diff --git a/cue/cue-run-from-archived-runfiles b/cue/cue-run-from-archived-runfiles
index f9e55f5..1b10988 100755
--- a/cue/cue-run-from-archived-runfiles
+++ b/cue/cue-run-from-archived-runfiles
@@ -10,18 +10,20 @@ source "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}/$f" 2>/dev/null || \
   { echo>&2 "ERROR: cannot find $f"; exit 1; }; f=; set -e
 
 function usage() {
-  printf "usage: %s [-i instance_path] [-m module_file] [-p package_name] cue_tool cue_subcommand extra_args_file packageless_files_file output_file [args...]\n" "$(basename "${0}")" 1>&2
+  printf "usage: %s [-d cue_debug] [-i instance_path] [-m module_file] [-p package_name] cue_tool cue_subcommand extra_args_file packageless_files_file output_file [args...]\n" "$(basename "${0}")" 1>&2
   exit 2
 }
 
+cue_debug=
 instance_path=
 module_file=
 package_name=
 
 function parse_args() {
-  while getopts i:m:p: name
+  while getopts d:i:m:p: name
   do
     case "${name}" in
+      d) cue_debug="${OPTARG}";;
       i) instance_path="${OPTARG}";;
       h) usage;;
       m) module_file="${OPTARG}";;
@@ -101,6 +103,10 @@ if [ -n "${module_file}" ]; then
   cd "${module_path}"
 fi
 
+if [ -n "${cue_debug}" ]; then
+  export CUE_DEBUG="${cue_debug}"
+fi
+
 # NB: See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7577052 for the odd
 # treatment of the "packageless_file_args" array variable here,
 # handling the case where the array winds up empty for lack of
diff --git a/cue/cue-run-from-runfiles b/cue/cue-run-from-runfiles
index 8a41568..8509182 100755
--- a/cue/cue-run-from-runfiles
+++ b/cue/cue-run-from-runfiles
@@ -10,20 +10,22 @@ source "${RUNFILES_DIR:-/dev/null}/$f" 2>/dev/null || \
   { echo>&2 "ERROR: cannot find $f"; exit 1; }; f=; set -e
 
 function usage() {
-  printf "usage: %s [-c cue_cache_directory] [-i instance_path] [-m module_file] [-p package_name] cue_tool cue_subcommand extra_args_file packageless_files_file output_file [args...]\n" "$(basename "${0}")" 1>&2
+  printf "usage: %s [-c cue_cache_directory] [-d cue_debug] [-i instance_path] [-m module_file] [-p package_name] cue_tool cue_subcommand extra_args_file packageless_files_file output_file [args...]\n" "$(basename "${0}")" 1>&2
   exit 2
 }
 
 cue_cache_directory=
+cue_debug=
 instance_path=
 module_file=
 package_name=
 
 function parse_args() {
-  while getopts c:i:m:p: name
+  while getopts c:d:i:m:p: name
   do
     case "${name}" in
       c) cue_cache_directory="${OPTARG}";;
+      d) cue_debug="${OPTARG}";;
       i) instance_path="${OPTARG}";;
       h) usage;;
       m) module_file="${OPTARG}";;
@@ -103,6 +105,10 @@ elif [ -z "${HOME:-}" ]; then
   export CUE_CACHE_DIR="${cue_cache_directory}"
 fi
 
+if [ -n "${cue_debug}" ]; then
+  export CUE_DEBUG="${cue_debug}"
+fi
+
 # NB: See https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7577052 for the odd
 # treatment of the "packageless_file_args" array variable here,
 # handling the case where the array winds up empty for lack of
diff --git a/cue/cue.bzl b/cue/cue.bzl
index f73c4a8..f93b47d 100644
--- a/cue/cue.bzl
+++ b/cue/cue.bzl
@@ -71,6 +71,13 @@ def _add_common_output_producing_attrs_to(attrs):
         "concatenate_objects": attr.bool(
             doc = "Concatenate multiple objects into a list.",
         ),
+        "cue_debug": attr.string(
+            doc = """Debug flags to pass to CUE via the CUE_DEBUG environment variable.
+
+The value is a comma-separated list of debug flags. See CUE documentation
+for available debug flags.""",
+            default = "",
+        ),
         # Unfortunately, we can't use a private attribute for an
         # implicit dependency here, because we can't fix the default
         # label value.
@@ -517,6 +524,8 @@ _cue_toolchain_type = "//tools/cue:toolchain_type"
 def _make_output_producing_action(ctx, cue_subcommand, mnemonic, description, augment_args = None, module_file = None, instance_directory_path = None, instance_package_name = None, cue_cache_directory_path = None):
     cue_tool = ctx.toolchains[_cue_toolchain_type].cueinfo.tool
     args = ctx.actions.args()
+    if ctx.attr.cue_debug:
+        args.add("-d", ctx.attr.cue_debug)
     if module_file:
         args.add("-m", _runfile_path(ctx, module_file))
         if instance_directory_path:
diff --git a/test/BUILD.bazel b/test/BUILD.bazel
index ac0a49a..e1e1d3b 100644
--- a/test/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/test/BUILD.bazel
@@ -72,3 +72,13 @@ cue_test(
     name = "stamp",
     generated_output_file = "//test/testdata/stamp:stamp.json",
 )
+
+cue_test(
+    name = "debug",
+    generated_output_file = "//test/testdata/debug:debug.json",
+)
+
+cue_test(
+    name = "debug_unsorted",
+    generated_output_file = "//test/testdata/debug:debug_unsorted.json",
+)
diff --git a/test/testdata/debug/BUILD.bazel b/test/testdata/debug/BUILD.bazel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb43042
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/debug/BUILD.bazel
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+load(
+    "//cue:cue.bzl",
+    "cue_exported_standalone_files",
+)
+
+exports_files([
+    "debug-golden.json",
+    "debug_unsorted-golden.json",
+])
+
+# Without cue_debug - fields stay in original order
+cue_exported_standalone_files(
+    name = "debug_unsorted",
+    srcs = ["debug.cue"],
+    visibility = ["//test:__subpackages__"],
+)
+
+# With cue_debug = "sortfields" - fields are sorted alphabetically
+cue_exported_standalone_files(
+    name = "debug",
+    srcs = ["debug.cue"],
+    cue_debug = "sortfields",
+    visibility = ["//test:__subpackages__"],
+)
diff --git a/test/testdata/debug/debug-golden.json b/test/testdata/debug/debug-golden.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8cd7669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/debug/debug-golden.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "apple": "first fruit",
+    "banana": "second fruit",
+    "mango": "middle fruit",
+    "zebra": "last animal"
+}
diff --git a/test/testdata/debug/debug.cue b/test/testdata/debug/debug.cue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bedeb5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/debug/debug.cue
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+// Fields in non-alphabetical order to test sortfields debug flag
+zebra:    "last animal"
+apple:    "first fruit"
+mango:    "middle fruit"
+banana:   "second fruit"
+
diff --git a/test/testdata/debug/debug_unsorted-golden.json b/test/testdata/debug/debug_unsorted-golden.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1961289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/testdata/debug/debug_unsorted-golden.json
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+{
+    "zebra": "last animal",
+    "apple": "first fruit",
+    "mango": "middle fruit",
+    "banana": "second fruit"
+}