diff --git a/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new b/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
index dd9dd43..fc9fa5c 100644
--- a/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
+++ b/src/etc/sbopkg/sbopkg.conf.new
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ REPO_NAME=${REPO_NAME:-SBo}
 REPO_BRANCH=${REPO_BRANCH:-13.1}
 KEEPLOG=YES
 LOGFILE=${LOGFILE:-/var/log/sbopkg/sbopkg-build-log}
-DEBUG=0
+DEBUG_UPDATES={$DEBUG_UPDATES:-0}
 CLEANUP=NO
 MKDIR_PROMPT=YES
 
diff --git a/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5 b/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
index 899a947..651a4ec 100644
--- a/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
+++ b/src/usr/man/man5/sbopkg.conf.5
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ The default assignment is:
 \fCCLEANUP=NO\fP
 .\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
 .TP
-.B DEBUG
+.B DEBUG_UPDATES
 Enumeration.
 .IP
 This option should be set to
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ This option should be set to
 .BR 1 ,
 or
 .BR 2 .
-.B DEBUG
+.B DEBUG_UPDATES
 sets the default debugging level for the update list feature of
 .BR sbopkg .
 When set to
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ When set to
 .BR 2 ,
 all non-updated packages are also listed.
 Changing
-.B DEBUG
+.B DEBUG_UPDATES
 to
 .B 1
 or
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ may be helpful if it appears the updatelist might be missing an update.
 .IP
 The default assignment is:
 .IP
-\fCDEBUG=0\fP
+\fCDEBUG_UPDATES={$DEBUG_UPDATES:-0}\fP
 .\"---------------------------------------------------------------------
 .TP
 .B DIFF
diff --git a/src/usr/sbin/sbopkg b/src/usr/sbin/sbopkg
index 1d328fb..3320ba6 100755
--- a/src/usr/sbin/sbopkg
+++ b/src/usr/sbin/sbopkg
@@ -104,8 +104,8 @@ config_check() {
     [[ -e $HOME/.sbopkg.conf ]] && . $HOME/.sbopkg.conf
 
     # Some configuration options are mandatory
-    for VAR in REPO_ROOT QUEUEDIR SRCDIR SBOPKGTMP REPO_NAME \
-        REPO_BRANCH KEEPLOG CLEANUP LOGFILE DEBUG TMP OUTPUT RSYNCFLAGS \
+    for VAR in REPO_ROOT QUEUEDIR SRCDIR SBOPKGTMP REPO_NAME REPO_BRANCH \
+        KEEPLOG CLEANUP LOGFILE DEBUG_UPDATES TMP OUTPUT RSYNCFLAGS \
         WGETFLAGS DIFF DIFFOPTS SBOPKG_REPOS_D ALLOW_MULTI; do
         if [[ -z "${!VAR}" ]]; then
             MISSING+="$VAR "
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ Please correct this error and run $SCRIPT again.
 EOF
        exit 1
     fi
-    if [[ $DEBUG -ne 0 && $DEBUG -ne 1 && $DEBUG -ne 2 ]]; then
-        echo "The \$DEBUG variable must be set to 0, 1, or 2." 1>&2
+    if [[ $DEBUG_UPDATES != [012] ]]; then
+        echo "The DEBUG_UPDATES variable must be set to 0, 1, or 2." 1>&2
         exit 1
     fi
 
@@ -813,7 +813,7 @@ check_for_updates() {
                         >> $UPDATELIST
                     echo "-$NAME" >> $SBOPKGTMP/sbopkg-update-queue
                 else
-                    if [[ $DEBUG -eq 2 ]]; then
+                    if [[ $DEBUG_UPDATES -eq 2 ]]; then
                         echo $NAME: >> $UPDATELIST
                         echo "  No update." >> $UPDATELIST
                     fi
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ check_for_updates() {
                         "standard method, may be inaccurate." >> $UPDATELIST
                 fi
             else
-                if [[ $DEBUG -ge 1 ]]; then
+                if [[ $DEBUG_UPDATES -ge 1 ]]; then
                     echo $NAME: >> $UPDATELIST
                     echo "  Not in the repository." >> $UPDATELIST
                 fi
@@ -846,8 +846,9 @@ check_for_updates() {
         else
             cat $UPDATELIST
         fi
-        # Permanent log of the updatelist is saved when DEBUG is enabled.
-        if [[ $DEBUG -ge 1 ]]; then
+        # Permanent log of the updatelist is saved when DEBUG_UPDATES is
+        # enabled.
+        if [[ $DEBUG_UPDATES -ge 1 ]]; then
             cp $UPDATELIST $SBOPKGTMP/sbopkg-debug-updatelist
         else
             rm $UPDATELIST