diff --git a/docs/references/manifest.md b/docs/references/manifest.md
index 55664eab9..a7da4de54 100644
--- a/docs/references/manifest.md
+++ b/docs/references/manifest.md
@@ -150,20 +150,6 @@ Example:
   "description:": "file://DESCRIPTION.md"
 ```
 
-## developmentMode
-
-Type: boolean
-
-Required: no
-
-Setting `developmentMode` to true disables readonly rootfs and the default memory limit. In addition,
-the application *pauses* on start and can be started manually using `cloudron exec`.  Note that you
-cannot submit an app to the store with this field turned on.
-
-This mode can be used to identify the files being modified by your application - often required to
-debug situations where your app does not run on a readonly rootfs. Run your app using `cloudron exec`
-and use `find / -mmin -30` to find file that have been changed or created in the last 30 minutes.
-
 ## healthCheckPath
 
 Type: url path
diff --git a/docs/tutorials/packaging.md b/docs/tutorials/packaging.md
index 479ca41d1..22ddb55bc 100644
--- a/docs/tutorials/packaging.md
+++ b/docs/tutorials/packaging.md
@@ -271,14 +271,18 @@ You can also execute arbitrary commands:
 $ cloudron exec env # display the env variables that your app is running with
 ```
 
-### DevelopmentMode
+### Debugging
 
-When debugging complex startup scripts, one can specify `"developmentMode": true,` in the CloudronManifest.json.
-This will ignore the `RUN` command, specified in the Dockerfile and allows the developer to interactively test
-the startup scripts using `cloudron exec`.
+An app can be placed in `debug` mode by passing `--debug` to `cloudron install` or `cloudron configure`.
+Doing so, runs the app in a non-readonly rootfs and unlimited memory. By default, this will also ignore
+the `RUN` command specified in the Dockerfile. The developer can then interactively test the app and
+startup scripts using `cloudron exec`.
 
-**Note:** that an app running in this mode has full read/write access to the filesystem and all memory limits are lifted.
+This mode can be used to identify the files being modified by your application - often required to
+debug situations where your app does not run on a readonly rootfs. Run your app using `cloudron exec`
+and use `find / -mmin -30` to find file that have been changed or created in the last 30 minutes.
 
+You can turn off debugging mode using `cloudron configure --no-debug`.
 
 # Addons
 
diff --git a/src/appdb.js b/src/appdb.js
index f5c8b46f6..c5801bc06 100644
--- a/src/appdb.js
+++ b/src/appdb.js
@@ -302,6 +302,9 @@ function updateWithConstraints(id, app, constraints, callback) {
         } else if (p === 'accessRestriction') {
             fields.push('accessRestrictionJson = ?');
             values.push(JSON.stringify(app[p]));
+        } else if (p === 'debugMode') {
+            fields.push('debugModeJson = ?');
+            values.push(JSON.stringify(app[p]));
         } else if (p !== 'portBindings') {
             fields.push(p + ' = ?');
             values.push(app[p]);
diff --git a/src/apphealthmonitor.js b/src/apphealthmonitor.js
index 9311689e5..dd6be6451 100644
--- a/src/apphealthmonitor.js
+++ b/src/apphealthmonitor.js
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ function setHealth(app, health, callback) {
 
         debugApp(app, 'marking as unhealthy since not seen for more than %s minutes', UNHEALTHY_THRESHOLD/(60 * 1000));
 
-        if (app.developmentMode) mailer.appDied(app); // do not send mails for dev apps
+        if (app.debugMode) mailer.appDied(app); // do not send mails for dev apps
         gHealthInfo[app.id].emailSent = true;
     } else {
         debugApp(app, 'waiting for sometime to update the app health');
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function processDockerEvents() {
                 debug('OOM Context: %s', context);
 
                 // do not send mails for dev apps
-                if ((!app || !app.developmentMode) && (now - lastOomMailTime > OOM_MAIL_LIMIT)) {
+                if ((!app || !app.debugMode) && (now - lastOomMailTime > OOM_MAIL_LIMIT)) {
                     mailer.oomEvent(program, context); // app can be null if it's an addon crash
                     lastOomMailTime = now;
                 }