diff --git a/frontend/scripts/_helpers.js b/frontend/scripts/_helpers.js
index a84057a396..4b72301e83 100644
--- a/frontend/scripts/_helpers.js
+++ b/frontend/scripts/_helpers.js
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ export function startWorker() {
   });
 }
 
+export const isDebug = process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production";
+
 async function findFiles(basePath, predicate, options = {}) {
   predicate =
     predicate ??
@@ -75,6 +77,11 @@ export async function compileSass(worker, path, options) {
   return worker.exec("compileSass", [path, options]);
 }
 
+export async function compileSassDebug(worker) {
+  const result = await compileSass(worker, "resources/styles/debug.scss", {});
+  return `${result.css}\n`;
+}
+
 export async function compileSassAll(worker) {
   const limitFn = pLimit(4);
   const sourceDir = "src";
@@ -94,10 +101,7 @@ export async function compileSassAll(worker) {
     .filter(isDesignSystemFile)
     .map((path) => ph.join(sourceDir, path));
 
-  const procs = [
-    compileSass(worker, "resources/styles/main-default.scss", {}),
-    compileSass(worker, "resources/styles/debug.scss", {}),
-  ];
+  const procs = [compileSass(worker, "resources/styles/main-default.scss", {})];
 
   for (let path of [...dsFiles, ...appFiles]) {
     const proc = limitFn(() => compileSass(worker, path, { modules: true }));
@@ -176,7 +180,7 @@ async function renderTemplate(path, context = {}, partials = {}) {
 
   context = Object.assign({}, context, {
     ts: ts,
-    isDebug: process.env.NODE_ENV !== "production",
+    isDebug,
   });
 
   return mustache.render(content, context, partials);
@@ -401,6 +405,11 @@ export async function compileStyles() {
   await fs.mkdir("./resources/public/css", { recursive: true });
   await fs.writeFile("./resources/public/css/main.css", result);
 
+  if (isDebug) {
+    let debugCSS = await compileSassDebug(worker);
+    await fs.writeFile("./resources/public/css/debug.css", debugCSS);
+  }
+
   const end = process.hrtime(start);
   log.info("done: compile styles", `(${ppt(end)})`);
   worker.terminate();