diff --git a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLHelpers.cpp b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLHelpers.cpp
index 79b39a2331..2781d5b9b0 100644
--- a/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLHelpers.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gl/src/gl/GLHelpers.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,14 @@
 #include <QtOpenGL/QGL>
 #include <QOpenGLContext>
 #include <QtCore/QRegularExpression>
+#include <QtCore/QProcessEnvironment>
+#ifdef DEBUG
+static bool enableDebug = true;
+#else
+static const QString DEBUG_FLAG("HIFI_ENABLE_OPENGL_45");
+static bool enableDebug = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains(DEBUG_FLAG);
+#endif
+
 
 const QSurfaceFormat& getDefaultOpenGLSurfaceFormat() {
     static QSurfaceFormat format;
@@ -15,9 +23,9 @@ const QSurfaceFormat& getDefaultOpenGLSurfaceFormat() {
         format.setDepthBufferSize(DEFAULT_GL_DEPTH_BUFFER_BITS);
         format.setStencilBufferSize(DEFAULT_GL_STENCIL_BUFFER_BITS);
         setGLFormatVersion(format);
-#ifdef DEBUG
-        format.setOption(QSurfaceFormat::DebugContext);
-#endif
+        if (enableDebug) {
+            format.setOption(QSurfaceFormat::DebugContext);
+        }
         format.setProfile(QSurfaceFormat::OpenGLContextProfile::CoreProfile);
         QSurfaceFormat::setDefaultFormat(format);
     });
diff --git a/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.cpp b/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.cpp
index 90ff369cd6..eec3d2bf6b 100644
--- a/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.cpp
@@ -12,23 +12,30 @@
 
 #include "OffscreenGLCanvas.h"
 
+#include <QtCore/QProcessEnvironment>
 #include <QtGui/QOffscreenSurface>
 #include <QtGui/QOpenGLDebugLogger>
 #include <QtGui/QOpenGLContext>
 
 #include "GLHelpers.h"
 
+#ifdef DEBUG
+static bool enableDebugLogger = true;
+#else
+static const QString DEBUG_FLAG("HIFI_ENABLE_OPENGL_45");
+static bool enableDebugLogger = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains(DEBUG_FLAG);
+#endif
+
+
 OffscreenGLCanvas::OffscreenGLCanvas() : _context(new QOpenGLContext), _offscreenSurface(new QOffscreenSurface){
 }
 
 OffscreenGLCanvas::~OffscreenGLCanvas() {
-#ifdef DEBUG
     if (_logger) {
         makeCurrent();
         delete _logger;
         _logger = nullptr;
     }
-#endif
     _context->doneCurrent();
 }
 
@@ -60,7 +67,7 @@ bool OffscreenGLCanvas::makeCurrent() {
         qDebug() << "GL Renderer: " << QString((const char*) glGetString(GL_RENDERER));
     });
 
-#ifdef DEBUG
+
     if (result && !_logger) {
         _logger = new QOpenGLDebugLogger(this);
         if (_logger->initialize()) {
@@ -71,7 +78,6 @@ bool OffscreenGLCanvas::makeCurrent() {
             _logger->startLogging(QOpenGLDebugLogger::LoggingMode::SynchronousLogging);
         }
     }
-#endif
 
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.h b/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.h
index 387804bf56..69210f638d 100644
--- a/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.h
+++ b/libraries/gl/src/gl/OffscreenGLCanvas.h
@@ -36,10 +36,7 @@ protected:
     std::once_flag _reportOnce;
     QOpenGLContext* _context;
     QOffscreenSurface* _offscreenSurface;
-#ifdef DEBUG
     QOpenGLDebugLogger* _logger{ nullptr };
-#endif
-
 };
 
 #endif // hifi_OffscreenGLCanvas_h
diff --git a/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl/GLBackend.cpp b/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl/GLBackend.cpp
index 60641c122d..ce2f4c8d66 100644
--- a/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl/GLBackend.cpp
+++ b/libraries/gpu-gl/src/gpu/gl/GLBackend.cpp
@@ -32,19 +32,19 @@
 using namespace gpu;
 using namespace gpu::gl;
 
-static const QString DEBUG_FLAG("HIFI_DISABLE_OPENGL_45");
-bool disableOpenGL45 = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains(DEBUG_FLAG);
+static const QString DEBUG_FLAG("HIFI_ENABLE_OPENGL_45");
+static bool enableOpenGL45 = QProcessEnvironment::systemEnvironment().contains(DEBUG_FLAG);
 
 Backend* GLBackend::createBackend() {
     // FIXME provide a mechanism to override the backend for testing
     // Where the gpuContext is initialized and where the TRUE Backend is created and assigned
     auto version = QOpenGLContextWrapper::currentContextVersion();
     GLBackend* result; 
-    if (!disableOpenGL45 && version >= 0x0405) {
-        qDebug() << "OpenGL 4.5 detected";
+    if (enableOpenGL45 && version >= 0x0405) {
+        qDebug() << "Using OpenGL 4.5 backend";
         result = new gpu::gl45::GL45Backend();
     } else {
-        qDebug() << "OpenGL 4.5 not detected / enabled, using compatibility backend";
+        qDebug() << "Using OpenGL 4.1 backend";
         result = new gpu::gl41::GL41Backend();
     }
     result->initInput();