diff --git a/rust/ares/Cargo.toml b/rust/ares/Cargo.toml
index 23316f7..d07e754 100644
--- a/rust/ares/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/ares/Cargo.toml
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ edition = "2018"
 # Please keep these alphabetized
 [dependencies]
 ares_macros = { path = "../ares_macros" }
+# Use this when debugging requires the debug printfs in the PMA
+# ares_pma = { path = "../ares_pma", features=["debug_prints"] }
 ares_pma = { path = "../ares_pma" }
 assert_no_alloc = "1.1.2"
 # use this when debugging requires allocation (e.g. eprintln)
diff --git a/rust/ares_pma/Cargo.toml b/rust/ares_pma/Cargo.toml
index b7ccdb4..94612e4 100644
--- a/rust/ares_pma/Cargo.toml
+++ b/rust/ares_pma/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,3 +11,5 @@ edition = "2018"
 bindgen = "0.69.1"
 cc = "1.0"
 
+[features]
+debug_prints = []
diff --git a/rust/ares_pma/build.rs b/rust/ares_pma/build.rs
index f79c4ed..eb2ca17 100644
--- a/rust/ares_pma/build.rs
+++ b/rust/ares_pma/build.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use bindgen::CargoCallbacks;
 fn main() {
     let profile = env::var("PROFILE").unwrap();
     let opt_level = env::var("OPT_LEVEL").unwrap();
-    let define_debug = if profile == "debug" {
+    let define_debug = if env::var("CARGO_FEATURE_DEBUG_PRINTS").is_ok() {
         "-DDEBUG"
     } else {
         "-UDEBUG"