diff --git a/bin/mocha b/bin/mocha
index cec93a3366..9c7b81678f 100755
--- a/bin/mocha
+++ b/bin/mocha
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
  * @private
  */
 
-const {deprecate, warn} = require('../lib/utils');
+const {deprecate} = require('../lib/utils');
 const {spawn} = require('child_process');
 const {loadOptions} = require('../lib/cli/options');
 const {
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ const {
 const unparse = require('yargs-unparser');
 const debug = require('debug')('mocha:cli:mocha');
 const {aliases} = require('../lib/cli/run-option-metadata');
-const nodeEnv = require('node-environment-flags');
 
 const mochaPath = require.resolve('./_mocha');
 const mochaArgs = {};
@@ -64,51 +63,20 @@ Object.keys(opts).forEach(opt => {
 
 // Native debugger handling
 // see https://nodejs.org/api/debugger.html#debugger_debugger
-// look for 'debug' or 'inspect' that would launch this debugger,
+// look for 'inspect' or 'debug' that would launch this debugger,
 // remove it from Mocha's opts and prepend it to Node's opts.
-// also coerce depending on Node.js version.
 // A deprecation warning will be printed by node, if applicable.
 // (mochaArgs._ are "positional" arguments, not prefixed with - or --)
-if (/^(debug|inspect)$/.test(mochaArgs._[0])) {
-  const command = mochaArgs._.shift();
-  disableTimeouts(command);
-  // don't conflict with inspector
-  ['debug', 'inspect', 'debug-brk', 'inspect-brk']
-    .filter(opt => opt in nodeArgs || opt in mochaArgs)
-    .forEach(opt => {
-      warn(`command "${command}" provided; --${opt} ignored`);
-      delete nodeArgs[opt];
-      delete mochaArgs[opt];
-    });
-  nodeArgs._ = [
-    parseInt(
-      process.version
-        .slice(1)
-        .split('.')
-        .shift(),
-      10
-    ) >= 8
-      ? 'inspect'
-      : 'debug'
-  ];
+if (mochaArgs._) {
+  var i = mochaArgs._.indexOf('inspect');
+  i = i === -1 ? mochaArgs._.indexOf('debug') : i;
+  if (i > -1) {
+    const [command] = mochaArgs._.splice(i, 1);
+    disableTimeouts('inspect');
+    nodeArgs._ = [command];
+  }
 }
 
-// allow --debug to invoke --inspect on Node.js v8 or newer.
-['debug', 'debug-brk']
-  .filter(opt => opt in nodeArgs && !nodeEnv.has(opt))
-  .forEach(opt => {
-    const newOpt = opt === 'debug' ? 'inspect' : 'inspect-brk';
-    warn(
-      `"--${opt}" is not available in Node.js ${
-        process.version
-      }; use "--${newOpt}" instead.`
-    );
-    nodeArgs[newOpt] = nodeArgs[opt];
-    mochaArgs.timeout = false;
-    debug(`--${opt} -> ${newOpt}`);
-    delete nodeArgs[opt];
-  });
-
 // historical
 if (nodeArgs.gc) {
   deprecate(
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index a3fa090632..eb8529eaf8 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ Mocha is a feature-rich JavaScript test framework running on [Node.js][] and in
 - [config file support](#-config-path)
 - [mocha.opts file support](#-opts-path)
 - clickable suite titles to filter test execution
-- [node debugger support](#-debug-inspect-debug-brk-inspect-brk-debug-inspect)
+- [node debugger support](#-inspect-inspect-brk-inspect)
 - [detects multiple calls to `done()`](#detects-multiple-calls-to-done)
 - [use any assertion library you want](#assertions)
 - [extensible reporting, bundled with 9+ reporters](#reporters)
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ Note: A test that executes for _half_ of the "slow" time will be highlighted _in
 
 ### `--timeout <ms>, -t <ms>`
 
-> _Update in v6.0.0: `--no-timeout` is implied when invoking Mocha using debug flags. It is equivalent to `--timeout 0`. `--timeout 99999999` is no longer needed._
+> _Update in v6.0.0: `--no-timeout` is implied when invoking Mocha using inspect flags. It is equivalent to `--timeout 0`. `--timeout 99999999` is no longer needed._
 
 Specifies the test case timeout, defaulting to two (2) seconds (2000 milliseconds). Tests taking longer than this amount of time will be marked as failed.
 
@@ -1174,15 +1174,15 @@ Use the _inverse_ of the match specified by `--grep` or `fgrep`.
 
 Requires either `--grep` or `--fgrep` (but not both).
 
-### `--debug, --inspect, --debug-brk, --inspect-brk, debug, inspect`
+### `--inspect, --inspect-brk, inspect`
 
-> _BREAKING CHANGE in v6.0.0; `-d` is no longer an alias for `--debug`._ > _Other updates in v6.0.0:_ > _In versions of Node.js implementing `--inspect` and `--inspect-brk`, `--debug` and `--debug-brk` are respectively aliases for these two options._ > _Likewise, `debug` (not `--debug`) is an alias for `inspect` (not `--inspect`) in Node.js versions where `debug` is deprecated._
+> _BREAKING CHANGE in v7.0.0; `--debug` / `--debug-brk` are removed and `debug` is deprecated._
 
-Enables Node.js' debugger or inspector.
+Enables Node.js' inspector.
 
-Use `--inspect` / `--inspect-brk` / `--debug` / `--debug-brk` to launch the V8 inspector for use with Chrome Dev Tools.
+Use `--inspect` / `--inspect-brk` to launch the V8 inspector for use with Chrome Dev Tools.
 
-Use `inspect` / `debug` to launch Node.js' internal debugger.
+Use `inspect` to launch Node.js' internal debugger.
 
 All of these options are mutually exclusive.
 
diff --git a/lib/cli/node-flags.js b/lib/cli/node-flags.js
index feffaa93e2..8d378e1bf2 100644
--- a/lib/cli/node-flags.js
+++ b/lib/cli/node-flags.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ const unparse = require('yargs-unparser');
  * @see {@link impliesNoTimeouts}
  * @private
  */
-const debugFlags = new Set(['debug', 'debug-brk', 'inspect', 'inspect-brk']);
+const debugFlags = new Set(['inspect', 'inspect-brk']);
 
 /**
  * Mocha has historical support for various `node` and V8 flags which might not
diff --git a/lib/cli/run.js b/lib/cli/run.js
index da5ffd7b6a..a6b7952608 100644
--- a/lib/cli/run.js
+++ b/lib/cli/run.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ const GROUPS = {
   CONFIG: 'Configuration'
 };
 
-exports.command = ['$0 [spec..]', 'debug [spec..]'];
+exports.command = ['$0 [spec..]', 'inspect'];
 
 exports.describe = 'Run tests with Mocha';
 
diff --git a/test/integration/options/debug.spec.js b/test/integration/options/debug.spec.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e7518283c4..0000000000
--- a/test/integration/options/debug.spec.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,130 +0,0 @@
-'use strict';
-
-var helpers = require('../helpers');
-var invokeMocha = helpers.invokeMocha;
-var DEFAULT_FIXTURE = helpers.DEFAULT_FIXTURE;
-
-describe('--debug', function() {
-  describe('Node.js v8+', function() {
-    before(function() {
-      if (process.version.substring(0, 2) === 'v6') {
-        this.skip();
-      }
-    });
-
-    it('should invoke --inspect', function(done) {
-      invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(res, 'to contain output', /Debugger listening/i);
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-    });
-
-    it('should invoke --inspect-brk', function(done) {
-      var proc = invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug-brk', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(res, 'to contain output', /Debugger listening/i);
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-
-      // debugger must be manually killed
-      setTimeout(function() {
-        process.kill(proc.pid, 'SIGINT');
-      }, 2000);
-    });
-
-    it('should respect custom host/port', function(done) {
-      invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug=127.0.0.1:9229', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(
-            res,
-            'to contain output',
-            /Debugger listening on .*127.0.0.1:9229/i
-          );
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-    });
-
-    it('should warn about incorrect usage for version', function(done) {
-      invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug=127.0.0.1:9229', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(res, 'to contain output', /"--debug" is not available/i);
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-    });
-  });
-
-  describe('Node.js v6', function() {
-    // note that v6.3.0 and newer supports --inspect but still supports --debug.
-    before(function() {
-      if (process.version.substring(0, 2) !== 'v6') {
-        this.skip();
-      }
-    });
-
-    it('should start debugger', function(done) {
-      var proc = invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(res, 'to contain output', /Debugger listening/i);
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-
-      // debugger must be manually killed
-      setTimeout(function() {
-        process.kill(proc.pid, 'SIGINT');
-      }, 2000);
-    });
-
-    it('should respect custom host/port', function(done) {
-      var proc = invokeMocha(
-        ['--debug=127.0.0.1:9229', DEFAULT_FIXTURE],
-        function(err, res) {
-          if (err) {
-            return done(err);
-          }
-          expect(
-            res,
-            'to contain output',
-            /Debugger listening on .*127.0.0.1:9229/i
-          );
-          done();
-        },
-        'pipe'
-      );
-
-      setTimeout(function() {
-        process.kill(proc.pid, 'SIGINT');
-      }, 2000);
-    });
-  });
-});
diff --git a/test/node-unit/cli/node-flags.spec.js b/test/node-unit/cli/node-flags.spec.js
index 1347f256a9..9871088117 100644
--- a/test/node-unit/cli/node-flags.spec.js
+++ b/test/node-unit/cli/node-flags.spec.js
@@ -86,10 +86,8 @@ describe('node-flags', function() {
   });
 
   describe('impliesNoTimeouts()', function() {
-    it('should return true for debug/inspect flags', function() {
-      expect(impliesNoTimeouts('debug'), 'to be true');
+    it('should return true for inspect flags', function() {
       expect(impliesNoTimeouts('inspect'), 'to be true');
-      expect(impliesNoTimeouts('debug-brk'), 'to be true');
       expect(impliesNoTimeouts('inspect-brk'), 'to be true');
     });
   });