diff --git a/cmake/AspectConfig.cmake.in b/cmake/AspectConfig.cmake.in
index 9100a18f8db..ec75b72a832 100644
--- a/cmake/AspectConfig.cmake.in
+++ b/cmake/AspectConfig.cmake.in
@@ -54,11 +54,23 @@ macro(ASPECT_SETUP_PLUGIN _target)
 
   if(${ASPECT_BUILD_RELEASE} MATCHES "ON")
     message(STATUS "  setting up RELEASE variant")
-    add_library(${_target}.release SHARED $<TARGET_PROPERTY:${_target},SOURCES>)
-    deal_ii_setup_target(${_target}.release RELEASE)
-    set_target_properties(${_target}.release PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".so")
 
-    list(APPEND _target_libs ${_target}.release)
+    # If we also build a debug build we need to set up a
+    # new target. If we do not also build in debug mode
+    # reuse the target name the user already set. In
+    # both cases make sure the library ends in .release.so
+    if(${ASPECT_BUILD_DEBUG} MATCHES "ON")
+      set(_release_target_name ${_target}.release)
+      add_library(${_release_target_name} SHARED $<TARGET_PROPERTY:${_target},SOURCES>)
+      deal_ii_setup_target(${_release_target_name} RELEASE)
+      set_target_properties(${_release_target_name} PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".so")
+    else()
+      set(_release_target_name ${_target})
+      deal_ii_setup_target(${_release_target_name} RELEASE)
+      set_target_properties(${_release_target_name} PROPERTIES SUFFIX ".release.so")
+    endif()
+
+    list(APPEND _target_libs ${_release_target_name})
   endif()
 
   foreach(_T ${_target_libs})
@@ -84,4 +96,16 @@ macro(ASPECT_SETUP_PLUGIN _target)
     TARGET ${_target} POST_BUILD
     COMMAND ln -sf ${Aspect_DIR}/aspect .)
 
+  if(${ASPECT_BUILD_DEBUG} MATCHES "ON")
+    add_custom_command(
+      TARGET ${_target} POST_BUILD
+      COMMAND ln -sf ${Aspect_DIR}/aspect-debug .)
+  endif()
+
+  if(${ASPECT_BUILD_RELEASE} MATCHES "ON")
+  add_custom_command(
+    TARGET ${_target} POST_BUILD
+    COMMAND ln -sf ${Aspect_DIR}/aspect-release .)
+  endif()
+
 endmacro()