diff --git a/jax/_src/debugger/__init__.py b/jax/_src/debugger/__init__.py
index 8e24e0b9d..019890143 100644
--- a/jax/_src/debugger/__init__.py
+++ b/jax/_src/debugger/__init__.py
@@ -11,4 +11,7 @@
 # WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
-from jax._src.debugger.cli_debugger import breakpoint
+from jax._src.debugger.core import breakpoint
+from jax._src.debugger import cli_debugger
+
+del cli_debugger  # For registration only
diff --git a/jax/_src/debugger/cli_debugger.py b/jax/_src/debugger/cli_debugger.py
index e3f726427..da80840f3 100644
--- a/jax/_src/debugger/cli_debugger.py
+++ b/jax/_src/debugger/cli_debugger.py
@@ -14,106 +14,17 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import cmd
-import dataclasses
-import inspect
 import sys
-import threading
 import traceback
 
-from typing import Any, Callable, Dict, IO, List, Optional
+from typing import Any, IO, List, Optional
 
-import numpy as np
-from jax import core
-from jax import tree_util
-from jax._src import debugging
-from jax._src import traceback_util
-from jax._src import util
-import jax.numpy as jnp
+from jax._src.debugger import core as debugger_core
 
 
-@tree_util.register_pytree_node_class
-@dataclasses.dataclass(frozen=True)
-class DebuggerFrame:
-  """Encapsulates Python frame information."""
-  filename: str
-  locals: Dict[str, Any]
-  code_context: str
-  source: List[str]
-  lineno: int
-  offset: Optional[int]
+DebuggerFrame = debugger_core.DebuggerFrame
 
-  def tree_flatten(self):
-    flat_locals, locals_tree = tree_util.tree_flatten(self.locals)
-    is_valid = [
-        isinstance(l, (core.Tracer, jnp.ndarray, np.ndarray))
-        for l in flat_locals
-    ]
-    invalid_locals, valid_locals = util.partition_list(is_valid, flat_locals)
-    return valid_locals, (is_valid, invalid_locals, locals_tree, self.filename,
-                          self.code_context, self.source, self.lineno,
-                          self.offset)
-
-  @classmethod
-  def tree_unflatten(cls, info, valid_locals):
-    (is_valid, invalid_locals, locals_tree, filename, code_context, source,
-     lineno, offset) = info
-    flat_locals = util.merge_lists(is_valid, invalid_locals, valid_locals)
-    locals_ = tree_util.tree_unflatten(locals_tree, flat_locals)
-    return DebuggerFrame(filename, locals_, code_context, source, lineno,
-                         offset)
-
-  @classmethod
-  def from_frameinfo(cls, frame_info) -> DebuggerFrame:
-    try:
-      _, start = inspect.getsourcelines(frame_info.frame)
-      source = inspect.getsource(frame_info.frame).split('\n')
-      offset = frame_info.lineno - start
-    except OSError:
-      source = []
-      offset = None
-    return DebuggerFrame(
-        filename=frame_info.filename,
-        locals=frame_info.frame.f_locals,
-        code_context=frame_info.code_context,
-        source=source,
-        lineno=frame_info.lineno,
-        offset=offset)
-
-
-debug_lock = threading.Lock()
-
-
-def breakpoint(*, ordered: bool = False, **kwargs):  # pylint: disable=redefined-builtin
-  """Enters a breakpoint at a point in a program."""
-  frame_infos = inspect.stack()
-  # Filter out internal frames
-  frame_infos = [
-      frame_info for frame_info in frame_infos
-      if traceback_util.include_frame(frame_info.frame)
-  ]
-  frames = [
-      DebuggerFrame.from_frameinfo(frame_info) for frame_info in frame_infos
-  ]
-  # Throw out first frame corresponding to this function
-  frames = frames[1:]
-  flat_args, frames_tree = tree_util.tree_flatten(frames)
-
-  def _breakpoint_callback(*flat_args):
-    frames = tree_util.tree_unflatten(frames_tree, flat_args)
-    thread_id = None
-    if threading.current_thread() is not threading.main_thread():
-      thread_id = threading.get_ident()
-    with debug_lock:
-      TextDebugger(frames, thread_id, **kwargs).run()
-
-  if ordered:
-    effect = debugging.DebugEffect.ORDERED_PRINT
-  else:
-    effect = debugging.DebugEffect.PRINT
-  debugging.debug_callback(_breakpoint_callback, effect, *flat_args)
-
-
-class TextDebugger(cmd.Cmd):
+class CliDebugger(cmd.Cmd):
   """A text-based debugger."""
   prompt = '(jaxdb) '
   use_rawinput: bool = False
@@ -200,3 +111,8 @@ class TextDebugger(cmd.Cmd):
         break
       except KeyboardInterrupt:
         self.stdout.write('--KeyboardInterrupt--\n')
+
+def run_debugger(frames: List[DebuggerFrame], thread_id: Optional[int],
+                 **kwargs: Any):
+  CliDebugger(frames, thread_id, **kwargs).run()
+debugger_core.register_debugger("cli", run_debugger, -1)