diff --git a/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-aarch64-native.inc b/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-aarch64-native.inc
index 898fa23c..0a8e34c1 100644
--- a/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-aarch64-native.inc
+++ b/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-aarch64-native.inc
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 # gem5 aarch64 specific configuration
 
 # Build arm64 gem5
-GEM5_BUILD_CONFIGS ?= "build/ARM/gem5.opt build/ARM/gem5.fast \
-    build/ARM/gem5.debug"
+GEM5_BUILD_CONFIGS ?= "build/ARM/gem5.${GEM5_BUILD_VARIANT}"
 
 SRC_URI += "file://start-gem5.sh"
 
@@ -10,7 +9,7 @@ inherit deploy
 
 # Parameters for the start script
 
-GEM5_RUN_CONFIG ?= "gem5.fast"
+GEM5_RUN_CONFIG ?= "gem5.${GEM5_BUILD_VARIANT}"
 
 # Linux kernel file to boot
 GEM5_RUN_KERNEL ?= "vmlinux"
diff --git a/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-native.inc b/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-native.inc
index 3cad1ebe..06c03e47 100644
--- a/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-native.inc
+++ b/meta-gem5/recipes-devtools/gem5/gem5-native.inc
@@ -6,8 +6,11 @@ LICENSE = "BSD & MIT & LGPLv2.1"
 
 # Gem5 build and run parameter
 
+# See http://www.gem5.org/documentation/general_docs/building for the list of variants
+GEM5_BUILD_VARIANT ?= "opt"
+
 # What gem5 binary are we building
-GEM5_BUILD_CONFIGS ?= "build/X86/gem5.opt"
+GEM5_BUILD_CONFIGS ?= "build/X86/gem5.{GEM5_BUILD_VARIANT}"
 
 # Scons build arguments
 GEM5_SCONS_ARGS ?= "CC=${BUILD_CC} CXX=${BUILD_CXX} \