diff --git a/tests/Debugger.php b/tests/Debugger.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3213af3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Debugger.php
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+<?php
+
+/**
+ * Debugging tools.
+ * 
+ * This file gives a developer a set of tools useful for performing code
+ * consistency checks. This includes scoping code blocks to ensure that
+ * only the interesting iteration of a loop gets outputted, a paint()
+ * function that acts like var_dump() with pre tags, and conditional
+ * printing.
+ */
+
+/*
+TODO
+ * Integrate into SimpleTest so it tells us whether or not there were any
+   not cleaned up debug calls.
+ * Custom var_dump() that ignores blacklisted properties
+*/
+
+/**#@+
+ * Convenience global functions. Corresponds to method on Debugger.
+ */
+function paint($mixed) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->paint($mixed);
+}
+function paintIf($mixed, $conditional) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->paintIf($mixed, $conditional);
+}
+function paintWhen($mixed, $scopes = array()) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->paintWhen($mixed, $scopes);
+}
+function paintIfWhen($mixed, $conditional, $scopes = array()) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->paintIfWhen($mixed, $conditional, $scopes);
+}
+function addScope($id = false) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->addScope($id);
+}
+function removeScope($id) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->removeScope($id);
+}
+function resetScopes() {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->resetScopes();
+}
+function isInScopes($array = array()) {
+    $Debugger =& Debugger::instance();
+    return $Debugger->isInScopes($array);
+}
+/**#@-*/
+
+/**
+ * The debugging singleton. Most interesting stuff happens here.
+ */
+class Debugger
+{
+    
+    var $shouldPaint = false;
+    var $paints  = 0;
+    var $current_scopes = array();
+    var $scope_nextID = 1;
+    var $add_pre = true;
+    
+    function Debugger() {
+        $this->add_pre = !extension_loaded('xdebug');
+    }
+    
+    function &instance() {
+        static $soleInstance = false;
+        if (!$soleInstance) $soleInstance = new Debugger();
+        return $soleInstance;
+    }
+    
+    function paintIf($mixed, $conditional)  {
+        if (!$conditional) return;
+        $this->paint($mixed);
+    }
+    
+    function paintWhen($mixed, $scopes = array()) {
+        if (!$this->isInScopes($scopes)) return;
+        $this->paint($mixed);
+    }
+    
+    function paintIfWhen($mixed, $conditional, $scopes = array()) {
+        if (!$conditional) return;
+        if (!$this->isInScopes($scopes)) return;
+        $this->paint($mixed);
+    }
+    
+    function paint($mixed) {
+        $this->paints++;
+        if($this->add_pre) echo '<pre>';
+        var_dump($mixed);
+        if($this->add_pre) echo '</pre>';
+    }
+    
+    function addScope($id = false) {
+        if ($id == false) {
+            $id = $this->scope_nextID++;
+        }
+        $this->current_scopes[$id] = true;
+    }
+    
+    function removeScope($id) {
+        if (isset($this->current_scopes[$id])) unset($this->current_scopes[$id]);
+    }
+    
+    function resetScopes() {
+        $this->current_scopes = array();
+        $this->scope_nextID = 1;
+    }
+    
+    function isInScopes($scopes = array()) {
+        if (empty($this->current_scopes)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (!is_array($scopes)) {
+            $scopes = array($scopes);
+        }
+        foreach ($scopes as $scope_id) {
+            if (empty($this->current_scopes[$scope_id])) {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+        if (empty($scopes)) {
+            if ($this->scope_nextID == 1) {
+                return false;
+            }
+            for($i = 1; $i < $this->scope_nextID; $i++) {
+                if (empty($this->current_scopes[$i])) {
+                    return false;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+    
+}
+
+?>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/index.php b/tests/index.php
index e509ec6f..95cd4ec8 100644
--- a/tests/index.php
+++ b/tests/index.php
@@ -1,6 +1,12 @@
 <?php
 
-load_simpletest(); // includes all relevant simpletest files
+error_reporting(E_ALL);
+
+require_once 'simpletest/unit_tester.php';
+require_once 'simpletest/reporter.php';
+require_once 'simpletest/mock_objects.php';
+
+require_once 'Debugger.php';
 
 // emulates inserting a dir called HTMLPurifier into your class dir
 set_include_path(get_include_path() . PATH_SEPARATOR . '../library');