diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRule.java b/src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRule.java
index 87c520229..bd4428d17 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRule.java
@@ -186,6 +186,10 @@ public final class RealJenkinsRule implements TestRule {
 
     private Map<String, Level> loggers = new HashMap<>();
 
+    private int debugPort = 0;
+    private boolean debugServer = true;
+    private boolean debugSuspend;
+
     // TODO may need to be relaxed for Gradle-based plugins
     private static final Pattern SNAPSHOT_INDEX_JELLY = Pattern.compile("(file:/.+/target)/classes/index.jelly");
 
@@ -330,6 +334,57 @@ public RealJenkinsRule withHttpListenAddress(String httpListenAddress) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Allows usage of a static debug port instead of a random one.
+     * <p>
+     * This allows to use predefined debug configurations in the IDE.
+     * <p>
+     * Typical usage is in a base test class where multiple named controller instances are defined with fixed ports
+     *
+     * <pre>
+     * public RealJenkinsRule cc1 = new RealJenkinsRule().withName("cc1").withDebugPort(4001).withDebugServer(false);
+     *
+     * public RealJenkinsRule cc2 = new RealJenkinsRule().withName("cc2").withDebugPort(4002).withDebugServer(false);
+     * </pre>
+     *
+     * Then have debug configurations in the IDE set for ports
+     * <ul>
+     * <li>5005 (test VM) - debugger mode "attach to remote vm"</li>
+     * <li>4001 (cc1) - debugger mode "listen to remote vm"</li>
+     * <li>4002 (cc2) - debugger mode "listen to remote vm"</li>
+     * </ul>
+     * <p>
+     * This allows for debugger to reconnect in scenarios where restarts of controllers are involved.
+     *
+     * @param debugPort the TCP port to use for debugging this Jenkins instance. Between 0 (random) and 65536 (excluded).
+     */
+    public RealJenkinsRule withDebugPort(int debugPort) {
+        if (debugPort < 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException("debugPort must be positive");
+        if (!(debugPort < 65536)) throw new IllegalArgumentException("debugPort must be a valid TCP port (< 65536)");
+        this.debugPort = debugPort;
+        return this;
+    }
+    /**
+     * Allows to use debug in server mode or client mode. Client mode is friendlier to controller restarts.
+     *
+     * @see #withDebugPort(int)
+     *
+     * @param debugServer true to use server=y, false to use server=n
+     */
+    public RealJenkinsRule withDebugServer(boolean debugServer) {
+        this.debugServer = debugServer;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Whether to suspend the controller VM on startup until debugger is connected. Defaults to false.
+     * @param debugSuspend true to suspend the controller VM on startup until debugger is connected.
+     */
+    public RealJenkinsRule withDebugSuspend(boolean debugSuspend) {
+        this.debugSuspend = debugSuspend;
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * The intended use case for this is to use the plugins bundled into the war {@link RealJenkinsRule#withWar(File)}
      * instead of the plugins in the pom. A typical scenario for this feature is a test which does not live inside a
@@ -562,7 +617,10 @@ public void startJenkins() throws Throwable {
         portFile = new File(home, "jenkins-port.txt");
         argv.add("-Dwinstone.portFileName=" + portFile);
         if (new DisableOnDebug(null).isDebugging()) {
-            argv.add("-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y");
+            argv.add("-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket"
+                    + ",server=" + (debugServer ? "y" : "n")
+                    + ",suspend=" + (debugSuspend ? "y" : "n")
+                    + (debugPort > 0 ? ",address=" + httpListenAddress + ":" + debugPort : ""));
         }
         argv.addAll(javaOptions);
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRuleTest.java b/src/test/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRuleTest.java
index 4fb38f153..945bf4c7c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRuleTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/jvnet/hudson/test/RealJenkinsRuleTest.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 public class RealJenkinsRuleTest {
 
     // TODO addPlugins does not currently take effect when used inside test method
-    @Rule public RealJenkinsRule rr = new RealJenkinsRule().addPlugins("plugins/structs.hpi");
+    @Rule public RealJenkinsRule rr = new RealJenkinsRule().addPlugins("plugins/structs.hpi").withDebugPort(4001).withDebugServer(false);
     @Rule public RealJenkinsRule rrWithFailure = new RealJenkinsRule().addPlugins("plugins/failure.hpi");
 
     @Test public void smokes() throws Throwable {