diff --git a/atom/browser/javascript_environment.cc b/atom/browser/javascript_environment.cc
index 0f87a2ca32fd..3cdd2c771ee6 100644
--- a/atom/browser/javascript_environment.cc
+++ b/atom/browser/javascript_environment.cc
@@ -34,11 +34,6 @@ void JavascriptEnvironment::OnMessageLoopDestroying() {
 
 bool JavascriptEnvironment::Initialize() {
   auto cmd = base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess();
-  if (cmd->HasSwitch("debug-brk")) {
-    // Need to be called before v8::Initialize().
-    const char expose_debug_as[] = "--expose_debug_as=v8debug";
-    v8::V8::SetFlagsFromString(expose_debug_as, sizeof(expose_debug_as) - 1);
-  }
 
   // --js-flags.
   std::string js_flags = cmd->GetSwitchValueASCII(switches::kJavaScriptFlags);
diff --git a/atom/common/node_bindings.cc b/atom/common/node_bindings.cc
index d1db83b70850..f8e2573e0a14 100644
--- a/atom/common/node_bindings.cc
+++ b/atom/common/node_bindings.cc
@@ -185,6 +185,13 @@ node::Environment* NodeBindings::CreateEnvironment(
   base::FilePath helper_exec_path;
   PathService::Get(content::CHILD_PROCESS_EXE, &helper_exec_path);
   process.Set("helperExecPath", helper_exec_path);
+
+  // Set process._debugWaitConnect if --debug-brk was specified to stop
+  // the debugger on the first line
+  if (is_browser_ &&
+      base::CommandLine::ForCurrentProcess()->HasSwitch("debug-brk"))
+    process.Set("_debugWaitConnect", true);
+
   return env;
 }