diff --git a/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala b/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
index b907828ec..29a0be9bb 100755
--- a/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
+++ b/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
@@ -190,4 +190,10 @@ object SbtRunnerTest extends SimpleTestSuite with PowerAssertions {
     assert(out.contains[String]("[info] HelloTest"))
     ()
   }
+
+  test("sbt --jvm-debug <port>") {
+    val out = sbtProcess("--jvm-debug", "12345", "compile", "-v").!!.linesIterator.toList
+    assert(out.contains[String]("-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=n,address=12345"))
+    ()
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
index 105c9e7b2..f063cac4b 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -375,6 +375,9 @@ if defined _jvm_debug_arg (
       rem next argument wasn't a port, set a default and process next arg
       set /A JVM_DEBUG_PORT=5005
       goto args_loop
+    ) else (
+      shift
+      goto args_loop
     )
   )
 )
@@ -637,6 +640,18 @@ if not "%p:~0,5%" == "-XX:+" if not "%p:~0,5%" == "-XX:-" if "%p:~0,3%" == "-XX"
   )
 )
 
+if "%p:~0,14%" == "-agentlib:jdwp" (
+  rem special handling for --jvm-debug since '=' and ',' gets parsed away
+  for /F "tokens=1 delims==" %%a in ("%p%") do (
+    rem make sure it doesn't have the '=' already
+    if "%p%" == "%%a" if not "%~1" == "" if not "%~2" == "" if not "%~3" == "" if not "%~4" == "" if not "%~5" == "" if not "%~6" == "" if not "%~7" == "" if not "%~8" == "" (
+      echo %0=%1=%2,%3=%4,%5=%6,%7=%8
+      shift & shift & shift & shift & shift & shift & shift & shift
+      goto echolist
+    )
+  )
+)
+
 echo %0
 goto echolist