diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 1075c9b11b..031c2e669f 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@
           failonerror="true"
           fork="true">
       <sysproperty key="clojure.compile.path" value="${build}"/>
-         <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.elide.meta" value="[:doc :file :line :added :static :private :arglists]"/>-->
+         <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.compiler.elide-meta" value="[:doc :file :line :added]"/>-->
+         <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.compiler.disable-locals-clearing" value="true"/>-->
       <!-- <sysproperty key="clojure.compile.warn-on-reflection" value="true"/> -->
       <arg value="clojure.core"/>
       <arg value="clojure.core.protocols"/>
@@ -86,7 +87,8 @@
           failonerror="true"
 	  fork="true">
       <sysproperty key="clojure.compile.path" value="${test-classes}"/>
-        <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.elide.meta" value="[:doc]"/>-->
+        <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.compiler.elide-meta" value="[:doc]"/>-->
+        <!--<sysproperty key="clojure.compiler.disable-locals-clearing" value="true"/>-->
       <arg value="clojure.test-clojure.protocols.examples"/>
       <arg value="clojure.test-clojure.genclass.examples"/>
     </java>
diff --git a/src/clj/clojure/core.clj b/src/clj/clojure/core.clj
index e1aa2dfc1c..83b739b231 100644
--- a/src/clj/clojure/core.clj
+++ b/src/clj/clojure/core.clj
@@ -5707,8 +5707,12 @@
   coercions will be done without overflow checks. Default: false."
   {:added "1.3"})
 
-(add-doc-and-meta *elide-meta*
-  "Bind to a collection of metadata keys to elide during compilation.
+(add-doc-and-meta *compiler-options*
+  "A map of keys to options.
+  Note, when binding dynamically make sure to merge with previous value.
+  Supported options:
+  :elide-meta - a collection of metadata keys to elide during compilation.
+  :disable-locals-clearing - set to true to disable clearing, useful for using a debugger
   Alpha, subject to change."
   {:added "1.4"})
 
diff --git a/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compile.java b/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compile.java
index 0def117571..6084bad1cc 100644
--- a/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compile.java
+++ b/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compile.java
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@
 import java.io.OutputStreamWriter;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Enumeration;
+import java.util.Map;
 
 // Compiles libs and generates class files stored within the directory
 // named by the Java System property "clojure.compile.path". Arguments are
@@ -25,13 +28,12 @@ public class Compile{
 private static final String PATH_PROP = "clojure.compile.path";
 private static final String REFLECTION_WARNING_PROP = "clojure.compile.warn-on-reflection";
 private static final String UNCHECKED_MATH_PROP = "clojure.compile.unchecked-math";
-private static final String ELIDE_META_PROP = "clojure.elide.meta";
 
 private static final Var compile_path = RT.var("clojure.core", "*compile-path*");
 private static final Var compile = RT.var("clojure.core", "compile");
 private static final Var warn_on_reflection = RT.var("clojure.core", "*warn-on-reflection*");
 private static final Var unchecked_math = RT.var("clojure.core", "*unchecked-math*");
-private static final Var elide_meta = RT.var("clojure.core", "*elide-meta*");
+private static final Var compiler_options = RT.var("clojure.core", "*compiler-options*");
 
 public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException{
 
@@ -50,14 +52,27 @@ public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException{
 
     boolean warnOnReflection = System.getProperty(REFLECTION_WARNING_PROP, "false").equals("true");
     boolean uncheckedMath = System.getProperty(UNCHECKED_MATH_PROP, "false").equals("true");
-    Object elide = RT.readString(System.getProperty(ELIDE_META_PROP, "nil"));
+
+	Object compilerOptions = null;
+
+	for(Map.Entry e : System.getProperties().entrySet())
+		{
+		String name = (String) e.getKey();
+		String v = (String) e.getValue();
+		if(name.startsWith("clojure.compiler."))
+			{
+			compilerOptions = RT.assoc(compilerOptions
+										,RT.keyword(null,name.substring(1 + name.lastIndexOf('.')))
+										,RT.readString(v));
+			}
+		}
 
 	try
 		{
                Var.pushThreadBindings(RT.map(compile_path, path,
                        warn_on_reflection, warnOnReflection,
                        unchecked_math, uncheckedMath,
-                       elide_meta, elide));
+                       compiler_options, compilerOptions));
 
 		for(String lib : args)
         {
diff --git a/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compiler.java b/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compiler.java
index e06bcdecd3..40cf01e84a 100644
--- a/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compiler.java
+++ b/src/jvm/clojure/lang/Compiler.java
@@ -239,17 +239,23 @@ public class Compiler implements Opcodes{
 static final public Var ADD_ANNOTATIONS = Var.intern(Namespace.findOrCreate(Symbol.intern("clojure.core")),
                                             Symbol.intern("add-annotations"));
 
-//collection of keys
-static final public Var ELIDE_META = Var.intern(Namespace.findOrCreate(Symbol.intern("clojure.core")),
-                                                  Symbol.intern("*elide-meta*"), null).setDynamic();
+static final public Keyword disableLocalsClearingKey = Keyword.intern("disable-locals-clearing");
+static final public Keyword elideMetaKey = Keyword.intern("elide-meta");
+
+static final public Var COMPILER_OPTIONS = Var.intern(Namespace.findOrCreate(Symbol.intern("clojure.core")),
+                                                      Symbol.intern("*compiler-options*"), null).setDynamic();
+
+static public Object getCompilerOption(Keyword k){
+	return RT.get(COMPILER_OPTIONS.deref(),k);
+}
 
 static Object elideMeta(Object m){
-        Collection<Object> elides = (Collection<Object>) ELIDE_META.get();
+        Collection<Object> elides = (Collection<Object>) getCompilerOption(elideMetaKey);
         if(elides != null)
             {
             for(Object k : elides)
                 {
-                //System.out.println("Eliding:" + k + " : " + RT.get(m, k));
+//                System.out.println("Eliding:" + k + " : " + RT.get(m, k));
                 m = RT.dissoc(m, k);
                 }
 //            System.out.println("Remaining: " + RT.keys(m));
@@ -5450,7 +5456,7 @@ public static class LocalBinding{
 	public final String name;
 	public final boolean isArg;
     public final PathNode clearPathRoot;
-	public boolean canBeCleared = true;
+	public boolean canBeCleared = !RT.booleanCast(getCompilerOption(disableLocalsClearingKey));
 	public boolean recurMistmatch = false;
 
     public LocalBinding(int num, Symbol sym, Symbol tag, Expr init, boolean isArg,PathNode clearPathRoot)