diff --git a/devel/amulet/files/Makefile.vars.gcc.FreeBSD b/devel/amulet/files/Makefile.vars.gcc.FreeBSD
index 31407b989ebc..bfa30a622355 100644
--- a/devel/amulet/files/Makefile.vars.gcc.FreeBSD
+++ b/devel/amulet/files/Makefile.vars.gcc.FreeBSD
@@ -22,21 +22,27 @@ AM_CFLAGS = -I$(AMULET_DIR)/include $(X11_INC) -Wall \
 AM_LIBS = $(X11_LIB) -lX11 -lm 
 
 
+.if $(MACHINE_ARCH) == "alpha"
+OPT_CFLAGS = -O0
+.else
+OPT_CFLAGS = -O2
+.endif
+
 ##
 ## Parameters for the Amulet library
 ## 
 
 # additional compiler flags for development version
-AM_DEVELOP = -O2 -DDEBUG -g -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
+AM_DEVELOP = $(OPT_CFLAGS) -DDEBUG -g -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
 
 # additional compiler flags for release version
-AM_RELEASE = -O2 -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
+AM_RELEASE = $(OPT_CFLAGS) -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
 
 # additional compiler flags for optimized version with inspector and debugging enabled
 AM_INHOUSE = -DDEBUG -g
 
 # additional compiler flags for optimized version with inspector but no debugging symbols
-AM_NODEBUGSYM = -O2 -DDEBUG -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
+AM_NODEBUGSYM = $(OPT_FLAGS) -DDEBUG -DAMULET2_CONVERSION
 
 # Flags used to build the sample programs
 AM_SAMPLE_FLAGS = $(AM_NODEBUGSYM)