diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index bbdd03c1fbb..2647c65ba72 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -94,3 +94,6 @@ node_modules
 /server.ini
 
 *.swp
+
+# local lua debugging file
+debug.lua
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/profiles/debug.lua b/profiles/debug.lua
deleted file mode 100644
index aed80b7f5a0..00000000000
--- a/profiles/debug.lua
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,150 +0,0 @@
--- Enable calling our lua profile code directly from the lua command line,
--- which makes it easier to debug.
--- We simulate the normal C++ environment by defining the required globals and functions.
-
--- Usage:
--- > cd profiles
--- > lua5.1 debug.lua
-
-
--- for more convenient printing of tables
-local pprint = require('lib/pprint')
-
--- globals that are normally set from C++
-
--- profiles code modifies this table
-properties = {}
-
--- should match values defined in include/extractor/guidance/road_classification.hpp
-road_priority_class = {
-  motorway = 0,
-  trunk = 2,
-  primary = 4,
-  secondary = 6,
-  tertiary = 8,
-  main_residential = 10,
-  side_residential = 11,
-  link_road = 14,
-  bike_path = 16,
-  foot_path = 18,
-  connectivity = 31,
-}
-
--- should match values defined in include/extractor/travel_mode.hpp
-mode = {
-  inaccessible = 0,
-  driving = 1,
-  cycling = 2,
-  walking = 3,
-  ferry = 4,
-  train = 5,
-  pushing_bike = 6,
-}
-
--- input tags, normally extracted from OSM data
-local way = {
-  --highway = 'footway',
-  amenity = 'parking',
-  name = 'Hyper Drive',
-  --foot = 'yes',
-  --oneway = 'yes',
-  --access = 'no'
-  --["access:forward"] = 'no'
-  --width = '3',
-  --maxspeed = '30',
-  --['maxspeed:advisory'] = '25',
-  --service = 'alley',
-  --['oneway:bicycle'] = 'yes',
-  --junction = 'roundabout',
-  --['name:pronunciation'] = 'fuerloong',
-  --route = 'ferry',
-  --duration = '00:01:00',
-  --hov = 'designated',
-  --hov:lanes:forward"] = 'designated',
-  --destination = 'Berlin',
-  --["destination:ref"] = 'Nuremberg',
-  --["destination:ref:forward"] = 'Hamburg;Dresden',
-}
--- tag function normally provided via C++
-function way:get_value_by_key(k)
-  if not self['_debug'] then
-    self['_debug'] = {
-      _counts = {}
-    }
-  end
-
-  if self['_debug']['_total'] then
-    self['_debug']['_total'] = self['_debug']['_total'] + 1
-  else
-    self['_debug']['_total'] = 1
-  end
-
-  if self['_debug']['_counts'][k] then
-    self['_debug']['_counts'][k] = self['_debug']['_counts'][k] + 1
-  else
-    self['_debug']['_counts'][k] = 1
-  end
-  
-  return self[k]
-end
-
--- Mock C++ helper functions which are called from LUA.
--- FIXME
--- Debugging LUA code that uses these will not work correctly
--- unless we reimplement themethods in LUA.
-
-function durationIsValid(str)
-  return true
-end
-
-function parseDuration(str)
-  return 1
-end
-
-function canonicalizeStringList(str)
-  return str
-end
- 
--- helpers for sorting associative array
-function get_keys_sorted_by_value(tbl, sortFunction)
-  local keys = {}
-  for key in pairs(tbl) do
-    table.insert(keys, key)
-  end
-
-  table.sort(keys, function(a, b)
-    return sortFunction(tbl[a], tbl[b])
-  end)
-
-  return keys
-end
-
--- helper for printing sorted array
-function print_sorted(sorted,associative)
-  for _, key in ipairs(sorted) do
-    print(associative[key], key)
-  end
-end
-
--- start state of result table, normally set form C++
-local result = {
-  road_classification = {},
-  forward_speed = -1,
-  backward_speed = -1,
-}
-
--- the profile we want to debug
-require("foot")
-
--- call the way function
-way_function(way,result)
-
--- and print the output
-pprint(way)
-print("=>")
-pprint(result)
-print("\n")
---print("Tag fetches:")
---sorted_counts = get_keys_sorted_by_value(way._debug._counts, function(a, b) return a > b end)
---print_sorted(sorted_counts, way._debug._counts)
---print(way._debug._total, 'total')
diff --git a/profiles/debug_example.lua b/profiles/debug_example.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6bfb735ade5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/debug_example.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+--
+-- Example of how to use debug.lua to debug profiles in a pure lua environment.
+-- It makes it easy to manually set tags, run the way processing and check the result.
+--
+-- To use, make a copy of this file and gitignore your copy. (If you use the name ndebug.lua,
+-- it's already gitignored.)
+-- 
+-- You run your copy via the lua command line:
+--    > cd profiles
+--    > lua5.1 debug.lua
+--
+-- You can then modify the input tags and rerun the file to check the output.
+--
+-- TODO: there are a few helper methods that are implemented in C++, which are currently
+-- just mocked as empty methods in LUA. Tag processing that uses these helpers will
+-- not yet work correctly in this pure LUA debugging environment.
+
+
+-- for better printing
+local pprint = require('lib/pprint')
+
+-- require the debug tool
+local Debug = require('lib/profile_debugger')
+
+-- load the profile we want to debug
+Debug.load_profile('foot') 
+
+-- define some input tags. they would normally by extracted from OSM data,
+-- but here we can set them manually which makes debugging the profile eaiser
+
+local way = {
+  highway = 'primary',
+  name = 'Magnolia Boulevard',
+  ["access:forward"] = 'no'
+}
+
+-- output will go here
+local result = {}
+
+-- call the way function
+Debug.way_function(way,result)
+
+-- print input and output
+pprint(way)
+print("=>")
+pprint(result)
+print("\n")
+
+-- report what tags where fetched, and how many times 
+Debug.report_tag_fetches()
diff --git a/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua b/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..eb85fa1f3e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+-- Enable calling our lua profile code directly from the lua command line,
+-- which makes it easier to debug.
+-- We simulate the normal C++ environment by defining the required globals and functions.
+
+-- See debug_example.lua for an example of how to require and use this file.
+
+-- for more convenient printing of tables
+local pprint = require('lib/pprint')
+
+
+-- globals that are normally set from C++
+
+-- profiles code modifies this table
+properties = {}
+
+-- should match values defined in include/extractor/guidance/road_classification.hpp
+road_priority_class = {
+  motorway = 0,
+  trunk = 2,
+  primary = 4,
+  secondary = 6,
+  tertiary = 8,
+  main_residential = 10,
+  side_residential = 11,
+  link_road = 14,
+  bike_path = 16,
+  foot_path = 18,
+  connectivity = 31,
+}
+
+-- should match values defined in include/extractor/travel_mode.hpp
+mode = {
+  inaccessible = 0,
+  driving = 1,
+  cycling = 2,
+  walking = 3,
+  ferry = 4,
+  train = 5,
+  pushing_bike = 6,
+}
+
+-- Mock C++ helper functions which are called from LUA.
+-- TODO
+-- Debugging LUA code that uses these will not work correctly
+-- unless we reimplement the methods in LUA.
+
+function durationIsValid(str)
+  return true
+end
+
+function parseDuration(str)
+  return 1
+end
+
+function canonicalizeStringList(str)
+  return str
+end
+ 
+ 
+ 
+-- debug helper
+local Debug = {}
+ 
+-- helpers for sorting associative array
+function Debug.get_keys_sorted_by_value(tbl, sortFunction)
+  local keys = {}
+  for key in pairs(tbl) do
+    table.insert(keys, key)
+  end
+
+  table.sort(keys, function(a, b)
+    return sortFunction(tbl[a], tbl[b])
+  end)
+
+  return keys
+end
+
+-- helper for printing sorted array
+function Debug.print_sorted(sorted,associative)
+  for _, key in ipairs(sorted) do
+    print(associative[key], key)
+  end
+end
+
+function Debug.report_tag_fetches()
+  print("Tag fetches:")
+  sorted_counts = Debug.get_keys_sorted_by_value(Debug.tags.counts, function(a, b) return a > b end)
+  Debug.print_sorted(sorted_counts, Debug.tags.counts)
+  print(Debug.tags.total, 'total')
+end
+
+function Debug.load_profile(profile)
+  require(profile)
+end
+
+function Debug.reset_tag_fetch_counts()
+  Debug.tags = {
+    total = 0,
+    counts = {}
+  }
+end
+
+function Debug.register_tag_fetch(k)
+  if Debug.tags.total then
+    Debug.tags.total = Debug.tags.total + 1
+  else
+    Debug['tags']['total'] = 1
+  end
+
+  if Debug['tags']['counts'][k] then
+    Debug['tags']['counts'][k] = Debug['tags']['counts'][k] + 1
+  else
+    Debug['tags']['counts'][k] = 1
+  end
+
+end
+
+function Debug.way_function(way,result)
+  
+  -- setup result table
+  result.road_classification = {}
+  result.forward_speed = -1
+  result.backward_speed = -1
+  
+  -- intercept tag function normally provided via C++
+  function way:get_value_by_key(k)
+    Debug.register_tag_fetch(k)
+    return self[k]
+  end
+  
+  -- reset tag counts
+  Debug:reset_tag_fetch_counts()
+  
+   -- call the global method defined in the profile file
+  way_function(way,result)
+end
+
+return Debug