diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist.rb b/lib/capybara/poltergeist.rb
index 7da9b31..f6b086a 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ module Capybara
     autoload :WebSocketServer, 'capybara/poltergeist/web_socket_server'
     autoload :Client,          'capybara/poltergeist/client'
     autoload :Util,            'capybara/poltergeist/util'
+    autoload :Inspector,       'capybara/poltergeist/inspector'
 
     require 'capybara/poltergeist/errors'
   end
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client.rb b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client.rb
index 1cd1944..f32c063 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/client.rb
@@ -2,16 +2,9 @@ require 'sfl'
 
 module Capybara::Poltergeist
   class Client
-    INSPECTOR_BROWSERS = %w(chromium chromium-browser google-chrome safari)
-    PHANTOMJS_SCRIPT   = File.expand_path('../client/compiled/main.js', __FILE__)
-    PHANTOMJS_VERSION  = '1.4.1'
-    PHANTOMJS_NAME     = 'phantomjs'
-
-    def self.inspector_browser
-      @inspector_browser ||= INSPECTOR_BROWSERS.find do |name|
-        system "which #{name} &>/dev/null"
-      end
-    end
+    PHANTOMJS_SCRIPT  = File.expand_path('../client/compiled/main.js', __FILE__)
+    PHANTOMJS_VERSION = '1.4.1'
+    PHANTOMJS_NAME    = 'phantomjs'
 
     def self.start(*args)
       client = new(*args)
@@ -21,7 +14,7 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
 
     attr_reader :pid, :port, :path, :inspector
 
-    def initialize(port, inspector = false, path = nil)
+    def initialize(port, inspector = nil, path = nil)
       @port      = port
       @inspector = inspector
       @path      = path || PHANTOMJS_NAME
@@ -31,11 +24,6 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
     def start
       check_phantomjs_version
       @pid = Kernel.spawn(command)
-
-      # Opens a remote debugger for the phantomjs session. This feature
-      # is unfinished / experimental. When the debugger opens, you have
-      # to type __run() into the console to get it going.
-      Kernel.spawn(inspector_command) if inspector
     end
 
     def stop
@@ -50,29 +38,18 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
     def command
       @command ||= begin
         parts = [path]
-        parts << "--remote-debugger-port=#{inspector_port}" if inspector
+
+        if inspector
+          parts << "--remote-debugger-port=#{inspector.port}"
+          parts << "--remote-debugger-autorun=yes"
+        end
+
         parts << PHANTOMJS_SCRIPT
         parts << port
         parts.join(" ")
       end
     end
 
-    def inspector_port
-      @inspector_port ||= Util.find_available_port
-    end
-
-    def inspector_command
-      "#{inspector_browser} http://localhost:#{inspector_port}/webkit/inspector/inspector.html?page=1"
-    end
-
-    def inspector_browser
-      if inspector == true
-        self.class.inspector_browser or raise "webkit browser not found; please specify it explicitly"
-      else
-        inspector
-      end
-    end
-
     private
 
     def check_phantomjs_version
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/driver.rb b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/driver.rb
index f4fe496..24d4c38 100644
--- a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/driver.rb
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/driver.rb
@@ -15,10 +15,14 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
       @browser ||= Browser.new(
         :logger    => logger,
         :phantomjs => options[:phantomjs],
-        :inspector => options[:inspector]
+        :inspector => inspector
       )
     end
 
+    def inspector
+      @inspector ||= options[:inspector] && Inspector.new(options[:inspector])
+    end
+
     def restart
       browser.restart
     end
@@ -73,6 +77,16 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
       browser.resize(width, height)
     end
 
+    def debug
+      inspector.open
+      pause
+    end
+
+    def pause
+      STDERR.puts "Poltergeist execution paused. Press enter to continue."
+      STDIN.gets
+    end
+
     def wait?
       true
     end
diff --git a/lib/capybara/poltergeist/inspector.rb b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/inspector.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3edea46
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/capybara/poltergeist/inspector.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+module Capybara::Poltergeist
+  class Inspector
+    BROWSERS = %w(chromium chromium-browser google-chrome safari)
+
+    def self.detect_browser
+      @browser ||= BROWSERS.find { |name| system("which #{name} &>/dev/null") }
+    end
+
+    def initialize(browser = nil)
+      @browser = browser.respond_to?(:to_str) ? browser : nil
+    end
+
+    def browser
+      @browser ||= self.class.detect_browser
+    end
+
+    def port
+      @port ||= Util.find_available_port
+    end
+
+    def url
+      "http://localhost:#{port}/"
+    end
+
+    def open
+      if browser
+        Kernel.spawn("#{browser} #{url}")
+      else
+        raise Error, "Could not find a browser executable to open #{url}. " \
+                     "You can specify one manually using e.g. `:inspector => 'chromium'` " \
+                     "as a configuration option for Poltergeist."
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/unit/driver_spec.rb b/spec/unit/driver_spec.rb
index 0d9c95e..2fc8ab8 100644
--- a/spec/unit/driver_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/driver_spec.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
       it 'should not log' do
         subject.logger.should == nil
       end
+
+      it 'has no inspector' do
+        subject.inspector.should be_nil
+      end
     end
 
     context 'with a :logger option' do
@@ -25,5 +29,15 @@ module Capybara::Poltergeist
         subject.logger.should == STDERR
       end
     end
+
+    context 'with an :inspector option' do
+      subject { Driver.new(nil, :inspector => 'foo') }
+
+      it 'has an inspector' do
+        subject.inspector.should_not be_nil
+        subject.inspector.should be_a(Inspector)
+        subject.inspector.browser.should == 'foo'
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/unit/inspector_spec.rb b/spec/unit/inspector_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54d0589
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/unit/inspector_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+module Capybara::Poltergeist
+  describe Inspector do
+    it 'detects a browser by default' do
+      Inspector.stub(:detect_browser => 'chromium')
+      Inspector.new.browser.should == 'chromium'
+      Inspector.new(true).browser.should == 'chromium'
+    end
+
+    it 'allows a browser to be specified' do
+      Inspector.new('foo').browser.should == 'foo'
+    end
+
+    it 'finds a port to run on' do
+      subject.port.should_not be_nil
+    end
+
+    it 'remembers the port' do
+      subject.port.should == subject.port
+    end
+
+    it 'has a url' do
+      subject.stub(:port => 1234)
+      subject.url.should == "http://localhost:1234/"
+    end
+
+    it 'can be opened' do
+      subject.stub(:port => 1234, :browser => 'chromium')
+      Kernel.should_receive(:spawn).with("chromium http://localhost:1234/")
+      subject.open
+    end
+
+    it 'raises an error on open when the browser is unknown' do
+      subject.stub(:port => 1234, :browser => nil)
+      expect { subject.open }.to raise_error(Capybara::Poltergeist::Error)
+    end
+  end
+end