("developer-build" QMAKE_PUBLIC_QT_CONFIG
     NAME "private_tests"
 )
-qt_feature("debug"
+qt_feature("debug" PRIVATE
     LABEL "Build for debugging"
     AUTODETECT ON
     CONDITION CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL Debug OR Debug IN_LIST CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES
diff --git a/configure.cmake b/configure.cmake
index 54707fd4c1c..b2529720777 100644
--- a/configure.cmake
+++ b/configure.cmake
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ qt_feature_definition("developer-build" "QT_BUILD_INTERNAL")
 qt_feature_config("developer-build" QMAKE_PUBLIC_QT_CONFIG
     NAME "private_tests"
 )
-qt_feature("debug"
+qt_feature("debug" PRIVATE
     LABEL "Build for debugging"
     AUTODETECT ON
     CONDITION CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE STREQUAL Debug OR Debug IN_LIST CMAKE_CONFIGURATION_TYPES
diff --git a/configure.json b/configure.json
index 1cb21077564..45f2b1e7f0a 100644
--- a/configure.json
+++ b/configure.json
@@ -783,7 +783,8 @@
         },
         "debug": {
             "label": "Build for debugging",
-            "autoDetect": "features.developer-build || (config.win32 && !config.gcc) || config.darwin"
+            "autoDetect": "features.developer-build || (config.win32 && !config.gcc) || config.darwin",
+            "output": [ "privateFeature" ]
         },
         "debug_and_release": {
             "label": "Compile libs in debug and release mode",