diff --git a/SConstruct b/SConstruct
index 8c482c9ba..88c5dcb97 100644
--- a/SConstruct
+++ b/SConstruct
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def setupBasicEnvironment():
     appendCppDefine(env,'OPENGL','USE_OPENGL')
     appendVal(env,'ARCHFLAGS', 'CCFLAGS')   # for both C and C++
     appendVal(env,'OPTIMIZE', 'CCFLAGS', val=' -O3')
-    appendVal(env,'DEBUG',    'CCFLAGS', val=' -g')
+    appendVal(env,'DEBUG',    'CCFLAGS', val=' -ggdb')
 
     prepareOptionsHelp(opts,env)
     opts.Save(OPTIONSCACHEFILE, env)
@@ -233,7 +233,6 @@ def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
         setup sub-environments with special build options if necessary.
         We use a custom function to declare a whole tree of srcfiles. 
     """
-    env.PrecompiledHeader('$SRCDIR/pre')
     
     cinobj = ( srcSubtree(env,'$SRCDIR/backend') 
              + srcSubtree(env,'$SRCDIR/proc')
@@ -242,7 +241,11 @@ def defineBuildTargets(env, artifacts):
              )
     plugobj = srcSubtree(env,'$SRCDIR/plugin', isShared=True)
     core  = env.StaticLibrary('$BINDIR/core.la', cinobj)
-    #core = cinobj
+    #core = cinobj # use this for linking directly
+    
+    # use PCH to speed up building
+    precomp = env.PrecompiledHeader('$SRCDIR/pre')
+    env.Depends(cinobj, precomp)
     
     artifacts['cinelerra'] = env.Program('$BINDIR/cinelerra', ['$SRCDIR/main.cpp']+ core )
     artifacts['plugins']   = env.SharedLibrary('$BINDIR/cinelerra-plugin', plugobj)
diff --git a/admin/scons/Buildhelper.py b/admin/scons/Buildhelper.py
index 4ca958d7f..419de6e68 100644
--- a/admin/scons/Buildhelper.py
+++ b/admin/scons/Buildhelper.py
@@ -91,22 +91,12 @@ def globRootdirs(roots):
 
 
 def RegisterPrecompiledHeader_Builder(env):
-    """ Registeres an Custom Builder for generating a precompiled Header 
+    """ Registeres an Custom Builder for generating a precompiled Header.
+        Note you should define a dependency to the PCH file
     """
     def genCmdline(source, target, env, for_signature):
-#        mat = re.match(r'(.+)\.gch', target[0])
-#        if mat:
-#            src = mat.group(1)+'.hpp'
-#        return '%s -x c++-header %s' % (env['CXXCOM'],source[0])
         return '$CXXCOM -x c++-header %s' % source[0]
-#        return '$CXX $CXXFLAGS $CPPFLAGS -x c++-header %s' % (source[0])
-#        else:
-#            print 'Illegal Precompiled Header name "%s", exiting.' % target[0]
-#            Exit(1)
     def fixSourceDependency(target, source, env):
-        """ reverse dependency: the source (Header) depends 
-            on the precompiled header binary """
-        env.Depends(source[0], target[0])
         print "precompiled header: %s --> %s" % (source[0],target[0])
         return (target, source)
     
diff --git a/src/common/util.hpp b/src/common/util.hpp
index 0e661e707..101a3ccaf 100644
--- a/src/common/util.hpp
+++ b/src/common/util.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@
 #include <cstring>
 #include <algorithm>
 
-//#include "nobugcfg.h"      ///////////////////TODO: just temporarily!!!!
 
 
 namespace util