diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4df6ec01d..31d2eaa4b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -433,28 +433,30 @@ if (ASSERT_STATUS_CHECKED)
   add_definitions(-DROCKSDB_ASSERT_STATUS_CHECKED)
 endif()
 
-if(DEFINED USE_RTTI)
-  if(USE_RTTI)
-    message(STATUS "Enabling RTTI")
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
-    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
+
+# RTTI is by default AUTO which enables it in debug and disables it in release.
+set(USE_RTTI AUTO CACHE STRING "Enable RTTI in builds")
+set_property(CACHE USE_RTTI PROPERTY STRINGS AUTO ON OFF)
+if(USE_RTTI STREQUAL "AUTO")
+  message(STATUS "Enabling RTTI in Debug builds only (default)")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
+  if(MSVC)
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} /GR-")
   else()
-    if(MSVC)
-      message(STATUS "Disabling RTTI in Release builds. Always on in Debug.")
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} /GR-")
-    else()
-      message(STATUS "Disabling RTTI in Release builds")
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -fno-rtti")
-      set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -fno-rtti")
-    endif()
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -fno-rtti")
   endif()
-else()
-  message(STATUS "Enabling RTTI in Debug builds only (default)")
+elseif(USE_RTTI)
+  message(STATUS "Enabling RTTI in all builds")
   set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
+  set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
+else()
   if(MSVC)
-     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} /GR-")
+    message(STATUS "Disabling RTTI in Release builds. Always on in Debug.")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -DROCKSDB_USE_RTTI")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} /GR-")
   else()
+    message(STATUS "Disabling RTTI in all builds")
+    set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_DEBUG} -fno-rtti")
     set(CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE "${CMAKE_CXX_FLAGS_RELEASE} -fno-rtti")
   endif()
 endif()