diff --git a/compiler/rustc_llvm/build.rs b/compiler/rustc_llvm/build.rs
index 3aa852c8304..4c1f78e6bee 100644
--- a/compiler/rustc_llvm/build.rs
+++ b/compiler/rustc_llvm/build.rs
@@ -197,9 +197,8 @@ fn main() {
         cfg.define("LLVM_RUSTLLVM", None);
     }
 
-    if tracked_env_var_os("LLVM_NDEBUG").is_some() {
+    if tracked_env_var_os("LLVM_ASSERTIONS").is_none() {
         cfg.define("NDEBUG", None);
-        cfg.debug(false);
     }
 
     rerun_if_changed_anything_in_dir(Path::new("llvm-wrapper"));
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
index 11a7a404535..714a1004281 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/src/core/build_steps/compile.rs
@@ -1213,8 +1213,8 @@ fn rustc_llvm_env(builder: &Builder<'_>, cargo: &mut Cargo, target: TargetSelect
     if builder.config.llvm_use_libcxx {
         cargo.env("LLVM_USE_LIBCXX", "1");
     }
-    if builder.config.llvm_optimize && !builder.config.llvm_release_debuginfo {
-        cargo.env("LLVM_NDEBUG", "1");
+    if builder.config.llvm_assertions {
+        cargo.env("LLVM_ASSERTIONS", "1");
     }
 }