diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/SubstrateOptions.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/SubstrateOptions.java
index 1d3d2e08baeb..889e0404ab29 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/SubstrateOptions.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.core/src/com/oracle/svm/core/SubstrateOptions.java
@@ -748,8 +748,12 @@ public static int codeAlignment() {
     public static final HostedOptionKey<Integer> GenerateDebugInfo = new HostedOptionKey<>(0, SubstrateOptions::validateGenerateDebugInfo) {
         @Override
         protected void onValueUpdate(EconomicMap<OptionKey<?>, Object> values, Integer oldValue, Integer newValue) {
-            if (OS.WINDOWS.isCurrent()) {
-                /* Keep symbols on Windows. The symbol table is part of the pdb-file. */
+            if (!OS.DARWIN.isCurrent()) {
+                /*
+                 * Keep the symbol table, as it may be used by debugging or profiling tools (e.g.,
+                 * perf). On Windows, the symbol table is included in the pdb-file, while on Linux,
+                 * it is part of the .debug file.
+                 */
                 DeleteLocalSymbols.update(values, newValue == 0);
             }
         }
diff --git a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/image/NativeImageDebugInfoStripFeature.java b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/image/NativeImageDebugInfoStripFeature.java
index 3d454d147768..982aad62ef8e 100644
--- a/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/image/NativeImageDebugInfoStripFeature.java
+++ b/substratevm/src/com.oracle.svm.hosted/src/com/oracle/svm/hosted/image/NativeImageDebugInfoStripFeature.java
@@ -28,10 +28,8 @@
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
-import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.DebugContext;
-import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.DebugContext.Builder;
-import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.Indent;
-import jdk.graal.compiler.printer.GraalDebugHandlersFactory;
+import org.graalvm.nativeimage.Platform;
+import org.graalvm.nativeimage.impl.InternalPlatform;
 
 import com.oracle.graal.pointsto.util.GraalAccess;
 import com.oracle.objectfile.ObjectFile;
@@ -47,12 +45,18 @@
 import com.oracle.svm.hosted.c.util.FileUtils;
 import com.oracle.svm.util.LogUtils;
 
+import jdk.graal.compiler.core.common.SuppressFBWarnings;
+import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.DebugContext;
+import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.DebugContext.Builder;
+import jdk.graal.compiler.debug.Indent;
+import jdk.graal.compiler.printer.GraalDebugHandlersFactory;
+
 @AutomaticallyRegisteredFeature
 public class NativeImageDebugInfoStripFeature implements InternalFeature {
 
     @Override
     public boolean isInConfiguration(IsInConfigurationAccess access) {
-        return SubstrateOptions.useDebugInfoGeneration() && SubstrateOptions.StripDebugInfo.getValue();
+        return SubstrateOptions.StripDebugInfo.getValue();
     }
 
     @SuppressWarnings("try")
@@ -77,13 +81,17 @@ public void afterImageWrite(AfterImageWriteAccess access) {
         }
     }
 
+    @SuppressFBWarnings(value = "", justification = "FB reports null pointer dereferencing although it is not possible in this case.")
     private static void stripLinux(AfterImageWriteAccessImpl accessImpl) {
         String objcopyExe = "objcopy";
         String debugExtension = ".debug";
         Path imagePath = accessImpl.getImagePath();
+        if (imagePath == null) {
+            assert !Platform.includedIn(InternalPlatform.NATIVE_ONLY.class);
+            return;
+        }
+
         Path imageName = imagePath.getFileName();
-        Path outputDirectory = imagePath.getParent();
-        String debugInfoName = imageName + debugExtension;
         boolean objcopyAvailable = false;
         try {
             objcopyAvailable = FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--version") == 0;
@@ -94,16 +102,21 @@ private static void stripLinux(AfterImageWriteAccessImpl accessImpl) {
         }
 
         if (!objcopyAvailable) {
-            LogUtils.warning("%s not available. Skipping generation of separate debuginfo file %s, debuginfo will remain embedded in the executable.", objcopyExe, debugInfoName);
+            LogUtils.warning("%s not available. The debuginfo will remain embedded in the executable.", objcopyExe);
         } else {
             try {
+                Path outputDirectory = imagePath.getParent();
                 String imageFilePath = outputDirectory.resolve(imageName).toString();
-                Path debugInfoFilePath = outputDirectory.resolve(debugInfoName);
-                FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--only-keep-debug", imageFilePath, debugInfoFilePath.toString());
-                BuildArtifacts.singleton().add(ArtifactType.DEBUG_INFO, debugInfoFilePath);
+                if (SubstrateOptions.useDebugInfoGeneration()) {
+                    /* Generate a separate debug file before stripping the executable. */
+                    String debugInfoName = imageName + debugExtension;
+                    Path debugInfoFilePath = outputDirectory.resolve(debugInfoName);
+                    FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--only-keep-debug", imageFilePath, debugInfoFilePath.toString());
+                    BuildArtifacts.singleton().add(ArtifactType.DEBUG_INFO, debugInfoFilePath);
+                    FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--add-gnu-debuglink=" + debugInfoFilePath, imageFilePath);
+                }
                 Path exportedSymbolsPath = createKeepSymbolsListFile(accessImpl);
                 FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--strip-all", "--keep-symbols=" + exportedSymbolsPath, imageFilePath);
-                FileUtils.executeCommand(objcopyExe, "--add-gnu-debuglink=" + debugInfoFilePath, imageFilePath);
             } catch (IOException e) {
                 throw UserError.abort("Generation of separate debuginfo file failed", e);
             } catch (InterruptedException e) {
@@ -114,7 +127,7 @@ private static void stripLinux(AfterImageWriteAccessImpl accessImpl) {
 
     private static Path createKeepSymbolsListFile(AfterImageWriteAccessImpl accessImpl) throws IOException {
         Path exportedSymbolsPath = accessImpl.getTempDirectory().resolve("keep-symbols.list").toAbsolutePath();
-        Files.write(exportedSymbolsPath, accessImpl.getImageSymbols(false));
+        Files.write(exportedSymbolsPath, accessImpl.getImageSymbols(true));
         return exportedSymbolsPath;
     }
 }