diff --git a/app/src/processing/app/ui/Editor.java b/app/src/processing/app/ui/Editor.java
index 46d6605dcc..832be571b7 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/app/ui/Editor.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/app/ui/Editor.java
@@ -1193,7 +1193,10 @@ public void setUpdatesAvailable(int count) {
 
 
   /**
-   * Override this if you want a special menu for your particular 'mode'.
+   * Override this if you want a special menu for a Mode.
+   * You only get one menu, use it wisely!
+   * Note that this is called from the Editor constructor,
+   * so your Editor object may not be completely initialized yet.
    */
   public JMenu buildModeMenu() {
     return null;
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
index b62939096b..2e1e698975 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaEditor.java
@@ -75,7 +75,8 @@ public class JavaEditor extends Editor {
   protected LineHighlight currentLine; // where the debugger is suspended
   protected final String breakpointMarkerComment = " //<>//";
 
-  protected JMenuItem inspectorItem;
+  JMenu modeMenu;
+//  protected JMenuItem inspectorItem;
 
   static final int ERROR_TAB_INDEX = 0;
 
@@ -104,7 +105,9 @@ protected JavaEditor(Base base, String path, EditorState state,
     super(base, path, state, mode);
 
     jmode = (JavaMode) mode;
+
     debugger = new Debugger(this);
+    debugger.populateMenu(modeMenu);
 
     // set breakpoints from marker comments
     for (LineID lineID : stripBreakpointComments()) {
@@ -1385,8 +1388,7 @@ public boolean isDebuggerEnabled() {
 
   @Override
   public JMenu buildModeMenu() {
-    //return buildDebugMenu();
-    return debugger.buildMenu();
+    return modeMenu = new JMenu(Language.text("menu.debug"));
   }
 
 
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaToolbar.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaToolbar.java
index 03f391baef..07da613aa6 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaToolbar.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/JavaToolbar.java
@@ -37,24 +37,33 @@
 public class JavaToolbar extends EditorToolbar {
   JavaEditor jeditor;
 
-//  boolean debug;  // true if this is the expanded debug feller
   EditorButton stepButton;
   EditorButton continueButton;
 
 
-//  public JavaToolbar(Editor editor, boolean debug) {
   public JavaToolbar(Editor editor) {
     super(editor);
-//    this.debug = debug;
     jeditor = (JavaEditor) editor;
   }
 
 
+  /**
+   * Check if 'debugger' is available and enabled.
+   */
+  private boolean isDebuggerArmed() {
+    // 'jeditor' not ready yet because this is called by super()
+    // 'debugger' also null during init
+    if (jeditor == null) {
+      return false;
+    }
+    return jeditor.isDebuggerEnabled();
+  }
+
+
   @Override
   public List<EditorButton> createButtons() {
-    // jeditor not ready yet because this is called by super()
-    final boolean debug = ((JavaEditor) editor).isDebuggerEnabled();
-//    System.out.println("creating buttons in JavaToolbar, debug:" + debug);
+    final boolean debug = isDebuggerArmed();
+
     List<EditorButton> outgoing = new ArrayList<>();
 
     final String runText = debug ?
@@ -130,10 +139,9 @@ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
       }
     };
 
-    if (((JavaEditor) editor).isDebuggerEnabled()) {
+    if (isDebuggerArmed()) {
       debugButton.setSelected(true);
     }
-//    debugButton.setRolloverLabel(label);
     box.add(debugButton);
     addGap(box);
   }
diff --git a/java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/Debugger.java b/java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/Debugger.java
index 6988ca185f..ee3868e189 100644
--- a/java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/Debugger.java
+++ b/java/src/processing/mode/java/debug/Debugger.java
@@ -117,12 +117,9 @@ public Debugger(JavaEditor editor) {
 
   /**
    * Creates the debug menu. Includes ActionListeners for the menu items.
-   * Intended for adding to the menu bar.
-   *
-   * @return The debug menu
    */
-  public JMenu buildMenu() {
-    debugMenu = new JMenu(Language.text("menu.debug"));
+  public void populateMenu(JMenu modeMenu) {
+    debugMenu = modeMenu;
     JMenuItem item;
 
     debugItem = Toolkit.newJMenuItem(Language.text("menu.debug.enable"), 'D');
@@ -188,8 +185,6 @@ public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
       });
     debugMenu.add(item);
     item.setEnabled(false);
-
-    return debugMenu;
   }
 
 
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 123bf9da98..8529ba82db 100755
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 1271 (4.0a2)
+X break buildMenu() into populateMenu() method to delay Debugger init
+X   https://github.com/processing/processing4/issues/73
 
 sam
 X Resolve rewrite of pixelDensity to settings in preproc