diff --git a/backend/aztec.c b/backend/aztec.c
index 6c5903d6..3587a8a9 100644
--- a/backend/aztec.c
+++ b/backend/aztec.c
@@ -68,9 +68,9 @@ static void insert(char binary_string[], const size_t posn, const char newbit) {
 /**
  * Encode input data into a binary string
  */
-static int aztec_text_process(const unsigned char source[], const unsigned int src_len, char binary_string[], const int gs1, const int eci) {
+static int aztec_text_process(const unsigned char source[], const unsigned int src_len, char binary_string[], const int gs1, const int eci, int debug) {
     int i, j, k, p, bytes;
-    int curtable, newtable, lasttable, chartype, maplength, blocks, debug;
+    int curtable, newtable, lasttable, chartype, maplength, blocks;
 #ifndef _MSC_VER
     int charmap[src_len * 2], typemap[src_len * 2];
     int blockmap[2][src_len];
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ static int aztec_text_process(const unsigned char source[], const unsigned int s
 #endif
     /* Lookup input string in encoding table */
     maplength = 0;
-    debug = 0;
 
     if (gs1) {
         /* Add FNC1 to beginning of GS1 messages */
@@ -886,7 +885,7 @@ int aztec(struct zint_symbol *symbol, unsigned char source[], int length) {
     unsigned char desc_data[4], desc_ecc[6];
     int err_code, ecc_level, compact, data_length, data_maxsize, codeword_size, adjusted_length;
     int remainder, padbits, count, gs1, adjustment_size;
-    int debug = 0, reader = 0;
+    int debug = symbol->debug, reader = 0;
     int comp_loop = 4;
 
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
@@ -913,7 +912,7 @@ int aztec(struct zint_symbol *symbol, unsigned char source[], int length) {
 
     populate_map();
 
-    err_code = aztec_text_process(source, length, binary_string, gs1, symbol->eci);
+    err_code = aztec_text_process(source, length, binary_string, gs1, symbol->eci, symbol->debug);
 
     if (err_code != 0) {
         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "Input too long or too many extended ASCII characters (E02)");
diff --git a/backend/dmatrix.c b/backend/dmatrix.c
index 9c8856f3..fff417a9 100644
--- a/backend/dmatrix.c
+++ b/backend/dmatrix.c
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ static int dm200encode(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[],
     int sp, tp, i, gs1;
     int current_mode, next_mode;
     int inputlen = *length_p;
-    int debug = 0;
+    int debug = symbol->debug;
 #ifndef _MSC_VER
     char binary[2 * inputlen];
 #else
diff --git a/backend/dotcode.c b/backend/dotcode.c
index 881a442a..29461dc3 100644
--- a/backend/dotcode.c
+++ b/backend/dotcode.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ int dotcode_encode_message(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char sourc
     int input_position, array_length, i;
     char encoding_mode;
     int inside_macro, done;
-    int debug = 0;
+    int debug = symbol->debug;
     int binary_buffer_size = 0;
     int lawrencium[6]; // Reversed radix 103 values
 
@@ -1088,7 +1088,7 @@ int dotcode(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int length
 #else
     char* dot_stream;
     char* dot_array;
-    unsigned char* masked_codeword_array;
+    unsigned char* masked_codeword_array;
     unsigned char* codeword_array = (unsigned char *) _alloca(length * 3 * sizeof (unsigned char));
 #endif /* _MSC_VER */
 
diff --git a/backend/gridmtx.c b/backend/gridmtx.c
index 992f259c..9996b251 100644
--- a/backend/gridmtx.c
+++ b/backend/gridmtx.c
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ void add_shift_char(char binary[], int shifty) {
     }
 }
 
-int gm_encode(int gbdata[], int length, char binary[], int reader, int eci) {
+int gm_encode(int gbdata[], int length, char binary[], int reader, int eci, int debug) {
     /* Create a binary stream representation of the input data.
        7 sets are defined - Chinese characters, Numerals, Lower case letters, Upper case letters,
        Mixed numerals and latters, Control characters and 8-bit binary data */
@@ -357,7 +357,7 @@ int gm_encode(int gbdata[], int length, char binary[], int reader, int eci) {
     int p = 0, ppos;
     int numbuf[3], punt = 0;
     size_t number_pad_posn, byte_count_posn = 0;
-    int byte_count = 0, debug = 0;
+    int byte_count = 0;
     int shift, i;
 
     strcpy(binary, "");
@@ -1098,7 +1098,7 @@ int grid_matrix(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int le
 
     if (symbol->output_options & READER_INIT) reader = 1;
 
-    error_number = gm_encode(gbdata, length, binary, reader, symbol->eci);
+    error_number = gm_encode(gbdata, length, binary, reader, symbol->eci, symbol->debug);
     if (error_number != 0) {
         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "Input data too long (E31)");
         return error_number;
diff --git a/backend/hanxin.c b/backend/hanxin.c
index 356b20e5..c636a900 100644
--- a/backend/hanxin.c
+++ b/backend/hanxin.c
@@ -328,11 +328,10 @@ int lookup_text2(char input) {
 }
 
 /* Convert input data to binary stream */
-void calculate_binary(char binary[], char mode[], int source[], int length, int eci) {
+void calculate_binary(char binary[], char mode[], int source[], int length, int eci, int debug) {
     int block_length;
     int position = 0;
     int i, p, count, encoding_value;
-    int debug = 0;
     int first_byte, second_byte;
     int third_byte, fourth_byte;
     int glyph;
@@ -1396,7 +1395,7 @@ int han_xin(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int length
         ecc_level = 1;
     }
 
-    calculate_binary(binary, mode, gbdata, length, symbol->eci);
+    calculate_binary(binary, mode, gbdata, length, symbol->eci, symbol->debug);
     bin_len = strlen(binary);
     codewords = bin_len / 8;
     if (bin_len % 8 != 0) {
diff --git a/backend/library.c b/backend/library.c
index 201dbad5..4619f10c 100644
--- a/backend/library.c
+++ b/backend/library.c
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ struct zint_symbol *ZBarcode_Create() {
     symbol->bitmap_height = 0;
     symbol->eci = 3;
     symbol->dot_size = 4.0 / 5.0;
+    symbol->debug = 0;
     return symbol;
 }
 
diff --git a/backend/pdf417.c b/backend/pdf417.c
index 1ead790f..39ac8d6f 100644
--- a/backend/pdf417.c
+++ b/backend/pdf417.c
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ int pdf417(struct zint_symbol *symbol, unsigned char chaine[], int length) {
     int i, k, j, indexchaine, indexliste, mode, longueur, loop, mccorrection[520], offset;
     int total, chainemc[2700], mclength, c1, c2, c3, dummy[35], codeerr;
     char codebarre[140], pattern[580];
-    int debug = 0;
+    int debug = symbol->debug;
 
     codeerr = 0;
 
diff --git a/backend/qr.c b/backend/qr.c
index a2489c62..fdce6848 100644
--- a/backend/qr.c
+++ b/backend/qr.c
@@ -197,8 +197,8 @@ static void qr_bscan(char *binary, int data, int h) {
 }
 
 /* Convert input data to a binary stream and add padding */
-void qr_binary(int datastream[], int version, int target_binlen, char mode[], int jisdata[], int length, int gs1, int eci, int est_binlen) {
-    int position = 0, debug = 0;
+void qr_binary(int datastream[], int version, int target_binlen, char mode[], int jisdata[], int length, int gs1, int eci, int est_binlen, int debug) {
+    int position = 0;
     int short_data_block_length, i, scheme = 1;
     char data_block, padbits;
     int current_binlen, current_bytes;
@@ -1672,7 +1672,7 @@ int qr_code(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int length
     fullstream = (int *) _alloca((qr_total_codewords[version - 1] + 1) * sizeof (int));
 #endif
 
-    qr_binary(datastream, version, target_binlen, mode, jisdata, length, gs1, symbol->eci, est_binlen);
+    qr_binary(datastream, version, target_binlen, mode, jisdata, length, gs1, symbol->eci, est_binlen, symbol->debug);
     add_ecc(fullstream, datastream, version, target_binlen, blocks);
 
     size = qr_sizes[version - 1];
@@ -1718,10 +1718,10 @@ int qr_code(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int length
 
 /* NOTE: From this point forward concerns Micro QR Code only */
 
-int micro_qr_intermediate(char binary[], int jisdata[], char mode[], int length, int *kanji_used, int *alphanum_used, int *byte_used) {
+int micro_qr_intermediate(char binary[], int jisdata[], char mode[], int length, int *kanji_used, int *alphanum_used, int *byte_used, int debug) {
     /* Convert input data to an "intermediate stage" where data is binary encoded but
        control information is not */
-    int position = 0, debug = 0;
+    int position = 0;
     int short_data_block_length, i;
     char data_block;
     char buffer[2];
@@ -2707,7 +2707,7 @@ int microqr(struct zint_symbol *symbol, const unsigned char source[], int length
         }
     }
 
-    error_number = micro_qr_intermediate(binary_stream, jisdata, mode, length, &kanji_used, &alphanum_used, &byte_used);
+    error_number = micro_qr_intermediate(binary_stream, jisdata, mode, length, &kanji_used, &alphanum_used, &byte_used, symbol->debug);
     if (error_number != 0) {
         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "Input data too long (E64)");
         return error_number;
diff --git a/backend/rss.c b/backend/rss.c
index 75fa75bf..9856641a 100644
--- a/backend/rss.c
+++ b/backend/rss.c
@@ -1169,7 +1169,7 @@ int general_rules(char field[], char type[]) {
 
 /* Handles all data encodation from section 7.2.5 of ISO/IEC 24724 */
 int rss_binary_string(struct zint_symbol *symbol, char source[], char binary_string[]) {
-    int encoding_method, i, mask, j, read_posn, latch, debug = 0, last_mode = ISOIEC;
+    int encoding_method, i, mask, j, read_posn, latch, debug = symbol->debug, last_mode = ISOIEC;
     int symbol_characters, characters_per_row;
 #ifndef _MSC_VER
     char general_field[strlen(source) + 1], general_field_type[strlen(source) + 1];
diff --git a/backend/zint.h b/backend/zint.h
index 57f92160..a16dee9a 100644
--- a/backend/zint.h
+++ b/backend/zint.h
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ extern "C" {
         unsigned int bitmap_byte_length;
         float dot_size;
         struct zint_render *rendered;
+        int debug;
     };
 
 #define ZINT_VERSION_MAJOR      2
diff --git a/frontend/main.c b/frontend/main.c
index 7b4292f4..9d1c94c2 100644
--- a/frontend/main.c
+++ b/frontend/main.c
@@ -493,6 +493,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
             {"dotsize", 1, 0, 0},
             {"eci", 1, 0, 0},
             {"filetype", 1, 0, 0},
+            {"verbose", 0, 0, 0}, // Currently undocumented, output some debug info
             {0, 0, 0, 0}
         };
         c = getopt_long(argc, argv, "htb:w:d:o:i:rcmpe", long_options, &option_index);
@@ -688,6 +689,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
                         fflush(stderr);
                     }
                 }
+                if (!strcmp(long_options[option_index].name, "verbose")) {
+                    my_symbol->debug = 1;
+                }
                 break;
 
             case 'h':