diff --git a/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala b/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
index 314514f1a..eaec670f0 100755
--- a/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
+++ b/integration-test/src/test/scala/RunnerTest.scala
@@ -44,6 +44,12 @@ object SbtRunnerTest extends SimpleTestSuite with PowerAssertions {
     ()
   }
 
+  test("sbt --debug-inc") {
+    val out = sbtProcess("compile --debug-inc -v").!!.linesIterator.toList
+    assert(out.contains[String]("-Dxsbt.inc.debug=true"))
+    ()
+  }
+
   test("sbt --supershell=never") {
     val out = sbtProcess("compile --supershell=never -v").!!.linesIterator.toList
     assert(out.contains[String]("-Dsbt.supershell=never"))
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt b/src/universal/bin/sbt
index 1a42143ab..60fe5eeab 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt
@@ -424,6 +424,8 @@ Usage: `basename "$0"` [options]
   --numeric-version   print the numeric sbt version (sbt sbtVersion)
   --script-version    print the version of sbt script
   -d | --debug        set sbt log level to debug
+  -debug-inc | --debug-inc
+                      enable extra debugging for the incremental debugger
   --no-colors         disable ANSI color codes
   --color=auto|always|true|false|never
                       enable or disable ANSI color codes      (sbt 1.3 and above)
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 043ac450e..8ed637529
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ set sbt_args_print_sbt_version=
 set sbt_args_print_sbt_script_version=
 set sbt_args_verbose=
 set sbt_args_debug=
+set sbt_args_debug_inc=
 set sbt_args_batch=
 set sbt_args_color=
 set sbt_args_no_colors=
@@ -238,6 +239,15 @@ if defined _debug_arg (
   goto args_loop
 )
 
+if "%~0" == "-debug-inc" set _debug_inc_arg=true
+if "%~0" == "--debug-inc" set _debug_inc_arg=true
+
+if defined _debug_inc_arg (
+  set _debug_inc_arg=
+  set sbt_args_debug_inc=1
+  goto args_loop
+)
+
 if "%~0" == "--sbt-version" set _sbt_version_arg=true
 if "%~0" == "-sbt-version" set _sbt_version_arg=true
 
@@ -439,6 +449,10 @@ goto end
 
 rem set arguments
 
+if defined sbt_args_debug_inc (
+  set _SBT_OPTS=-Dxsbt.inc.debug=true !_SBT_OPTS!
+)
+
 if defined sbt_args_no_colors (
   set _SBT_OPTS=-Dsbt.log.noformat=true !_SBT_OPTS!
 )
@@ -723,6 +737,8 @@ echo   -V ^| --version      print sbt version information
 echo   --numeric-version   print the numeric sbt version (sbt sbtVersion)
 echo   --script-version    print the version of sbt script
 echo   -d ^| --debug        set sbt log level to debug
+echo   -debug-inc ^| --debug-inc
+echo                       enable extra debugging for the incremental debugger
 echo   --no-colors         disable ANSI color codes
 echo   --color=auto^|always^|true^|false^|never
 echo                       enable or disable ANSI color codes      ^(sbt 1.3 and above^)