diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f982f30a1..08ea480ff 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
       - REMOVED: we no longer publish Node 8 binary modules (they are still buildable from source) [#5918](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/5918)
     - Misc:
       - CHANGED: Unify `.osrm.turn_penalites_index` dump processing same with `.osrm.turn_weight_penalties` and `.osrm.turn_duration_penalties` [#5868](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/5868)
+    - Profile:
+      - ADDED: Profile debug script which fetches a way from OSM then outputs the result of the profile. [#5908](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/5908)
     - Infrastructure
       - CHANGED: Bundled protozero updated to v1.7.0. [#5858](https://github.com/Project-OSRM/osrm-backend/pull/5858)
     - Windows:
diff --git a/profiles/debug_way.lua b/profiles/debug_way.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7c577e9a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/profiles/debug_way.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+--
+-- Fetch a way from the OpenStreetMap API and run the given profile over it.
+--
+-- You'll need to install xml2lua first (may require admin privileges):
+--    > luarocks install xml2lua
+--
+-- You may also need to install luasec and luasocket if you don't have them already.
+--
+-- Then to test way 2606296 using the foot profile:
+--    > lua debug_way.lua foot 2606296
+--
+
+-- initialise libraries
+local pprint = require('lib/pprint')
+local Debug = require('lib/profile_debugger')
+local xml2lua = require('xml2lua')
+local handler = require('xmlhandler.tree')
+local https = require('ssl.https')
+
+-- load the profile
+Debug.load_profile(arg[1])
+
+-- load way from the OSM API
+local url = 'https://www.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6/way/'..arg[2]
+local body, statusCode, headers, statusText = https.request(url)
+
+-- parse way tags
+local parser = xml2lua.parser(handler)
+parser:parse(body)
+
+-- convert XML-flavoured table to a simple k/v table
+local way = {}
+for i, p in pairs(handler.root.osm.way.tag) do
+  way[p._attr.k] = p._attr.v
+end
+
+-- call the way function
+local result = {}
+Debug.process_way(way,result)
+
+-- print input and output
+pprint(way)
+print("=>")
+pprint(result)
diff --git a/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua b/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua
index 15f835609..276850160 100644
--- a/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua
+++ b/profiles/lib/profile_debugger.lua
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ end
 function canonicalizeStringList(str)
   return str
 end
- 
+
  
  
 -- debug helper
@@ -123,11 +123,14 @@ function Debug.process_way(way,result)
   result.forward_classes = {}
   result.backward_classes = {}
   
-  -- intercept tag function normally provided via C++
+  -- intercept tag functions normally provided via C++
   function way:get_value_by_key(k)
     Debug.register_tag_fetch(k)
     return self[k]
   end
+  function way:get_location_tag(k)
+    return nil
+  end
   
   -- reset tag counts
   Debug:reset_tag_fetch_counts()