diff --git a/config.toml.example b/config.toml.example
index 01952b21ba4..5d198abe1c7 100644
--- a/config.toml.example
+++ b/config.toml.example
@@ -341,7 +341,10 @@
 # Debuginfo for tests run with compiletest is not controlled by this option
 # and needs to be enabled separately with `debuginfo-level-tests`.
 #
-# Defaults to 2 if debug is true
+# Note that debuginfo-level = 2 generates several gigabytes of debuginfo
+# and will slow down the linking process significantly.
+#
+# Defaults to 1 if debug is true
 #debuginfo-level = 0
 
 # Debuginfo level for the compiler.
diff --git a/src/bootstrap/config.rs b/src/bootstrap/config.rs
index d71f3170420..d64ca95d243 100644
--- a/src/bootstrap/config.rs
+++ b/src/bootstrap/config.rs
@@ -734,7 +734,7 @@ impl Config {
 
         let with_defaults = |debuginfo_level_specific: Option<u32>| {
             debuginfo_level_specific.or(debuginfo_level).unwrap_or(if debug == Some(true) {
-                2
+                1
             } else {
                 0
             })