--- a/ath/if_ath.c
+++ b/ath/if_ath.c
@@ -423,8 +423,8 @@
 		"defaults to '" DEF_RATE_CTL "'");
 MODULE_PARM_DESC(intmit, "Enable interference mitigation by default.  Default is 0.");
 
-static int	ath_debug = 0;
 #ifdef AR_DEBUG
+static int	ath_debug = 0;
 #if (LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2,5,52))
 MODULE_PARM(ath_debug, "i");
 #else
@@ -435,8 +435,8 @@
 static void ath_printtxbuf(const struct ath_buf *, int);
 #endif /* defined(AR_DEBUG) */
 
-static int	ieee80211_debug = 0;
 #ifdef AR_DEBUG
+static int	ieee80211_debug = 0;
 #if (LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2,5,52))
 MODULE_PARM(ieee80211_debug, "i");
 #else
@@ -853,8 +853,10 @@
 	ic->ic_updateslot = ath_updateslot;
 	atomic_set(&ic->ic_node_counter, 0);
 	ic->ic_debug = 0;
+#ifdef AR_DEBUG
 	sc->sc_debug = (ath_debug & ~ATH_DEBUG_GLOBAL);
 	sc->sc_default_ieee80211_debug = ieee80211_debug;
+#endif
 
 	ic->ic_wme.wme_update = ath_wme_update;
 	ic->ic_uapsd_flush = ath_uapsd_flush;
