diff --git a/src/Context.cpp b/src/Context.cpp
index a18bbec15..f634daf16 100644
--- a/src/Context.cpp
+++ b/src/Context.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,9 @@ int Context::initialize (int argc, const char** argv)
     // Create missing config file and data directory, if necessary.
     parser.applyOverrides ();
 
+    // Setting the debug switch has ripple effects.
+    propagateDebug ();
+
     // These may have changed.
     // TODO Uh oh.
     Lexer::dateFormat            = config.get ("dateformat");
@@ -753,6 +756,25 @@ void Context::loadAliases ()
       parser.alias (i->first.substr (6), i->second);
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+// Using the general rc.debug setting automaticalls sets debug.tls, debug.hooks
+// and debug.parser, unless they already have values, which by default they do
+// not.
+void Context::propagateDebug ()
+{
+  if (config.getBoolean ("debug"))
+  {
+    if (! config.has ("debug.tls"))
+      config.set ("debug.tls", 2);
+
+    if (! config.has ("debug.hooks"))
+      config.set ("debug.hooks", 2);
+
+    if (! config.has ("debug.parser"))
+      config.set ("debug.parser", 2);
+  }
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 void Context::header (const std::string& input)
 {
diff --git a/src/Context.h b/src/Context.h
index f6fbd705b..f4c8ce4de 100644
--- a/src/Context.h
+++ b/src/Context.h
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ private:
   void updateXtermTitle ();
   void updateVerbosity ();
   void loadAliases ();
+  void propagateDebug ();
 
 public:
   std::string                         program;