diff --git a/config-dist.php b/config-dist.php
index 31357ef6968..03dc6517953 100644
--- a/config-dist.php
+++ b/config-dist.php
@@ -790,6 +790,11 @@ $CFG->admin = 'admin';
 // To further control this, the debug_developer_use_pretty_exceptions setting can be set to false.
 // $CFG->debug_developer_use_pretty_exceptions = true;
 //
+// In many development situations it is desirable to have debugging() calls treated as errors rather than
+// as exceptions.
+// If this property is not specified then it will be true if pretty exceptions are usable.
+// $CFG->debug_developer_debugging_as_error = true;
+//
 // The Whoops! UI can also provide a link to open files in  your preferred editor.
 // You can set your preferred editor by setting:
 // $CFG->debug_developer_editor = 'vscode';
diff --git a/lib/setuplib.php b/lib/setuplib.php
index b56ba5f97a5..e95897e0723 100644
--- a/lib/setuplib.php
+++ b/lib/setuplib.php
@@ -387,10 +387,21 @@ function get_whoops(): ?\Whoops\Run {
     $whoops->appendHandler(function ($exception, $inspector, $run) {
         // Moodle exceptions often have a link to the Moodle docs pages for them.
         // Add that to the first frame in the stack.
-        $info = get_exception_info($exception);
-        if ($info->moreinfourl) {
-            $collection = $inspector->getFrames();
-            $collection[0]->addComment("{$info->moreinfourl}", 'More info');
+        $collection = $inspector->getFrames();
+
+        $isdebugging = str_ends_with($collection[1]->getFile(), '/lib/weblib.php');
+        $isdebugging = $isdebugging && $collection[2]->getFunction() === 'debugging';
+
+        if ($isdebugging) {
+            $remove = array_slice($collection->getArray(), 0, 2);
+            $collection->filter(function ($frame) use ($remove): bool {
+                return array_search($frame, $remove) === false;
+            });
+        } else {
+            $info = get_exception_info($exception);
+            if ($info->moreinfourl) {
+                $collection[0]->addComment("{$info->moreinfourl}", 'More info');
+            }
         }
     });
 
diff --git a/lib/weblib.php b/lib/weblib.php
index a4e6dbb9cd5..c7ec6e278aa 100644
--- a/lib/weblib.php
+++ b/lib/weblib.php
@@ -3320,17 +3320,26 @@ function debugging($message = '', $level = DEBUG_NORMAL, $backtrace = null) {
             // Script does not want any errors or debugging in output,
             // we send the info to error log instead.
             error_log('Debugging: ' . $message . ' in '. PHP_EOL . $from);
-
         } else if ($forcedebug or $CFG->debugdisplay) {
             if (!defined('DEBUGGING_PRINTED')) {
                 define('DEBUGGING_PRINTED', 1); // Indicates we have printed something.
             }
+
             if (CLI_SCRIPT) {
                 echo "++ $message ++\n$from";
             } else {
-                echo '<div class="notifytiny debuggingmessage" data-rel="debugging">' , $message , $from , '</div>';
-            }
+                if (property_exists($CFG, 'debug_developer_debugging_as_error')) {
+                    $showaserror = $CFG->debug_developer_debugging_as_error;
+                } else {
+                    $showaserror = (bool) get_whoops();
+                }
 
+                if ($showaserror) {
+                    trigger_error($message, E_USER_NOTICE);
+                } else {
+                    echo '<div class="notifytiny debuggingmessage" data-rel="debugging">', $message, $from, '</div>';
+                }
+            }
         } else {
             trigger_error($message . $from, E_USER_NOTICE);
         }