diff --git a/libs/pbd/debug.cc b/libs/pbd/debug.cc
index 25ebb64850..9150cd6883 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/debug.cc
+++ b/libs/pbd/debug.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,19 @@ DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::AbstractUI = PBD::new_debug_bit ("abstractui");
 DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::FileUtils = PBD::new_debug_bit ("fileutils");
 DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::Configuration = PBD::new_debug_bit ("configuration");
 
+/* These are debug bits that are used by backends. Since these are loaded dynamically,
+   after command-line parsing, defining them in code that is part of the backend
+   doesn't make them available for command line parsing. Put them here.
+
+   This is sort of a hack, because it means that the debug bits aren't defined
+   with the code in which they are relevant. But providing access to debug bits
+   from dynamically loaded code, for use in command line parsing, is way above the pay grade
+   of this debug tracing scheme.
+*/
+
+DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::WavesMIDI = PBD::new_debug_bit ("WavesMIDI");
+DebugBits PBD::DEBUG::WavesAudio = PBD::new_debug_bit ("WavesAudio");
+
 DebugBits PBD::debug_bits;
 
 DebugBits
diff --git a/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h b/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
index e4fa525481..828851bfe5 100644
--- a/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
+++ b/libs/pbd/pbd/debug.h
@@ -51,6 +51,11 @@ namespace PBD {
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits AbstractUI;
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits Configuration;
 		LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits FileUtils;
+
+		/* See notes in ../debug.cc on why these are defined here */
+
+                LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits WavesMIDI;
+                LIBPBD_API extern DebugBits WavesAudio;
 	}
 }