diff --git a/pkg/build/gobuild.go b/pkg/build/gobuild.go
index 3b340565f6..eae5a9f3c8 100644
--- a/pkg/build/gobuild.go
+++ b/pkg/build/gobuild.go
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ type gobuild struct {
 	kodataCreationTime   v1.Time
 	build                builder
 	disableOptimizations bool
+	trimpath             bool
 	buildConfigs         map[string]Config
 	platformMatcher      *platformMatcher
 	dir                  string
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ type gobuildOpener struct {
 	kodataCreationTime   v1.Time
 	build                builder
 	disableOptimizations bool
+	trimpath             bool
 	buildConfigs         map[string]Config
 	platform             string
 	labels               map[string]string
@@ -100,6 +102,7 @@ func (gbo *gobuildOpener) Open() (Interface, error) {
 		kodataCreationTime:   gbo.kodataCreationTime,
 		build:                gbo.build,
 		disableOptimizations: gbo.disableOptimizations,
+		trimpath:             gbo.trimpath,
 		buildConfigs:         gbo.buildConfigs,
 		labels:               gbo.labels,
 		dir:                  gbo.dir,
@@ -556,9 +559,10 @@ func createBuildArgs(buildCfg Config) ([]string, error) {
 }
 
 func (g *gobuild) configForImportPath(ip string) Config {
-	config, ok := g.buildConfigs[ip]
-	if !ok {
-		// Apply default build flags in case none were supplied
+	config := g.buildConfigs[ip]
+	if g.trimpath {
+		// The `-trimpath` flag removes file system paths from the resulting binary, to aid reproducibility.
+		// Ref: https://pkg.go.dev/cmd/go#hdr-Compile_packages_and_dependencies
 		config.Flags = append(config.Flags, "-trimpath")
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/build/gobuild_test.go b/pkg/build/gobuild_test.go
index ac6fea0e24..4a401ad72a 100644
--- a/pkg/build/gobuild_test.go
+++ b/pkg/build/gobuild_test.go
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp"
+	"github.com/google/go-cmp/cmp/cmpopts"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/name"
 	v1 "github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1"
 	"github.com/google/go-containerregistry/pkg/v1/empty"
@@ -290,6 +291,102 @@ func TestBuildEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestBuildConfig(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		description  string
+		options      []Option
+		importpath   string
+		expectConfig Config
+	}{
+		{
+			description: "minimal options",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			description: "trimpath flag",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+				WithTrimpath(true),
+			},
+			expectConfig: Config{
+				Flags: FlagArray{"-trimpath"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			description: "no trimpath flag",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+				WithTrimpath(false),
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			description: "build config and trimpath",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+				WithConfig(map[string]Config{
+					"example.com/foo": {
+						Flags: FlagArray{"-v"},
+					},
+				}),
+				WithTrimpath(true),
+			},
+			importpath: "example.com/foo",
+			expectConfig: Config{
+				Flags: FlagArray{"-v", "-trimpath"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			description: "no trimpath overridden by build config flag",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+				WithConfig(map[string]Config{
+					"example.com/bar": {
+						Flags: FlagArray{"-trimpath"},
+					},
+				}),
+				WithTrimpath(false),
+			},
+			importpath: "example.com/bar",
+			expectConfig: Config{
+				Flags: FlagArray{"-trimpath"},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			description: "disable optimizations",
+			options: []Option{
+				WithBaseImages(nilGetBase),
+				WithDisabledOptimizations(),
+			},
+			expectConfig: Config{
+				Flags: FlagArray{"-gcflags", "all=-N -l"},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.description, func(t *testing.T) {
+			i, err := NewGo(context.Background(), "", test.options...)
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("NewGo(): unexpected error: %+v", err)
+			}
+			gb, ok := i.(*gobuild)
+			if !ok {
+				t.Fatal("NewGo() did not return *gobuild{} as expected")
+			}
+			config := gb.configForImportPath(test.importpath)
+			if diff := cmp.Diff(test.expectConfig, config, cmpopts.EquateEmpty(),
+				cmpopts.SortSlices(func(x, y string) bool { return x < y })); diff != "" {
+				t.Errorf("%T differ (-got, +want): %s", test.expectConfig, diff)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+func nilGetBase(_ context.Context, _ string) (name.Reference, Result, error) {
+	return nil, nil, nil
+}
+
 // A helper method we use to substitute for the default "build" method.
 func writeTempFile(_ context.Context, s string, _ string, _ v1.Platform, _ Config) (string, error) {
 	tmpDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "ko")
diff --git a/pkg/build/options.go b/pkg/build/options.go
index 443cdd3e54..da6e804ddf 100644
--- a/pkg/build/options.go
+++ b/pkg/build/options.go
@@ -54,6 +54,15 @@ func WithDisabledOptimizations() Option {
 	}
 }
 
+// WithTrimpath is a functional option that controls whether the `-trimpath`
+// flag is added to `go build`.
+func WithTrimpath(v bool) Option {
+	return func(gbo *gobuildOpener) error {
+		gbo.trimpath = v
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 // WithConfig is a functional option for providing GoReleaser Build influenced
 // build settings for importpaths.
 //
diff --git a/pkg/commands/options/build.go b/pkg/commands/options/build.go
index 7b324a2a31..31654d3136 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/options/build.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/options/build.go
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ type BuildOptions struct {
 
 	InsecureRegistry bool
 
+	// Trimpath controls whether ko adds the `-trimpath` flag to `go build` by default.
+	// The `-trimpath` flags aids in achieving reproducible builds, but it removes path information that is useful for interactive debugging.
+	// Set this field to `false` and `DisableOptimizations` to `true` if you want to interactively debug the binary in the resulting image.
+	// `AddBuildOptions()` defaults this field to `true`.
+	Trimpath bool
+
 	// BuildConfigs stores the per-image build config from `.ko.yaml`.
 	BuildConfigs map[string]build.Config
 }
@@ -71,6 +77,7 @@ func AddBuildOptions(cmd *cobra.Command, bo *BuildOptions) {
 		"Which platform to use when pulling a multi-platform base. Format: all | <os>[/<arch>[/<variant>]][,platform]*")
 	cmd.Flags().StringSliceVar(&bo.Labels, "image-label", []string{},
 		"Which labels (key=value) to add to the image.")
+	bo.Trimpath = true
 }
 
 // LoadConfig reads build configuration from defaults, environment variables, and the `.ko.yaml` config file.
diff --git a/pkg/commands/options/build_test.go b/pkg/commands/options/build_test.go
index a8acfb9674..145fd8599f 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/options/build_test.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/options/build_test.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/google/ko/pkg/build"
+	"github.com/spf13/cobra"
 )
 
 func TestDefaultBaseImage(t *testing.T) {
@@ -87,3 +88,12 @@ func TestCreateBuildConfigs(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestAddBuildOptionsSetsDefaultsForNonFlagOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{}
+	bo := &BuildOptions{}
+	AddBuildOptions(cmd, bo)
+	if !bo.Trimpath {
+		t.Error("expected Trimpath=true")
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/commands/resolver.go b/pkg/commands/resolver.go
index 22fd75d81f..a2dbbf4fbd 100644
--- a/pkg/commands/resolver.go
+++ b/pkg/commands/resolver.go
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ func gobuildOptions(bo *options.BuildOptions) ([]build.Option, error) {
 	if bo.DisableOptimizations {
 		opts = append(opts, build.WithDisabledOptimizations())
 	}
+	opts = append(opts, build.WithTrimpath(bo.Trimpath))
 	for _, lf := range bo.Labels {
 		parts := strings.SplitN(lf, "=", 2)
 		if len(parts) != 2 {