diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9a46330..1226310 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1374,9 +1374,15 @@
 endif
 
 ifneq ($(FLASH_SCRIPT),)
+ifeq ($(USE_ZEPHYR_FLASH_DEBUG_SHELL),)
+flash: zephyr
+	@echo "Flashing $(BOARD_NAME)"
+	$(Q)$(srctree)/scripts/support/zephyr_flash_debug.py flash $(srctree)/scripts/support/$(FLASH_SCRIPT)
+else
 flash: zephyr
 	@echo "Flashing $(BOARD_NAME)"
 	$(Q)$(CONFIG_SHELL) $(srctree)/scripts/support/$(FLASH_SCRIPT) flash
+endif
 else
 flash: FORCE
 	@echo Flashing not supported with this board.
diff --git a/scripts/support/zephyr_flash_debug.py b/scripts/support/zephyr_flash_debug.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..113a1b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/support/zephyr_flash_debug.py
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+#! /usr/bin/env python3
+
+# Copyright (c) 2017 Linaro Limited.
+#
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+
+"""Zephyr board flashing script
+
+This script is a transparent replacement for an existing Zephyr flash
+script. If it can invoke the flashing tools natively, it will do so; otherwise,
+it delegates to the shell script passed as second argument."""
+
+import abc
+from os import path
+import os
+import sys
+import subprocess
+
+
+def get_env_bool_or(env_var, default_value):
+    try:
+        return bool(int(os.environ[env_var]))
+    except KeyError:
+        return default_value
+
+
+def check_call(cmd, debug):
+    if debug:
+        print(' '.join(cmd))
+    subprocess.check_call(cmd)
+
+
+class ZephyrBinaryFlasher(abc.ABC):
+    '''Abstract superclass for flasher objects.'''
+
+    def __init__(self, debug=False):
+        self.debug = debug
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def create_for_shell_script(shell_script, debug):
+        '''Factory for using as a drop-in replacement to a shell script.
+
+        Get flasher instance to use in place of shell_script, deriving
+        flasher configuration from the environment.'''
+        for sub_cls in ZephyrBinaryFlasher.__subclasses__():
+            if sub_cls.replaces_shell_script(shell_script):
+                return sub_cls.create_from_env(debug)
+        raise ValueError('no flasher replaces script {}'.format(shell_script))
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def replaces_shell_script(shell_script):
+        '''Check if this flasher class replaces FLASH_SCRIPT=shell_script.'''
+
+    @staticmethod
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def create_from_env(debug):
+        '''Create new flasher instance from environment variables.
+
+        This class must be able to replace the current FLASH_SCRIPT. The
+        environment variables expected by that script are used to build
+        the flasher in a backwards-compatible manner.'''
+
+    @abc.abstractmethod
+    def flash(self, **kwargs):
+        '''Flash the board.'''
+
+
+# TODO: Stop using environment variables.
+#
+# Migrate the build system so we can use an argparse.ArgumentParser and
+# per-flasher subparsers, so invoking the script becomes something like:
+#
+#   python zephyr_flash_debug.py openocd --openocd-bin=/openocd/path ...
+#
+# For now, maintain compatibility.
+def flash(shell_script_full, debug):
+    shell_script = path.basename(shell_script_full)
+    try:
+        flasher = ZephyrBinaryFlasher.create_for_shell_script(shell_script,
+                                                              debug)
+    except ValueError:
+        # Can't create a flasher; fall back on shell script.
+        check_call([shell_script_full, 'flash'], debug)
+        return
+
+    flasher.flash()
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    debug = True
+    try:
+        debug = get_env_bool_or('KBUILD_VERBOSE', False)
+        if len(sys.argv) != 3 or sys.argv[1] != 'flash':
+            raise ValueError('usage: {} flash path-to-script'.format(
+                sys.argv[0]))
+        flash(sys.argv[2], debug)
+    except Exception as e:
+        if debug:
+            raise
+        else:
+            print('Error: {}'.format(e), file=sys.stderr)
+            print('Re-run with KBUILD_VERBOSE=1 for a stack trace.',
+                  file=sys.stderr)
+            sys.exit(1)