diff --git a/CHANGES.txt b/CHANGES.txt
index 8ca6fb5da56..fbcf59fab21 100644
--- a/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/CHANGES.txt
@@ -506,7 +506,9 @@ Bug Fixes
     
 43. SOLR-648: SpellCheckComponent throws NullPointerException on using spellcheck.q request
     parameter after restarting Solr, if reload is called but build is not called.
-    (Jonathan Lee, shalin)    
+    (Jonathan Lee, shalin)
+
+44. SOLR-598: DebugComponent now always occurs last in the SearchHandler list unless the components are explicitly declared. (gsingers)
 
 Other Changes
  1. SOLR-135: Moved common classes to org.apache.solr.common and altered the
diff --git a/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandler.java b/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandler.java
index 82afc618705..2742718009f 100644
--- a/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandler.java
+++ b/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandler.java
@@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ public class SearchHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements SolrCoreAware
   }
 
   /**
-   * Initialize the components based on name
+   * Initialize the components based on name.  Note, if using {@link #INIT_FIRST_COMPONENTS} or {@link #INIT_LAST_COMPONENTS},
+   * then the {@link DebugComponent} will always occur last.  If this is not desired, then one must explicitly declare all components using
+   * the {@link #INIT_COMPONENTS} syntax.
    */
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public void inform(SolrCore core)
@@ -80,6 +82,7 @@ public class SearchHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements SolrCoreAware
     List<String> last  = (List<String>) initArgs.get(INIT_LAST_COMPONENTS);
 
     List<String> list = null;
+    boolean makeDebugLast = true;
     if( declaredComponents == null ) {
       // Use the default component list
       list = getDefaultComponents();
@@ -100,14 +103,24 @@ public class SearchHandler extends RequestHandlerBase implements SolrCoreAware
         throw new SolrException( SolrException.ErrorCode.SERVER_ERROR,
             "First/Last components only valid if you do not declare 'components'");
       }
+      makeDebugLast = false;
     }
 
     // Build the component list
     components = new ArrayList<SearchComponent>( list.size() );
+    DebugComponent dbgCmp = null;
     for(String c : list){
       SearchComponent comp = core.getSearchComponent( c );
-      components.add(comp);
-      log.info("Adding  component:"+comp);
+      if (comp instanceof DebugComponent && makeDebugLast == true){
+        dbgCmp = (DebugComponent) comp;
+      } else {
+        components.add(comp);
+        log.info("Adding  component:"+comp);
+      }
+    }
+    if (makeDebugLast == true && dbgCmp != null){
+      components.add(dbgCmp);
+      log.info("Adding  debug component:" + dbgCmp);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandlerTest.java b/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandlerTest.java
index 8ed2f8090f8..a1d645f3604 100644
--- a/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandlerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/org/apache/solr/handler/component/SearchHandlerTest.java
@@ -49,6 +49,27 @@ public class SearchHandlerTest extends AbstractSolrTestCase
     assertEquals( 1, handler.getComponents().size() );
     assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( MoreLikeThisComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), 
         handler.getComponents().get( 0 ) );
+
+    // Build an explicit list that includes the debug comp.
+    //-----------------------------------------------
+    names0 = new ArrayList<String>();
+    names0.add( FacetComponent.COMPONENT_NAME );
+    names0.add( DebugComponent.COMPONENT_NAME );
+    names0.add( MoreLikeThisComponent.COMPONENT_NAME );
+
+    args = new NamedList();
+    args.add( SearchHandler.INIT_COMPONENTS, names0 );
+    handler = new SearchHandler();
+    handler.init( args );
+    handler.inform( core );
+
+    assertEquals( 3, handler.getComponents().size() );
+    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( FacetComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ),
+        handler.getComponents().get( 0 ) );
+    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( DebugComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ),
+        handler.getComponents().get( 1 ) );
+    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( MoreLikeThisComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), 
+        handler.getComponents().get( 2 ) );
     
 
     // First/Last list
@@ -69,6 +90,8 @@ public class SearchHandlerTest extends AbstractSolrTestCase
     List<SearchComponent> comps = handler.getComponents();
     assertEquals( 2+handler.getDefaultComponents().size(), comps.size() );
     assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( MoreLikeThisComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), comps.get( 0 ) );
-    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( FacetComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), comps.get( comps.size()-1 ) );
+    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( FacetComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), comps.get( comps.size()-2 ) );
+    //Debug component is always last in this case
+    assertEquals( core.getSearchComponent( DebugComponent.COMPONENT_NAME ), comps.get( comps.size()-1 ) );
   }
 }