diff --git a/Include/frameobject.h b/Include/frameobject.h
index a38a85d542a..5bf94c38e43 100644
--- a/Include/frameobject.h
+++ b/Include/frameobject.h
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ PyFrameObject * PyFrame_New
 
 /* Tuple access macros */
 
-#ifdef NDEBUG
+#ifndef DEBUG
 #define GETITEM(v, i) PyTuple_GET_ITEM((PyTupleObject *)(v), (i))
 #define GETITEMNAME(v, i) \
 	PyString_AS_STRING((PyStringObject *)GETITEM((v), (i)))
diff --git a/Include/object.h b/Include/object.h
index 57277470180..a79d1f7356d 100644
--- a/Include/object.h
+++ b/Include/object.h
@@ -28,10 +28,6 @@ OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OR PERFORMANCE OF THIS SOFTWARE.
 
 ******************************************************************/
 
-#ifndef DEBUG
-#define NDEBUG
-#endif
-
 /* Object and type object interface */
 
 /*
@@ -81,7 +77,7 @@ whose size is determined when the object is allocated.
 123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-123456789-12
 */
 
-#ifndef NDEBUG
+#ifdef DEBUG
 
 /* Turn on heavy reference debugging */
 #define Py_TRACE_REFS
@@ -89,7 +85,7 @@ whose size is determined when the object is allocated.
 /* Turn on reference counting */
 #define Py_REF_DEBUG
 
-#endif /* NDEBUG */
+#endif /* DEBUG */
 
 #ifdef Py_TRACE_REFS
 #define PyObject_HEAD \