diff --git a/src/debug_utils-inl.h b/src/debug_utils-inl.h
index 5593957c5b2c6b..ae2d2046486466 100644
--- a/src/debug_utils-inl.h
+++ b/src/debug_utils-inl.h
@@ -164,6 +164,20 @@ inline void FORCE_INLINE Debug(AsyncWrap* async_wrap,
   Debug(async_wrap, format.c_str(), std::forward<Args>(args)...);
 }
 
+namespace per_process {
+
+template <typename... Args>
+inline void FORCE_INLINE Debug(DebugCategory cat,
+                               const char* format,
+                               Args&&... args) {
+  Debug(&enabled_debug_list, cat, format, std::forward<Args>(args)...);
+}
+
+inline void FORCE_INLINE Debug(DebugCategory cat, const char* message) {
+  Debug(&enabled_debug_list, cat, message);
+}
+
+}  // namespace per_process
 }  // namespace node
 
 #endif  // defined(NODE_WANT_INTERNALS) && NODE_WANT_INTERNALS
diff --git a/src/debug_utils.cc b/src/debug_utils.cc
index 0f25a70e787bce..a601c5ecf40ea9 100644
--- a/src/debug_utils.cc
+++ b/src/debug_utils.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@
 #endif  // _WIN32
 
 namespace node {
+namespace per_process {
+EnabledDebugList enabled_debug_list;
+}
 
 void EnabledDebugList::Parse(Environment* env) {
   std::string cats;
diff --git a/src/debug_utils.h b/src/debug_utils.h
index 527e3549fa0e43..200f1cf07cd27b 100644
--- a/src/debug_utils.h
+++ b/src/debug_utils.h
@@ -161,6 +161,16 @@ class NativeSymbolDebuggingContext {
 void CheckedUvLoopClose(uv_loop_t* loop);
 void PrintLibuvHandleInformation(uv_loop_t* loop, FILE* stream);
 
+namespace per_process {
+extern EnabledDebugList enabled_debug_list;
+
+template <typename... Args>
+inline void FORCE_INLINE Debug(DebugCategory cat,
+                               const char* format,
+                               Args&&... args);
+
+inline void FORCE_INLINE Debug(DebugCategory cat, const char* message);
+}  // namespace per_process
 }  // namespace node
 
 #endif  // defined(NODE_WANT_INTERNALS) && NODE_WANT_INTERNALS
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 6b95796e1269b3..1fec85aa793dc4 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -916,6 +916,10 @@ void Init(int* argc,
 }
 
 InitializationResult InitializeOncePerProcess(int argc, char** argv) {
+  // Initialized the enabled list for Debug() calls with system
+  // environment variables.
+  per_process::enabled_debug_list.Parse(nullptr);
+
   atexit(ResetStdio);
   PlatformInit();