diff --git a/bin/run.js b/bin/run.js
index d7dd393..3698482 100755
--- a/bin/run.js
+++ b/bin/run.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env node --expose-internals -r internal/test/binding
 
-// process.env.NODE_INSPECT_RESUME_ON_START ||= 1;
-// process.env.NODE_INSPECT_PAUSE_ON_EXCEPTION_STATE ||= 'uncaught';
+process.env.NODE_INSPECT_OPTIONS = '--inspect-resume-on-start=true'
 
 // hijack `require` to load debugger module from this package
 const Mod = require('module');
diff --git a/debugger/util/argument_parser.js b/debugger/util/argument_parser.js
index 0512d0e..dc11524 100644
--- a/debugger/util/argument_parser.js
+++ b/debugger/util/argument_parser.js
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 const {
   ArrayPrototypeShift,
-  ArrayPrototypeSplice,
   ArrayPrototypeIncludes,
   StringPrototypeSplit,
   RegExpPrototypeExec,
+  RegExpPrototypeTest,
+  StringPrototypeIndexOf,
+  StringPrototypeSlice,
+  ArrayPrototypeJoin,
 } = primordials;
 
 function parseBoolean(value) {
@@ -18,52 +21,59 @@ function validatePauseOnExceptionState(value) {
   return value;
 }
 
-function parseArguments(argv) {
-  const legacyArguments = processLegacyArgs(argv)
+function splitOption(option) {
+  const index = StringPrototypeIndexOf(option, '=');
+  return [StringPrototypeSlice(option, 0, index), StringPrototypeSlice(option, index + 1)];
+}
 
-  let options = {
-    pauseOnExceptionState: undefined,
-    inspectResumeOnStart: undefined
+function handleArg(options, arg, nextArg) {
+  let key, value;
+  if (RegExpPrototypeTest(/=.+/, arg)) {
+    [key, value] = splitOption(arg);
+  } else {
+    key = arg;
+    value = nextArg;
   }
 
-  // `NODE_INSPECT_OPTIONS` is parsed first and can be overwritten by command line arguments
-
-  if (process.env.NODE_INSPECT_OPTIONS) {
-    const envOptions = StringPrototypeSplit(process.env.NODE_INSPECT_OPTIONS, ' ');
-    for (let i = 0; i < envOptions.length; i++) {
-      switch (envOptions[i]) {
-        case '--pause-on-exception-state':
-          options.pauseOnExceptionState = validatePauseOnExceptionState(envOptions[++i]);
-          break;
-        case '--inspect-resume-on-start':
-          options.inspectResumeOnStart = parseBoolean(envOptions[++i]);
-          break;
-      }
-    }
+  switch (key) {
+    case '--pause-on-exception-state':
+      options.pauseOnExceptionState = validatePauseOnExceptionState(value);
+      break;
+    case '--inspect-resume-on-start':
+      options.inspectResumeOnStart = parseBoolean(value);
+      break;
   }
+  return options;
+}
 
-  for (let i = 0; i < argv.length;) {
-    switch (argv[i]) {
-      case '--pause-on-exception-state':
-        options.pauseOnExceptionState = validatePauseOnExceptionState(argv[i+1]);
-        ArrayPrototypeSplice(argv, i, 2);
-        break;
-      case '--inspect-resume-on-start':
-        options.inspectResumeOnStart = parseBoolean(argv[i+1]);
-        ArrayPrototypeSplice(argv, i, 2);
-        break;
-      default:
-        i++;
-        break;
+function parseOptions(source, options) {
+  if (source) {
+    const optionsArr = StringPrototypeSplit(source, ' ');
+    for (let i = 0; i < optionsArr.length; i++) {
+      options = handleArg(options, optionsArr[i], optionsArr[i+1]);
     }
   }
-
-  return {...options, ...legacyArguments};
+  return options;
 }
 
 // the legacy `node inspect` options assumed the first argument was the target
 // to avoid breaking existing scripts, we maintain this behavior
 
+function parseArguments(argv) {
+  const legacyArguments = processLegacyArgs(argv)
+
+  let options = {
+    pauseOnExceptionState: undefined,
+    inspectResumeOnStart: undefined
+  }
+
+  // arguments passed over the CLI take precedence over environment variables
+  options = parseOptions(process.env.NODE_INSPECT_OPTIONS, options);
+  options = parseOptions(ArrayPrototypeJoin(argv, ' '), options);
+
+  return {...options, ...legacyArguments};
+}
+
 function processLegacyArgs(args) {
   const target = ArrayPrototypeShift(args);
   let host = '127.0.0.1';