diff --git a/config/knl/bli_kernel.h b/config/knl/bli_kernel.h
index e32954973..46b1cb4f4 100644
--- a/config/knl/bli_kernel.h
+++ b/config/knl/bli_kernel.h
@@ -43,11 +43,22 @@
 #define BLIS_SIMD_SIZE                   64
 #define BLIS_SIMD_NUM_REGISTERS          32
 
+#ifdef BLIS_NO_HBWMALLOC
+
+#include <stdlib.h>
+
+#define BLIS_MALLOC_POOL malloc
+#define BLIS_FREE_POOL free
+
+#else
+
 #include <hbwmalloc.h>
 
 #define BLIS_MALLOC_POOL hbw_malloc
 #define BLIS_FREE_POOL hbw_free
 
+#endif
+
 //#define BLIS_MALLOC_INTL hbw_malloc
 //#define BLIS_FREE_INTL hbw_free
 
diff --git a/config/knl/make_defs.mk b/config/knl/make_defs.mk
index 6a750223d..449aeb0bb 100644
--- a/config/knl/make_defs.mk
+++ b/config/knl/make_defs.mk
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ else
 COPTFLAGS      := -O3
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(DEBUG_TYPE),sde)
+CPPROCFLAGS    += -DBLIS_NO_HBWMALLOC
+endif
+
 CKOPTFLAGS     := $(COPTFLAGS)
 
 ifeq ($(CC_VENDOR),gcc)
@@ -95,12 +99,17 @@ ARFLAGS        := cru
 # --- Determine the linker and related flags ---
 LINKER         := $(CC)
 SOFLAGS        := -shared
-ifeq ($(CC_VENDOR),icc)
+
+ifneq ($(DEBUG_TYPE),sde)
 LDFLAGS        := -lmemkind
 else
-LDFLAGS        := -lmemkind -lm
+LDFLAGS        :=
 endif
 
+ifneq ($(CC_VENDOR),icc)
+LDFLAGS        += -lm
+endif 
+
 
 
 # end of ifndef MAKE_DEFS_MK_INCLUDED conditional block
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 2358575f6..de7d1e96e 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -458,6 +458,9 @@ main()
 	if [ -n "${debug_flag}" ]; then
 		if [ "x${debug_type}" = "xopt" ]; then
 			echo "${script_name}: enabling debug symbols with optimizations."
+                elif [ "x${debug_type}" = "xsde" ]; then
+			debug_type='sde'
+			echo "${script_name}: enabling SDE processor emulation."
 		else
 			debug_type='noopt'
 			echo "${script_name}: enabling debug symbols; optimizations disabled."