diff --git a/backend/package.json b/backend/package.json
index 0fe80447..faab7570 100644
--- a/backend/package.json
+++ b/backend/package.json
@@ -8,14 +8,14 @@
     "watch-yaml-parse-test": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development tsc-watch --onSuccess \"node dist/backend/src/yamlParseTest.js\"",
     "build": "rimraf dist && tsc",
     "start-bot-dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229 dist/backend/src/index.js",
-    "start-bot-dev-debug": "NODE_ENV=development clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-bot -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229 dist/backend/src/index.js",
+    "start-bot-dev-debug": "NODE_ENV=development DEBUG=true clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-bot -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9229 dist/backend/src/index.js",
     "start-bot-prod": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/index.js",
-    "start-bot-prod-debug": "NODE_ENV=production clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-bot -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/index.js",
+    "start-bot-prod-debug": "NODE_ENV=production DEBUG=true clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-bot -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/index.js",
     "watch-bot": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development tsc-watch --onSuccess \"npm run start-bot-dev\"",
     "start-api-dev": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9239 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
-    "start-api-dev-debug": "NODE_ENV=development clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-api -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9239 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
+    "start-api-dev-debug": "NODE_ENV=development DEBUG=true clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-api -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 --inspect=0.0.0.0:9239 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
     "start-api-prod": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
-    "start-api-prod-debug": "NODE_ENV=production clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-api -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
+    "start-api-prod-debug": "NODE_ENV=production DEBUG=true clinic heapprofiler --collect-only --dest .clinic-api -- node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js --unhandled-rejections=strict --enable-source-maps --stack-trace-limit=30 dist/backend/src/api/index.js",
     "watch-api": "cross-env NODE_ENV=development tsc-watch --onSuccess \"npm run start-api-dev\"",
     "typeorm": "node -r ./register-tsconfig-paths.js ./node_modules/typeorm/cli.js",
     "migrate-prod": "cross-env NODE_ENV=production npm run typeorm -- migration:run",
diff --git a/backend/src/env.ts b/backend/src/env.ts
index 3d98506d..0a65e3a4 100644
--- a/backend/src/env.ts
+++ b/backend/src/env.ts
@@ -50,6 +50,11 @@ const envType = z.object({
   DB_USER: z.string().optional().default("zeppelin"),
   DB_PASSWORD: z.string().optional(), // Default is set to DOCKER_MYSQL_PASSWORD further below
   DB_DATABASE: z.string().optional().default("zeppelin"),
+
+  DEBUG: z
+    .string()
+    .optional()
+    .transform((str) => str === "true"),
 });
 
 let toValidate = { ...process.env };
diff --git a/backend/src/index.ts b/backend/src/index.ts
index 468b4a0f..73d99470 100644
--- a/backend/src/index.ts
+++ b/backend/src/index.ts
@@ -197,6 +197,10 @@ setInterval(() => {
   avgCount = 0;
 }, 5 * 60 * 1000);
 
+if (env.DEBUG) {
+  logger.info("NOTE: Bot started in DEBUG mode");
+}
+
 logger.info("Connecting to database");
 connect().then(async (connection) => {
   const client = new Client({
@@ -429,27 +433,30 @@ connect().then(async (connection) => {
   logger.info("Logging in...");
   await client.login(env.BOT_TOKEN);
 
-  let stopping = false;
-  const cleanupAndStop = async (code) => {
-    if (stopping) {
-      return;
-    }
-    stopping = true;
-    logger.info("Cleaning up before exit...");
-    // Force exit after 10sec
-    setTimeout(() => process.exit(code), 10 * SECONDS);
-    await bot.stop();
-    await connection.close();
-    logger.info("Done! Exiting now.");
-    process.exit(code);
-  };
-  process.on("beforeExit", () => cleanupAndStop(0));
-  process.on("SIGINT", () => {
-    logger.info("Received SIGINT, exiting...");
-    cleanupAndStop(0);
-  });
-  process.on("SIGTERM", () => {
-    logger.info("Received SIGTERM, exiting...");
-    cleanupAndStop(0);
-  });
+  // Don't intercept any signals in DEBUG mode: https://github.com/clinicjs/node-clinic/issues/444#issuecomment-1474997090
+  if (!env.DEBUG) {
+    let stopping = false;
+    const cleanupAndStop = async (code) => {
+      if (stopping) {
+        return;
+      }
+      stopping = true;
+      logger.info("Cleaning up before exit...");
+      // Force exit after 10sec
+      setTimeout(() => process.exit(code), 10 * SECONDS);
+      await bot.stop();
+      await connection.close();
+      logger.info("Done! Exiting now.");
+      process.exit(code);
+    };
+    process.on("beforeExit", () => cleanupAndStop(0));
+    process.on("SIGINT", () => {
+      logger.info("Received SIGINT, exiting...");
+      cleanupAndStop(0);
+    });
+    process.on("SIGTERM", () => {
+      logger.info("Received SIGTERM, exiting...");
+      cleanupAndStop(0);
+    });
+  }
 });
diff --git a/backend/src/threadsSignalFix.ts b/backend/src/threadsSignalFix.ts
index 655d960b..86f53067 100644
--- a/backend/src/threadsSignalFix.ts
+++ b/backend/src/threadsSignalFix.ts
@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@
  * - This is imported as early as possible to avoid removing our own signal handlers
  */
 import "threads";
-process.removeAllListeners("SIGINT");
-process.removeAllListeners("SIGTERM");
+import { env } from "./env";
+if (!env.DEBUG) {
+  process.removeAllListeners("SIGINT");
+  process.removeAllListeners("SIGTERM");
+}
diff --git a/docker/production/start-bot.sh b/docker/production/start-bot.sh
index 37e34d11..f0213cb9 100644
--- a/docker/production/start-bot.sh
+++ b/docker/production/start-bot.sh
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # Exec is used to forward signals: https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/196053
 
 cd /zeppelin/backend
-if [ -n "$DEBUG" ]; then
+if [ "$DEBUG" == "true" ]; then
   echo "DEBUG MODE: Starting bot container without starting the bot"
   exec tail -f /dev/null
 else