diff --git a/build.sh b/build.sh
index 62dd446b..abc7ab9d 100755
--- a/build.sh
+++ b/build.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH="$CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH:/usr/include/python3.9/"
 cores=`grep -c ^processor /proc/cpuinfo`
 export build_type="debug"
 install_dir=""
-sanitizer="OFF"
+sanitizer="false"
 enable_debug_exceptions="true"
 
 TEMP=`getopt -o hj:rsie --long help,jobs:,release,sanitize,install,debug_exceptions -n 'build.sh' -- "$@"`
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ eval set -- "$TEMP"
 while true ; do
     case "$1" in
         -h|--help) show_help ; shift ;;
-        -s|--sanitize) sanitizer="ON" ; shift ;;
+        -s|--sanitize) sanitizer="true" ; shift ;;
         -r|--release) build_type="release" ; shift ;;
         -e|--disable_debug_exceptions) enable_debug_exceptions="false" ; shift ;;
         -j|--jobs)
@@ -60,10 +60,10 @@ python3 scripts/generate_meson_dbzero.py dbzero/
 mkdir -p build
 
 if [ "$build_type" == "debug" ]; then
-	meson setup --buildtype="debug"  -Denable_debug_exceptions=$enable_debug_exceptions build/debug
+	meson setup --buildtype="debug"  -Denable_debug_exceptions=$enable_debug_exceptions -Denable_sanitizers=$sanitizer build/debug
     cd build/debug
 else
-	meson setup --buildtype="release" -Denable_debug_exceptions=$enable_debug_exceptions build/release
+	meson setup --buildtype="release" -Denable_debug_exceptions=$enable_debug_exceptions -Denable_sanitizers=$sanitizer build/release
     cd build/release
 fi
 
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 65f17b38..440d59f6 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ else
   add_project_arguments('-DENABLE_DEBUG_EXCEPTIONS=0', language: 'c')
 endif
 
+enable_sanitizers = get_option('enable_sanitizers')
+
+if enable_sanitizers
+    message('Enabling address and undefined behavior sanitizers')
+    add_project_arguments('-fsanitize=address', language: 'cpp')
+    add_project_link_arguments('-fsanitize=address', language: 'cpp')
+else
+    message('Disabling address and undefined behavior sanitizers')
+endif
+
 buildtype = get_option('buildtype')
 build_suffix = ''
 if buildtype.startswith('release')
diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index 6a6ac36a..24fedc0a 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -2,4 +2,10 @@ option('enable_debug_exceptions',
   type: 'boolean',
   value: false,
   description: 'Enable debug exceptions (exceptions and stack traces from c++ code).'
+)
+
+option('enable_sanitizers',
+  type: 'boolean',
+  value: false,
+  description: 'Enable address and undefined behavior sanitizers.'
 )
\ No newline at end of file