diff --git a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/polyfills/debug.ts b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/polyfills/debug.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0b0b8e820c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/polyfills/debug.ts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export const debug = () => () => {};
diff --git a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.browser.config.ts b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.browser.config.ts
index ecaefbc2e5..d1939e7f91 100644
--- a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.browser.config.ts
+++ b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.browser.config.ts
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ const config: webpack.Configuration = merge({}, base, {
       // mcl-wasm may be needed when creating a new @ethereumjs/vm and requires a browser version for browsers
       "mcl-wasm": require.resolve("mcl-wasm/browser"),
       // ws doesn't work in the browser, isomorphic-ws does
-      ws: require.resolve("isomorphic-ws/")
+      ws: require.resolve("isomorphic-ws/"),
+      // we don't use the debug module internally, so let's just not include it
+      // in any package.
+      debug: require.resolve("./polyfills/debug")
     }
   },
   output: {
diff --git a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.common.config.ts b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.common.config.ts
index 499ce8ac91..ea8f29a2c0 100644
--- a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.common.config.ts
+++ b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.common.config.ts
@@ -72,9 +72,12 @@ const base: webpack.Configuration = {
     ]
   },
   plugins: [
-    new webpack.DefinePlugin({
+    new webpack.EnvironmentPlugin({
       // replace process.env.INFURA_KEY in our code
-      "process.env.INFURA_KEY": JSON.stringify(INFURA_KEY)
+      INFURA_KEY,
+      // replace process.env.DEBUG in our code, because we don't use it but
+      // ethereumjs packages do, but we don't implement everything required
+      DEBUG: false
     })
   ]
 };
diff --git a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.node.config.ts b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.node.config.ts
index 308648da5d..ab193dea7c 100644
--- a/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.node.config.ts
+++ b/src/packages/ganache/webpack/webpack.node.config.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,14 @@ const config: webpack.Configuration = merge({}, base, {
     filename: "[name].js",
     path: path.resolve(__dirname, "../", "dist", "node")
   },
+  resolve: {
+    extensions: [".ts", ".js"],
+    alias: {
+      // we don't use the debug module internally, so let's just not include it
+      // in any package.
+      debug: require.resolve("./polyfills/debug")
+    }
+  },
   plugins: [
     // add a shebang at the top of the generated `cli.js`
     new webpack.BannerPlugin({