diff --git a/test/Makefile.tests b/test/Makefile.tests
index 5c6a96388aa..1b9a4135956 100644
--- a/test/Makefile.tests
+++ b/test/Makefile.tests
@@ -5,9 +5,15 @@
 
 ## NOTE: This is preliminary and will change in the future
 
-
 include ${LEVEL}/Makefile.common
 
+# Specify ENABLE_STATS on the command line to enable -stats output from gccas
+# and gccld.
+ifdef ENABLE_STATS
+STATS = -stats
+endif
+
+
 .PHONY: clean default
 
 # These files, which might be intermediate results, should not be deleted by
@@ -74,7 +80,7 @@ Output/%.ll: %.c $(LCC1) Output/.dir $(INCLUDES)
 # from GCC output, so use GCCAS.
 #
 Output/%.bc: Output/%.ll $(LGCCAS)
-	$(LGCCAS) $< -o $@
+	$(LGCCAS) $(STATS) $< -o $@
 
 # LLVM Assemble from X.ll to Output/X.bc.  Because we are coming directly from
 # LLVM source, use the non-transforming assembler.