diff --git a/misc/completion/ocrmypdf.fish b/misc/completion/ocrmypdf.fish
index 31e30b2a..d085acdd 100644
--- a/misc/completion/ocrmypdf.fish
+++ b/misc/completion/ocrmypdf.fish
@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ complete -c ocrmypdf -x -l output-type -a '(__fish_ocrmypdf_output_type)' -d "se
 
 function __fish_ocrmypdf_pdf_renderer
     echo -e "auto\t"(_ "auto select PDF renderer")
-    echo -e "hocr\t"(_ "use hocr renderer")
+    echo -e "hocr\t"(_ "use hOCR renderer")
+    echo -e "hocrdebug\t"(_ "uses hOCR renderer in debug mode, showing recognized text")
     echo -e "sandwich\t"(_ "use sandwich renderer")
 end
 complete -c ocrmypdf -x -l pdf-renderer -a '(__fish_ocrmypdf_pdf_renderer)' -d "select PDF renderer options"
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/_pipeline.py b/src/ocrmypdf/_pipeline.py
index 76223ac6..e0989f30 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/_pipeline.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/_pipeline.py
@@ -602,14 +602,17 @@ def create_pdf_page_from_image(image: Path, page_context: PageContext):
 
 
 def render_hocr_page(hocr: Path, page_context: PageContext):
+    options = page_context.options
     output_file = page_context.get_path('ocr_hocr.pdf')
-    dpi = get_page_square_dpi(page_context.pageinfo, page_context.options)
+    dpi = get_page_square_dpi(page_context.pageinfo, options)
+    debug_mode = options.pdf_renderer == 'hocrdebug'
+
     hocrtransform = HocrTransform(hocr, dpi.x)  # square
     hocrtransform.to_pdf(
         output_file,
         image_filename=None,
-        show_bounding_boxes=False,
-        invisible_text=True,
+        show_bounding_boxes=False if not debug_mode else True,
+        invisible_text=True if not debug_mode else False,
         interword_spaces=True,
     )
     return output_file
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/_sync.py b/src/ocrmypdf/_sync.py
index a24c05e7..624ac7bf 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/_sync.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/_sync.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def exec_page_sync(page_context: PageContext):
             visible_image_out, page_context
         )
 
-    if options.pdf_renderer == 'hocr':
+    if options.pdf_renderer.startswith('hocr'):
         (hocr_out, text_out) = ocr_engine_hocr(ocr_image_out, page_context)
         ocr_out = render_hocr_page(hocr_out, page_context)
     elif options.pdf_renderer == 'sandwich':
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/_validation.py b/src/ocrmypdf/_validation.py
index 9b82ebb4..9354a629 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/_validation.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/_validation.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def check_options_languages(options, ocr_engine_languages):
 def check_options_output(options):
     is_latin = options.languages.issubset(HOCR_OK_LANGS)
 
-    if options.pdf_renderer == 'hocr' and not is_latin:
+    if options.pdf_renderer.startswith('hocr') and not is_latin:
         msg = (
             "The 'hocr' PDF renderer is known to cause problems with one "
             "or more of the languages in your document.  Use "
diff --git a/src/ocrmypdf/cli.py b/src/ocrmypdf/cli.py
index df865aa9..6d8d4296 100644
--- a/src/ocrmypdf/cli.py
+++ b/src/ocrmypdf/cli.py
@@ -407,7 +407,7 @@ Online documentation is located at:
     )
     advanced.add_argument(
         '--pdf-renderer',
-        choices=['auto', 'hocr', 'sandwich'],
+        choices=['auto', 'hocr', 'sandwich', 'hocrdebug'],
         default='auto',
         help="Choose OCR PDF renderer - the default option is to let OCRmyPDF "
         "choose.  See documentation for discussion.",