diff --git a/kitty/main.py b/kitty/main.py
index e46e4fb80..5f4c7c959 100644
--- a/kitty/main.py
+++ b/kitty/main.py
@@ -98,6 +98,11 @@ def option_parser():
         default=None,
         help=_('Replay previously dumped commands')
     )
+    a(
+        '--dump-bytes',
+        help=_('Path to file in which to store the raw bytes received from the'
+               ' child process. Useful for debugging.')
+    )
     a(
         '--debug-gl',
         action='store_true',
diff --git a/kitty/parser.c b/kitty/parser.c
index 53ac0c6fe..dbf03ae2c 100644
--- a/kitty/parser.c
+++ b/kitty/parser.c
@@ -753,6 +753,11 @@ FNAME(read_bytes)(PyObject UNUSED *self, PyObject *args) {
         /* PyObject_Print(Py_BuildValue("y#", screen->read_buf, len), stderr, 0); */
         break;
     }
+#ifdef DUMP_COMMANDS
+    if (len > 0) {
+        Py_XDECREF(PyObject_CallFunction(dump_callback, "sy#", "bytes", screen->read_buf, len)); PyErr_Clear();
+    }
+#endif
     _parse_bytes(screen, screen->read_buf, len, dump_callback);
     if(len > 0) { Py_RETURN_TRUE; }
     Py_RETURN_FALSE;
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index ef2f1b6c4..c49d9c8bb 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ class Window:
         self.child_fd = child.child_fd
         self.start_visual_bell_at = None
         self.screen = Screen(self, 24, 80, opts.scrollback_lines)
-        self.read_bytes = partial(read_bytes_dump, self.dump_commands) if args.dump_commands else read_bytes
+        self.read_bytes = partial(read_bytes_dump, self.dump_commands) if args.dump_commands or args.dump_bytes else read_bytes
+        if args.dump_bytes:
+            self.dump_bytes_to = open(args.dump_bytes, 'ab')
         self.draw_dump_buf = []
         self.write_buf = memoryview(b'')
         self.char_grid = CharGrid(self.screen, opts)
@@ -347,6 +349,9 @@ class Window:
                         self.draw_dump_buf = []
                 else:
                     self.draw_dump_buf.append(a[1])
+            elif a[0] == 'bytes':
+                self.dump_bytes_to.write(a[1])
+                self.dump_bytes_to.flush()
             else:
                 if self.draw_dump_buf:
                     safe_print('draw', ''.join(self.draw_dump_buf))