diff --git a/buildflags.md b/buildflags.md
index 106f9f5..cb5d2d9 100644
--- a/buildflags.md
+++ b/buildflags.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ and how to use them.
 # Using RPM build flags
 
 The %set_build_flags macro sets the environment variables `CFLAGS`,
-`CXXFLAGS`, `FFLAGS`, `FCFLAGS`, `LDFLAGS` and `LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH` to
+`CXXFLAGS`, `FFLAGS`, `FCFLAGS`, `VALAFLAGS`, `LDFLAGS` and `LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH` to
 the value of their corresponding rpm macros. `%set_build_flags` is automatically
 called prior to the `%build`, `%check`, and `%install` phases so these flags can be
 used by makefiles and other build tools.
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ Individual build flags are also available through RPM macros:
   the `CXXFLAGS` shell variable).
 * `%{build_fflags}` for `FFLAGS` (the Fortran compiler flags, also
   known as the `FCFLAGS` variable).
+* `%{build_valaflags}` for `VALAFLAGS` (the Vala compiler flags)
 * `%{build_ldflags}` for the linker (`ld`) flags, usually known as
   `LDFLAGS`. Note that the contents quote linker arguments using
   `-Wl`, so this variable is intended for use with the `gcc` compiler
@@ -493,6 +494,13 @@ tuning in the `gcc` package.  These settings are:
    beneficial for a broad range of current CPUs.
 * **aarch64** does not have any architecture-specific tuning.
 
+### Vala-specific compiler flags
+
+ * `-g`: causes valac to emit `#line` directives in the generated C
+   source code. This improves backtrace generation by causing gdb to
+   point to Vala source file and line number instead of the generated C
+   source when possible.
+
 # Individual linker flags
 
 Linker flags end up in the environment variable `LDFLAGS`.
diff --git a/macros b/macros
index 4a554b9..59c3c0c 100644
--- a/macros
+++ b/macros
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@
 # the corresponding variable names.
 %build_fflags %{optflags} -I%{_fmoddir}
 
+# Vala compiler flags. This is used to set VALAFLAGS.
+%build_valaflags -g
+
 # When clang is used as a linker driver, it does not auto-detect the LTO
 # bytecode and neither does bfd, so we need to explicitly pass the -flto
 # flag when linking.
@@ -78,8 +81,8 @@
 %build_ldflags -Wl,-z,relro %{_ld_as_needed_flags} %{_ld_symbols_flags} %{_hardened_ldflags} %{_annotation_ldflags} %[ "%{toolchain}" == "clang" ? "%{?_clang_extra_ldflags}" : "" ] %{_build_id_flags} %{?_package_note_flags}
 
 # Expands to shell code to set the compiler/linker environment
-# variables CFLAGS, CXXFLAGS, FFLAGS, FCFLAGS, LDFLAGS if they have
-# not been set already.  RPM_OPT_FLAGS and RPM_LD_FLAGS have already
+# variables CFLAGS, CXXFLAGS, FFLAGS, FCFLAGS, VALAFLAGS, LDFLAGS if they
+# have not been set already.  RPM_OPT_FLAGS and RPM_LD_FLAGS have already
 # been set implicitly at the start of the %%build section.
 # LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH is used by libtool script.
 %set_build_flags \
@@ -87,6 +90,7 @@
   CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS:-%{build_cxxflags}}" ; export CXXFLAGS ; \
   FFLAGS="${FFLAGS:-%{build_fflags}}" ; export FFLAGS ; \
   FCFLAGS="${FCFLAGS:-%{build_fflags}}" ; export FCFLAGS ; \
+  VALAFLAGS="${VALAFLAGS:-%{build_valaflags}}" ; export VALAFLAGS ; \
   LDFLAGS="${LDFLAGS:-%{build_ldflags}}" ; export LDFLAGS ; \
   LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH="${LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH:-%_libdir:}" ; export LT_SYS_LIBRARY_PATH ; \
   CC="${CC:-%{__cc}}" ; export CC ; \