diff --git a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildRunner.java b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildRunner.java
index dfd679c6338f9..93ff637d66473 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildRunner.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildRunner.java
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ public void setup(boolean processInheritIODisabled) {
     public void addShutdownHook(Process buildNativeProcess) {
     }
 
-    public int build(List<String> args, String nativeImageName, String resultingExecutableName, Path outputDir,
-            boolean debugEnabled, boolean processInheritIODisabled)
+    public Result build(List<String> args, String nativeImageName, String resultingExecutableName, Path outputDir,
+            boolean debugSymbolsEnabled, boolean processInheritIODisabled)
             throws InterruptedException, IOException {
         preBuild(args);
         try {
@@ -63,22 +63,26 @@ public int build(List<String> args, String nativeImageName, String resultingExec
             executor.shutdown();
             errorReportLatch.await();
             int exitCode = process.waitFor();
+            boolean objcopyExists = objcopyExists();
             if (exitCode != 0) {
-                return exitCode;
+                return new Result(exitCode, objcopyExists);
             }
 
-            if (objcopyExists()) {
-                if (debugEnabled) {
+            if (objcopyExists) {
+                if (debugSymbolsEnabled) {
                     splitDebugSymbols(nativeImageName, resultingExecutableName);
                 } else {
                     // Strip debug symbols regardless, because the underlying JDK might contain them
                     objcopy("--strip-debug", resultingExecutableName);
                 }
             } else {
-                log.warn("objcopy executable not found in PATH. Debug symbols will not be separated from executable.");
-                log.warn("That will result in a larger native image with debug symbols embedded in it.");
+                if (!debugSymbolsEnabled) {
+                    log.warn(
+                            "objcopy executable not found in PATH. Debug symbols will therefore not be separated from executable.");
+                    log.warn("That also means that resulting native image is larger as it embeds the debug symbols.");
+                }
             }
-            return 0;
+            return new Result(0, objcopyExists);
         } finally {
             postBuild();
         }
@@ -143,4 +147,22 @@ static void runCommand(String[] command, String errorMsg, File workingDirectory)
             }
         }
     }
+
+    static class Result {
+        private final int exitCode;
+        private final boolean objcopyExists;
+
+        public Result(int exitCode, boolean objcopyExists) {
+            this.exitCode = exitCode;
+            this.objcopyExists = objcopyExists;
+        }
+
+        public int getExitCode() {
+            return exitCode;
+        }
+
+        public boolean isObjcopyExists() {
+            return objcopyExists;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
index 3472a0305fafd..1b72ae784b360 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildStep.java
@@ -198,24 +198,32 @@ public NativeImageBuildItem build(NativeConfig nativeConfig, NativeImageSourceJa
 
             List<String> nativeImageArgs = commandAndExecutable.args;
 
-            int exitCode = buildRunner.build(nativeImageArgs, nativeImageName, resultingExecutableName, outputDir,
+            NativeImageBuildRunner.Result buildNativeResult = buildRunner.build(nativeImageArgs, nativeImageName,
+                    resultingExecutableName, outputDir,
                     nativeConfig.debug.enabled, processInheritIODisabled.isPresent());
-            if (exitCode != 0) {
-                throw imageGenerationFailed(exitCode, nativeImageArgs);
+            if (buildNativeResult.getExitCode() != 0) {
+                throw imageGenerationFailed(buildNativeResult.getExitCode(), nativeImageArgs);
             }
             IoUtils.copy(generatedExecutablePath, finalExecutablePath);
             Files.delete(generatedExecutablePath);
             if (nativeConfig.debug.enabled) {
-                final String symbolsName = String.format("%s.debug", nativeImageName);
-                Path generatedSymbols = outputDir.resolve(symbolsName);
-                Path finalSymbolsPath = outputTargetBuildItem.getOutputDirectory().resolve(symbolsName);
-                IoUtils.copy(generatedSymbols, finalSymbolsPath);
-                Files.delete(generatedSymbols);
-                final String sources = "sources";
-                final Path generatedSources = outputDir.resolve(sources);
-                final Path finalSources = outputTargetBuildItem.getOutputDirectory().resolve(sources);
-                IoUtils.copy(generatedSources, finalSources);
-                IoUtils.recursiveDelete(generatedSources);
+                if (buildNativeResult.isObjcopyExists()) {
+                    final String symbolsName = String.format("%s.debug", nativeImageName);
+                    Path generatedSymbols = outputDir.resolve(symbolsName);
+                    Path finalSymbolsPath = outputTargetBuildItem.getOutputDirectory().resolve(symbolsName);
+                    IoUtils.copy(generatedSymbols, finalSymbolsPath);
+                    Files.delete(generatedSymbols);
+                    final String sources = "sources";
+                    final Path generatedSources = outputDir.resolve(sources);
+                    final Path finalSources = outputTargetBuildItem.getOutputDirectory().resolve(sources);
+                    IoUtils.copy(generatedSources, finalSources);
+                    IoUtils.recursiveDelete(generatedSources);
+                } else {
+                    log.warn(
+                            "objcopy executable not found in PATH. Debug symbols therefore cannot be placed into the dedicated directory.");
+                    log.warn("That also means that resulting native image is larger as it embeds the debug symbols.");
+                }
+
             }
             System.setProperty("native.image.path", finalExecutablePath.toAbsolutePath().toString());