diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index b34caa49..41498623 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 - support "rs" mode in vips7
 - add --vips-version cmdline arg
 - fix --without-tiff / exr / jpeg / png / magick
+- add --vips-fatal flag
 
 19/3/12 started 7.29.0
 - sanity-check PNG read geometry
diff --git a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
index 130481fe..00971e86 100644
--- a/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
+++ b/libvips/include/vips/internal.h
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ extern int vips__thinstrip_height;
  */
 extern int vips__concurrency;
 
+/* abort() on any error.
+ */
+extern int vips__fatal;
+
 /* Give progress feedback.
  */
 extern int vips__progress;
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/error.c b/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
index b6ee8530..097708f4 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/error.c
@@ -155,6 +155,9 @@ vips_verror( const char *domain, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 	g_mutex_unlock( vips__global_lock );
 
 	VIPS_DEBUG_MSG( "vips_verror: %s\n", fmt );
+
+	if( vips__fatal )
+		vips_error_exit( "vips__fatal" );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -363,6 +366,9 @@ vips_vwarn( const char *domain, const char *fmt, va_list ap )
 		(void) fprintf( stderr, "\n" );
 		g_mutex_unlock( vips__global_lock );
 	}
+
+	if( vips__fatal )
+		vips_error_exit( "vips__fatal" );
 }
 
 /**
@@ -421,7 +427,10 @@ vips_error_exit( const char *fmt, ... )
 
 	vips_shutdown();
 
-	exit( 1 );
+	if( vips__fatal )
+		abort();
+	else
+		exit( 1 );
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/libvips/iofuncs/init.c b/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
index 0a9425a2..9655a35d 100644
--- a/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
+++ b/libvips/iofuncs/init.c
@@ -80,6 +80,10 @@
 #include <vips/internal.h>
 #include <vips/vector.h>
 
+/* abort() on the first warning or error.
+ */
+int vips__fatal = 0;
+
 /* Use in various small places where we need a mutex and it's not worth 
  * making a private one.
  */
@@ -374,7 +378,28 @@ vips_lib_version_cb( const gchar *option_name, const gchar *value,
 	exit( 0 );
 }
 
+static gboolean
+vips_set_fatal_cb( const gchar *option_name, const gchar *value, 
+	gpointer data, GError **error )
+{
+	vips__fatal = 1; 
+
+	/* Set masks for debugging ... stop on any problem. 
+	 */
+	g_log_set_always_fatal(
+		G_LOG_FLAG_RECURSION |
+		G_LOG_FLAG_FATAL |
+		G_LOG_LEVEL_ERROR |
+		G_LOG_LEVEL_CRITICAL |
+		G_LOG_LEVEL_WARNING );
+
+	return( TRUE );
+}
+
 static GOptionEntry option_entries[] = {
+	{ "vips-fatal", 'f', G_OPTION_FLAG_HIDDEN | G_OPTION_FLAG_NO_ARG, 
+		G_OPTION_ARG_CALLBACK, (gpointer) &vips_set_fatal_cb, 
+		N_( "abort on first error or warning" ), NULL },
 	{ "vips-concurrency", 'c', 0, 
 		G_OPTION_ARG_INT, &vips__concurrency, 
 		N_( "evaluate with N concurrent threads" ), "N" },