diff --git a/ice-9/boot-9.scm b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
index c7ed61a0b..16254d32d 100644
--- a/ice-9/boot-9.scm
+++ b/ice-9/boot-9.scm
@@ -629,6 +629,12 @@
 
 ;; This is mostly for the internal use of the code generated by
 ;; scm_compile_shell_switches.
+
+(define (turn-on-debugging)
+  (debug-enable 'debug)
+  (debug-enable 'backtrace)
+  (read-enable 'positions))
+  
 (define (load-user-init)
   (let* ((home (or (getenv "HOME")
 		   (false-if-exception (passwd:dir (getpwuid (getuid))))