diff --git a/debian/changelog b/debian/changelog
index ef83386..4bca04e 100644
--- a/debian/changelog
+++ b/debian/changelog
@@ -1,3 +1,10 @@
+votca-xtp (2021.1-2) unstable; urgency=medium
+
+  * Adjust CXXFLAGS on mipsel to reduce memory pressure while compiling,
+    working around a FTBFS.
+
+ -- Nicholas Breen <nbreen@debian.org>  Sat, 21 Aug 2021 20:37:02 -0700
+
 votca-xtp (2021.1-1) unstable; urgency=medium
 
   * New upstream release.  Upload to unstable, after release.
diff --git a/debian/rules b/debian/rules
index 0931322..4b27d7f 100755
--- a/debian/rules
+++ b/debian/rules
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@
 export DEB_LDFLAGS_MAINT_APPEND = -Wl,--as-needed
 
 export CTEST_OUTPUT_ON_FAILURE = On
+
+# Reduce memory pressure while compiling on mipsel.
+ifneq (,$(filter $(DEB_HOST_ARCH), mipsel))
+	export DEB_CXXFLAGS_MAINT_APPEND += -O1 -g1 -DNDEBUG
+endif
 
 override_dh_auto_configure:
 	dh_auto_configure -- -DENABLE_TESTING=On -DBUILD_MANPAGES=On