diff --git a/ci/test/00_setup_env_native_tsan.sh b/ci/test/00_setup_env_native_tsan.sh
index f84f594735f6..9a7f15cf8b44 100755
--- a/ci/test/00_setup_env_native_tsan.sh
+++ b/ci/test/00_setup_env_native_tsan.sh
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ export DEP_OPTS="CC=clang-19 CXX='clang++-19 -stdlib=libc++'"
 export TEST_RUNNER_EXTRA="--extended --exclude feature_pruning,feature_dbcrash,wallet_multiwallet.py" # Temporarily suppress ASan heap-use-after-free (see issue #14163)
 export TEST_RUNNER_EXTRA="${TEST_RUNNER_EXTRA} --timeout-factor=4"  # Increase timeout because sanitizers slow down
 export GOAL="install"
-export BITCOIN_CONFIG="--enable-zmq --with-sanitizers=thread CC=clang-19 CXX=clang++-19 CXXFLAGS='-g'"
+export BITCOIN_CONFIG="--enable-zmq --with-sanitizers=thread CC=clang-19 CXX=clang++-19"
 export CPPFLAGS="-DARENA_DEBUG -DDEBUG_LOCKORDER -DDEBUG_LOCKCONTENTION"
 export PYZMQ=true
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 4dd273e57548..1fcbafbd99fd 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -1228,16 +1228,10 @@ if test "$enable_stacktraces" != "no"; then
       ])
     fi
     BACKTRACE_LIBS="$BACKTRACE_LIBS -lbacktrace"
-    dnl More modern compilers may emit DWARF 5 binaries by default, use DWARF 4 out of precaution
-    if test "$TARGET_OS" != "windows"; then
-      AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-gdwarf-4], [BACKTRACE_FLAGS="$BACKTRACE_FLAGS -gdwarf-4"], [
-        if test "$enable_stacktraces" = "yes"; then
-          AC_MSG_ERROR([--enable-stacktraces was specified but cannot set -gdwarf-4])
-        fi
-        AC_MSG_WARN([cannot set -gdwarf-4, stacktraces will be disabled])
-        enable_stacktraces=no
-      ], [$CXXFLAG_WERROR])
-    fi
+    dnl The libbacktrace pinned in depends understands DWARF 5, so the
+    dnl compiler's default debug format is used as-is. A -gdwarf-4 pin
+    dnl previously lived here and, being a -g-family flag, also forced
+    dnl debug level 2 onto every build.
     if test "$TARGET_OS" = "darwin"; then
       AX_CHECK_COMPILE_FLAG([-fno-standalone-debug], [BACKTRACE_FLAGS="$BACKTRACE_FLAGS -fno-standalone-debug"], [
         if test "$enable_stacktraces" = "yes"; then
@@ -2139,10 +2133,10 @@ echo "  target os       = $host_os"
 echo "  build os        = $build_os"
 echo
 echo "  CC              = $CC"
-echo "  CFLAGS          = $DEBUG_CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $BACKTRACE_FLAGS $CFLAGS"
+echo "  CFLAGS          = $BACKTRACE_FLAGS $DEBUG_CFLAGS $PTHREAD_CFLAGS $CFLAGS"
 echo "  CPPFLAGS        = $DEBUG_CPPFLAGS $HARDENED_CPPFLAGS $CORE_CPPFLAGS $CPPFLAGS"
 echo "  CXX             = $CXX"
-echo "  CXXFLAGS        = $DEBUG_CXXFLAGS $HARDENED_CXXFLAGS $WARN_CXXFLAGS $NOWARN_CXXFLAGS $ERROR_CXXFLAGS $CORE_CXXFLAGS $BACKTRACE_FLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
+echo "  CXXFLAGS        = $BACKTRACE_FLAGS $DEBUG_CXXFLAGS $HARDENED_CXXFLAGS $WARN_CXXFLAGS $NOWARN_CXXFLAGS $ERROR_CXXFLAGS $CORE_CXXFLAGS $CXXFLAGS"
 echo "  LDFLAGS         = $PTHREAD_LIBS $HARDENED_LDFLAGS $CORE_LDFLAGS $BACKTRACE_LDFLAGS $LDFLAGS"
 echo "  AR              = $AR"
 echo "  ARFLAGS         = $ARFLAGS"
diff --git a/contrib/guix/libexec/build.sh b/contrib/guix/libexec/build.sh
index 8c517368d17a..0c9fda7ad11d 100755
--- a/contrib/guix/libexec/build.sh
+++ b/contrib/guix/libexec/build.sh
@@ -222,7 +222,13 @@ HOST_CFLAGS+=$(find /gnu/store -maxdepth 1 -mindepth 1 -type d -exec echo -n " -
 case "$HOST" in
     *linux*)  HOST_CFLAGS+=" -ffile-prefix-map=${PWD}=." ;;
     *mingw*)  HOST_CFLAGS+=" -fno-ident" ;;
-    *darwin*) unset HOST_CFLAGS ;;
+    *darwin*)
+        # Optimization and target flags come from depends' config.site; only
+        # the debug level is requested here. The shipped dSYM debug artifacts
+        # previously carried full -g2 DWARF via the since-removed -gdwarf-4
+        # backtrace flag escalating configure's -g1 floor, so keep requesting
+        # it explicitly.
+        HOST_CFLAGS="-g" ;;
 esac
 
 # CXXFLAGS
diff --git a/src/Makefile.am b/src/Makefile.am
index 501a695cf852..30fdf4702361 100644
--- a/src/Makefile.am
+++ b/src/Makefile.am
@@ -10,8 +10,12 @@ print-%: FORCE
 DIST_SUBDIRS = secp256k1
 
 AM_LDFLAGS = $(LIBTOOL_LDFLAGS) $(HARDENED_LDFLAGS) $(SANITIZER_LDFLAGS) $(CORE_LDFLAGS) $(BACKTRACE_LDFLAGS)
-AM_CFLAGS = $(DEBUG_CFLAGS) $(BACKTRACE_FLAGS)
-AM_CXXFLAGS = $(DEBUG_CXXFLAGS) $(HARDENED_CXXFLAGS) $(WARN_CXXFLAGS) $(NOWARN_CXXFLAGS) $(ERROR_CXXFLAGS) $(SANITIZER_CXXFLAGS) $(CORE_CXXFLAGS) $(BACKTRACE_FLAGS)
+# BACKTRACE_FLAGS must precede the debug-level flags: -g-family members placed
+# there (e.g. a -gdwarf-N version pin) imply -g2, so the intended level
+# (DEBUG_*FLAGS' -g1 floor, --enable-debug's -g3, or the user's CXXFLAGS) must
+# come later to take effect.
+AM_CFLAGS = $(BACKTRACE_FLAGS) $(DEBUG_CFLAGS)
+AM_CXXFLAGS = $(BACKTRACE_FLAGS) $(DEBUG_CXXFLAGS) $(HARDENED_CXXFLAGS) $(WARN_CXXFLAGS) $(NOWARN_CXXFLAGS) $(ERROR_CXXFLAGS) $(SANITIZER_CXXFLAGS) $(CORE_CXXFLAGS)
 AM_OBJCXXFLAGS = $(AM_CXXFLAGS)
 AM_CPPFLAGS = $(DEBUG_CPPFLAGS) $(HARDENED_CPPFLAGS) $(CORE_CPPFLAGS)
 AM_LIBTOOLFLAGS = --preserve-dup-deps