diff --git a/t/README b/t/README
index c85abaffb3b8c2142e87f6e0525fa67c6b62c1a1..c09c582c163dd547ed5b1d7a65e13e3345bb7eca 100644
--- a/t/README
+++ b/t/README
@@ -548,6 +548,19 @@ library for your script to use.
 		...
 	'
 
+ - test_pause
+
+	This command is useful for writing and debugging tests and must be
+	removed before submitting. It halts the execution of the test and
+	spawns a shell in the trash directory. Exit the shell to continue
+	the test. Example:
+
+	test_expect_success 'test' '
+		git do-something >actual &&
+		test_pause &&
+		test_cmp expected actual
+	'
+
 Prerequisites
 -------------
 
diff --git a/t/test-lib.sh b/t/test-lib.sh
index a65dfc7ea93b3ec95e6ab7cd5b758029fe599d22..709a30067e5486526095cad98c4ade7334613fc8 100644
--- a/t/test-lib.sh
+++ b/t/test-lib.sh
@@ -329,6 +329,19 @@ test_tick () {
 	export GIT_COMMITTER_DATE GIT_AUTHOR_DATE
 }
 
+# Stop execution and start a shell. This is useful for debugging tests and
+# only makes sense together with "-v".
+#
+# Be sure to remove all invocations of this command before submitting.
+
+test_pause () {
+	if test "$verbose" = t; then
+		"$SHELL_PATH" <&6 >&3 2>&4
+	else
+		error >&5 "test_pause requires --verbose"
+	fi
+}
+
 # Call test_commit with the arguments "<message> [<file> [<contents>]]"
 #
 # This will commit a file with the given contents and the given commit