diff --git a/3d-viewer/3d_cache/sg/CMakeLists.txt b/3d-viewer/3d_cache/sg/CMakeLists.txt
index 6a3ff2f395..0899a1925b 100644
--- a/3d-viewer/3d_cache/sg/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/3d-viewer/3d_cache/sg/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -104,3 +104,8 @@ install( TARGETS
     LIBRARY DESTINATION ${KICAD_LIB}
     COMPONENT binary
     )
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:kicad_3dsg> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index d4429d2636..1e5aacfc03 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ option( KICAD_GAL_PROFILE
     "Enable profiling info for GAL"
     OFF )
 
+cmake_dependent_option( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS
+    "Installs debug pdb to the bin folder, NOT REQUIRED FOR DEBUGGING THE SOURCE ON MSVC. This is purely for release building."
+    OFF "WIN32"
+    OFF )
+
 # Global setting: exports are explicit
 set( CMAKE_CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET "hidden" )
 set( CMAKE_VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN ON )
diff --git a/bitmap2component/CMakeLists.txt b/bitmap2component/CMakeLists.txt
index 5fa78f492c..f7c90663f4 100644
--- a/bitmap2component/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/bitmap2component/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ else()
         )
 endif()
 
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:bitmap2component> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
 
 if( false )     # linker map with cross reference
     set_target_properties( bitmap2component PROPERTIES
diff --git a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
index ce7ef26ab8..dff14ed334 100644
--- a/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/cvpcb/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -107,3 +107,8 @@ else()
         COMPONENT binary
         )
 endif()
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:cvpcb_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
index 19b3e4ef29..00fcd8aae6 100644
--- a/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/eeschema/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -494,6 +494,13 @@ else()
         )
 endif()
 
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:eeschema> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:eeschema_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
+
 # auto-generate cmp_library_lexer.h and cmp_library_keywords.cpp for the component
 # library format.
 make_lexer(
diff --git a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
index c653a856ee..ae257e001d 100644
--- a/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gerbview/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -211,3 +211,10 @@ else()
         COMPONENT binary
         )
 endif()
+
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:gerbview> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:gerbview_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/kicad/CMakeLists.txt b/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
index b38c195a91..c0e7884236 100644
--- a/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/kicad/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -95,11 +95,17 @@ install( TARGETS kicad
     DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN}
     COMPONENT binary
     )
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:kicad> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
+
 if( APPLE )
     # "install( CODE ... )" will launch its own CMake, so no variables from
     # this CMake instance are accessible... use helper to transfer
     set( SCRIPTING_HELPER "1" )
-    
+
     if( KICAD_SPICE )
         set( SPICE_HELPER "1" )
     else()
diff --git a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
index af18c0b469..af20a0f967 100644
--- a/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pagelayout_editor/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -166,3 +166,9 @@ else()
         COMPONENT binary
         )
 endif()
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pl_editor> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pl_editor_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pcb_calculator/CMakeLists.txt b/pcb_calculator/CMakeLists.txt
index 264ed1b7e0..a649a77315 100644
--- a/pcb_calculator/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcb_calculator/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -143,6 +143,12 @@ else()
         )
 endif()
 
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pcb_calculator> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pcb_calculator_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
+
 # auto-generate pcb_calculator_datafile.h and pcb_calculator_datafile_keywords.cpp
 # for the storage data file format.
 make_lexer(
diff --git a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
index 814cd2e053..db17479910 100644
--- a/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/pcbnew/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -766,6 +766,11 @@ else()
         )
 endif()
 
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pcbnew> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:pcbnew_kiface> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
 
 if( NOT APPLE )
     install( FILES ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/pcbnew/pcbnew.py DESTINATION ${PYTHON_DEST} )
diff --git a/plugins/3d/idf/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/3d/idf/CMakeLists.txt
index d9f11c0919..7bcc7656dd 100644
--- a/plugins/3d/idf/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/3d/idf/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -41,3 +41,8 @@ install( TARGETS
     DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d
     COMPONENT binary
     )
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:s3d_plugin_idf> DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d)
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/3d/oce/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/3d/oce/CMakeLists.txt
index 73a7244aaa..074df30a67 100644
--- a/plugins/3d/oce/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/3d/oce/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ target_link_libraries( s3d_plugin_oce kicad_3dsg ${OCC_LIBRARIES} ${wxWidgets_LI
 target_include_directories( s3d_plugin_oce PRIVATE
     $<TARGET_PROPERTY:gzip-hpp,INTERFACE_INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES>
     )
-    
+
 if( APPLE )
     # puts library into the main kicad.app bundle in build tree
     set_target_properties( s3d_plugin_oce PROPERTIES
@@ -35,3 +35,8 @@ install( TARGETS
     DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d
     COMPONENT binary
     )
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:s3d_plugin_oce> DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d)
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/plugins/3d/vrml/CMakeLists.txt b/plugins/3d/vrml/CMakeLists.txt
index b8bd160730..b651598842 100644
--- a/plugins/3d/vrml/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/plugins/3d/vrml/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -83,3 +83,8 @@ install( TARGETS
     DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d
     COMPONENT binary
     )
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:s3d_plugin_vrml> DESTINATION ${KICAD_USER_PLUGIN}/3d)
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/utils/kicad2step/CMakeLists.txt b/utils/kicad2step/CMakeLists.txt
index 3deae4ea59..fda9ad5a1f 100644
--- a/utils/kicad2step/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/utils/kicad2step/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -62,3 +62,8 @@ else()
             DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN}
             COMPONENT binary )
 endif()
+
+if( KICAD_WIN32_INSTALL_PDBS )
+    # Get the PDBs to copy over for MSVC
+    install(FILES $<TARGET_PDB_FILE:kicad2step> DESTINATION ${KICAD_BIN})
+endif()
\ No newline at end of file