diff --git a/tests/hostside/helper/java/android/virt/test/VirtualizationTestCaseBase.java b/tests/hostside/helper/java/android/virt/test/VirtualizationTestCaseBase.java
index 5821309..851aa30 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/helper/java/android/virt/test/VirtualizationTestCaseBase.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/helper/java/android/virt/test/VirtualizationTestCaseBase.java
@@ -143,8 +143,8 @@
         return (new CompatibilityBuildHelper(getBuild())).getTestFile(name);
     }
 
-    public String startMicrodroid(String apkName, String packageName, String configPath)
-            throws Exception {
+    public String startMicrodroid(
+            String apkName, String packageName, String configPath, boolean debug) throws Exception {
         // Install APK
         File apkFile = findTestFile(apkName);
         getDevice().installPackage(apkFile, /* reinstall */ true);
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@
         getDevice().pushFile(idsigOnHost, apkIdsigPath);
 
         final String logPath = TEST_ROOT + "log.txt";
+        final String debugFlag = debug ? "--debug " : "";
 
         // Run the VM
         runOnAndroid("start", "virtualizationservice");
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@
                         "run-app",
                         "--daemonize",
                         "--log " + logPath,
+                        debugFlag,
                         apkPath,
                         apkIdsigPath,
                         configPath);
diff --git a/tests/hostside/java/android/virt/test/MicrodroidTestCase.java b/tests/hostside/java/android/virt/test/MicrodroidTestCase.java
index 0b82d43..0774503 100644
--- a/tests/hostside/java/android/virt/test/MicrodroidTestCase.java
+++ b/tests/hostside/java/android/virt/test/MicrodroidTestCase.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     @Test
     public void testMicrodroidBoots() throws Exception {
         final String configPath = "assets/vm_config.json"; // path inside the APK
-        final String cid = startMicrodroid(APK_NAME, PACKAGE_NAME, configPath);
+        final String cid = startMicrodroid(APK_NAME, PACKAGE_NAME, configPath, /* debug */ false);
         adbConnectToMicrodroid(cid, MICRODROID_ADB_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MINUTES);
 
         // Test writing to /data partition
@@ -77,6 +77,18 @@
         shutdownMicrodroid(cid);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testDebugMode() throws Exception {
+        final String configPath = "assets/vm_config.json"; // path inside the APK
+        final boolean debug = true;
+        final String cid = startMicrodroid(APK_NAME, PACKAGE_NAME, configPath, debug);
+        adbConnectToMicrodroid(cid, MICRODROID_ADB_CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MINUTES);
+
+        assertThat(runOnMicrodroid("getenforce"), is("Permissive"));
+
+        shutdownMicrodroid(cid);
+    }
+
     @Before
     public void setUp() throws Exception {
         testIfDeviceIsCapable();