diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
index 0e6965c4bd..c3648e9dc5 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/gc/main.go
@@ -246,6 +246,7 @@ func Main() {
 				continue
 			}
 			val := 1
+			valstring := ""
 			if i := strings.Index(name, "="); i >= 0 {
 				var err error
 				val, err = strconv.Atoi(name[i+1:])
@@ -253,6 +254,9 @@ func Main() {
 					log.Fatalf("invalid debug value %v", name)
 				}
 				name = name[:i]
+			} else if i := strings.Index(name, ":"); i >= 0 {
+				valstring = name[i+1:]
+				name = name[:i]
 			}
 			for _, t := range debugtab {
 				if t.name == name {
@@ -273,7 +277,7 @@ func Main() {
 					flag = phase[i+1:]
 					phase = phase[:i]
 				}
-				err := ssa.PhaseOption(phase, flag, val)
+				err := ssa.PhaseOption(phase, flag, val, valstring)
 				if err != "" {
 					log.Fatalf(err)
 				}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
index f13d3ae291..401299a06b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/compile.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package ssa
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"os"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
@@ -41,6 +42,9 @@ func Compile(f *Func) {
 	// Run all the passes
 	printFunc(f)
 	f.Config.HTML.WriteFunc("start", f)
+	if BuildDump != "" && BuildDump == f.Name {
+		f.dumpFile("build")
+	}
 	if checkEnabled {
 		checkFunc(f)
 	}
@@ -96,6 +100,10 @@ func Compile(f *Func) {
 				f.LogStat("TIME(ns):BYTES:ALLOCS", time, nBytes, nAllocs)
 			}
 		}
+		if p.dump != nil && p.dump[f.Name] {
+			// Dump function to appropriately named file
+			f.dumpFile(phaseName)
+		}
 		if checkEnabled {
 			checkFunc(f)
 		}
@@ -105,16 +113,48 @@ func Compile(f *Func) {
 	phaseName = ""
 }
 
+// TODO: should be a config field
+var dumpFileSeq int
+
+// dumpFile creates a file from the phase name and function name
+// Dumping is done to files to avoid buffering huge strings before
+// output.
+func (f *Func) dumpFile(phaseName string) {
+	dumpFileSeq++
+	fname := fmt.Sprintf("%s__%s_%d.dump", phaseName, f.Name, dumpFileSeq)
+	fname = strings.Replace(fname, " ", "_", -1)
+	fname = strings.Replace(fname, "/", "_", -1)
+	fname = strings.Replace(fname, ":", "_", -1)
+
+	fi, err := os.Create(fname)
+	if err != nil {
+		f.Config.Warnl(0, "Unable to create after-phase dump file %s", fname)
+		return
+	}
+
+	p := stringFuncPrinter{w: fi}
+	fprintFunc(p, f)
+	fi.Close()
+}
+
 type pass struct {
 	name     string
 	fn       func(*Func)
 	required bool
 	disabled bool
-	time     bool // report time to run pass
-	mem      bool // report mem stats to run pass
-	stats    int  // pass reports own "stats" (e.g., branches removed)
-	debug    int  // pass performs some debugging. =1 should be in error-testing-friendly Warnl format.
-	test     int  // pass-specific ad-hoc option, perhaps useful in development
+	time     bool            // report time to run pass
+	mem      bool            // report mem stats to run pass
+	stats    int             // pass reports own "stats" (e.g., branches removed)
+	debug    int             // pass performs some debugging. =1 should be in error-testing-friendly Warnl format.
+	test     int             // pass-specific ad-hoc option, perhaps useful in development
+	dump     map[string]bool // dump if function name matches
+}
+
+func (p *pass) addDump(s string) {
+	if p.dump == nil {
+		p.dump = make(map[string]bool)
+	}
+	p.dump[s] = true
 }
 
 // Run consistency checker between each phase
@@ -127,6 +167,7 @@ var IntrinsicsDisable bool
 var BuildDebug int
 var BuildTest int
 var BuildStats int
+var BuildDump string // name of function to dump after initial build of ssa
 
 // PhaseOption sets the specified flag in the specified ssa phase,
 // returning empty string if this was successful or a string explaining
@@ -146,7 +187,35 @@ var BuildStats int
 //
 // BOOT_GO_GCFLAGS=-d='ssa/~^.*scc$/off' GO_GCFLAGS='-d=ssa/~^.*scc$/off' ./make.bash
 //
-func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int) string {
+func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int, valString string) string {
+	if phase == "help" {
+		lastcr := 0
+		phasenames := "check, all, build, intrinsics"
+		for _, p := range passes {
+			pn := strings.Replace(p.name, " ", "_", -1)
+			if len(pn)+len(phasenames)-lastcr > 70 {
+				phasenames += "\n"
+				lastcr = len(phasenames)
+				phasenames += pn
+			} else {
+				phasenames += ", " + pn
+			}
+		}
+		return "" +
+			`GcFlag -d=ssa/<phase>/<flag>[=<value>]|[:<function_name>]
+<phase> is one of:
+` + phasenames + `
+<flag> is one of on, off, debug, mem, time, test, stats, dump
+<value> defaults to 1
+<function_name> is required for "dump", specifies name of function to dump after <phase>
+Except for dump, output is directed to standard out; dump appears in a file.
+Phase "all" supports flags "time", "mem", and "dump".
+Phases "intrinsics" supports flags "on", "off", and "debug".
+Interpretation of the "debug" value depends on the phase.
+Dump files are named <phase>__<function_name>_<seq>.dump.
+`
+	}
+
 	if phase == "check" && flag == "on" {
 		checkEnabled = val != 0
 		return ""
@@ -157,9 +226,18 @@ func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int) string {
 	}
 
 	alltime := false
+	allmem := false
+	alldump := false
 	if phase == "all" {
 		if flag == "time" {
 			alltime = val != 0
+		} else if flag == "mem" {
+			allmem = val != 0
+		} else if flag == "dump" {
+			alldump = val != 0
+			if alldump {
+				BuildDump = valString
+			}
 		} else {
 			return fmt.Sprintf("Did not find a flag matching %s in -d=ssa/%s debug option", flag, phase)
 		}
@@ -186,6 +264,8 @@ func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int) string {
 			BuildTest = val
 		case "stats":
 			BuildStats = val
+		case "dump":
+			BuildDump = valString
 		default:
 			return fmt.Sprintf("Did not find a flag matching %s in -d=ssa/%s debug option", flag, phase)
 		}
@@ -205,6 +285,10 @@ func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int) string {
 	for i, p := range passes {
 		if phase == "all" {
 			p.time = alltime
+			p.mem = allmem
+			if alldump {
+				p.addDump(valString)
+			}
 			passes[i] = p
 			matchedOne = true
 		} else if p.name == phase || p.name == underphase || re != nil && re.MatchString(p.name) {
@@ -223,6 +307,8 @@ func PhaseOption(phase, flag string, val int) string {
 				p.stats = val
 			case "test":
 				p.test = val
+			case "dump":
+				p.addDump(valString)
 			default:
 				return fmt.Sprintf("Did not find a flag matching %s in -d=ssa/%s debug option", flag, phase)
 			}
diff --git a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/func.go b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/func.go
index dbdc42d1f8..7b2097bcae 100644
--- a/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/func.go
+++ b/src/cmd/compile/internal/ssa/func.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package ssa
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"math"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 // A Func represents a Go func declaration (or function literal) and
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ func (f *Func) LogStat(key string, args ...interface{}) {
 	}
 	n := "missing_pass"
 	if f.pass != nil {
-		n = f.pass.name
+		n = strings.Replace(f.pass.name, " ", "_", -1)
 	}
 	f.Config.Warnl(f.Entry.Line, "\t%s\t%s%s\t%s", n, key, value, f.Name)
 }