diff --git a/frontend/cmd/compile.c b/frontend/cmd/compile.c
index 6563bd6..4a836dd 100644
--- a/frontend/cmd/compile.c
+++ b/frontend/cmd/compile.c
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ static int compile_file(const char *path, const b_arglist *args)
 
 	if (!lex_only && r == 0) {
 		struct ivy_ast_node *root = ivy_parser_root_node(parser);
-		ivy_ast_node_print(root);
+		struct ivy_ast_node_iterator it = {0};
+		ivy_ast_node_iterate(root, &it, print_ast_node);
+		// ivy_ast_node_print(root);
 	}
 
 	if (lex) {
diff --git a/frontend/debug.c b/frontend/debug.c
index d0e099a..62cfabb 100644
--- a/frontend/debug.c
+++ b/frontend/debug.c
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <blue/term.h>
-#include <ivy/lang/lex.h>
 #include <ivy/asm/lex.h>
+#include <ivy/lang/ast.h>
+#include <ivy/lang/lex.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
 extern void print_lex_token(struct ivy_token *tok)
@@ -128,3 +129,210 @@ extern void print_asm_lex_token(struct ivy_asm_token *tok)
 
 	b_puts("[reset]\n");
 }
+
+extern enum ivy_status print_ast_node(
+	struct ivy_ast_node *node, struct ivy_ast_node_iterator *it)
+{
+	for (unsigned int i = 0; i < node->n_it.it_depth; i++) {
+		b_puts("  ");
+	}
+
+	switch (node->n_type) {
+	case IVY_AST_UNIT:
+	case IVY_AST_CLASS:
+	case IVY_AST_MSGH:
+	case IVY_AST_UNIT_PACKAGE:
+	case IVY_AST_UNIT_IMPORT:
+		b_puts("[magenta]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_OP:
+		b_puts("[blue]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_MSG:
+		b_puts("[red]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_INT:
+	case IVY_AST_DOUBLE:
+		b_puts("[yellow]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_BLOCK:
+		b_puts("[red]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_IDENT:
+	case IVY_AST_SELECTOR:
+		b_puts("[cyan]");
+		break;
+	case IVY_AST_STRING:
+	case IVY_AST_FSTRING:
+		b_puts("[green]");
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+
+	b_puts(ivy_ast_node_type_to_string(node->n_type));
+
+	switch (node->n_type) {
+	case IVY_AST_INT: {
+		struct ivy_ast_int_node *v = (struct ivy_ast_int_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (%llu)", v->n_value->t_int);
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_DOUBLE: {
+		struct ivy_ast_double_node *v = (struct ivy_ast_double_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (%.2lf)", v->n_value->t_double);
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_IDENT: {
+		struct ivy_ast_ident_node *v = (struct ivy_ast_ident_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (%s)", v->n_content->t_str);
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_SELECTOR: {
+		struct ivy_ast_selector_node *v
+			= (struct ivy_ast_selector_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" [[");
+
+		switch (v->n_recipient) {
+		case IVY_SELECTOR_RECIPIENT_CLASS:
+			b_putc('+');
+			break;
+		case IVY_SELECTOR_RECIPIENT_OBJECT:
+			b_putc('-');
+			break;
+		default:
+			/* this will occur if the selector is being used to send
+			   a message at runtime, rather than as part of a
+			   message handler definition. */
+			break;
+		}
+
+		if (v->n_msg_name) {
+			b_printf("%s", v->n_msg_name->t_str);
+		}
+
+		if (v->n_msg_name && !b_queue_empty(&v->n_arg_labels)) {
+			b_putc('(');
+		}
+
+		b_queue_iterator label_it = {0};
+		b_queue_iterator name_it = {0};
+
+		b_queue_iterator_begin(&v->n_arg_labels, &label_it);
+		b_queue_iterator_begin(&v->n_arg_names, &name_it);
+
+		bool name_present = false;
+		int i = 0;
+		while (b_queue_iterator_is_valid(&label_it)) {
+			if (i > 0 && name_present) {
+				fputc(' ', stdout);
+			}
+
+			struct ivy_token *label = b_unbox(
+				struct ivy_token, label_it.entry, t_entry);
+			struct ivy_token *name = b_unbox(
+				struct ivy_token, name_it.entry, t_entry);
+
+			if (label) {
+				b_printf("%s:", label->t_str);
+			}
+
+			if (name) {
+				b_printf("%s", name->t_str);
+			}
+
+			name_present = (name != NULL);
+
+			i++;
+			b_queue_iterator_next(&label_it);
+			b_queue_iterator_next(&name_it);
+		}
+
+		if (v->n_msg_name && !b_queue_empty(&v->n_arg_labels)) {
+			b_putc(')');
+		}
+
+		b_puts("]");
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_OP: {
+		struct ivy_ast_op_node *v = (struct ivy_ast_op_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (%s)", ivy_operator_id_to_string(v->n_op->op_id));
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_CLASS: {
+		struct ivy_ast_class_node *v = (struct ivy_ast_class_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (%s)", v->n_ident->t_str);
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_UNIT_PACKAGE: {
+		struct ivy_ast_unit_package_node *v
+			= (struct ivy_ast_unit_package_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (");
+		b_queue_iterator it = {0};
+		int i = 0;
+		b_queue_foreach (&it, &v->n_ident) {
+			struct ivy_token *tok
+				= b_unbox(struct ivy_token, it.entry, t_entry);
+
+			if (i > 0) {
+				b_printf(".");
+			}
+
+			b_printf("%s", tok->t_str);
+			i++;
+		}
+		b_printf(")");
+		break;
+	}
+	case IVY_AST_UNIT_IMPORT: {
+		struct ivy_ast_unit_import_node *v
+			= (struct ivy_ast_unit_import_node *)node;
+		b_printf(" (");
+		b_queue_iterator it = {0};
+		int i = 0;
+		b_queue_foreach (&it, &v->n_ident) {
+			struct ivy_token *tok
+				= b_unbox(struct ivy_token, it.entry, t_entry);
+
+			if (i > 0) {
+				b_printf(".");
+			}
+
+			b_printf("%s", tok->t_str);
+			i++;
+		}
+		b_printf(")");
+		break;
+	}
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+#if 0
+	switch (tok->t_type) {
+	case IVY_TOK_IDENT:
+	case IVY_TOK_LABEL:
+	case IVY_TOK_STRING:
+	case IVY_TOK_ATOM:
+		printf("(%s)", tok->t_str);
+		break;
+	case IVY_TOK_SYMBOL:
+		printf("(%s)", ivy_symbol_to_string(tok->t_symbol));
+		break;
+	case IVY_TOK_KEYWORD:
+		printf("(%s)", ivy_keyword_to_string(tok->t_keyword));
+		break;
+	case IVY_TOK_INT:
+		printf("(%llu)", tok->t_int);
+		break;
+	case IVY_TOK_DOUBLE:
+		printf("(%lf)", tok->t_double);
+		break;
+	default:
+		break;
+	}
+#endif
+
+	b_puts("[reset]\n");
+	return IVY_OK;
+}
diff --git a/frontend/debug.h b/frontend/debug.h
index a08271c..6884742 100644
--- a/frontend/debug.h
+++ b/frontend/debug.h
@@ -1,10 +1,18 @@
 #ifndef DEBUG_H_
 #define DEBUG_H_
 
+#include <ivy/status.h>
+
 struct ivy_token;
 struct ivy_asm_token;
 
+struct ivy_ast_node;
+struct ivy_ast_node_iterator;
+
 extern void print_lex_token(struct ivy_token *tok);
 extern void print_asm_lex_token(struct ivy_asm_token *tok);
 
+extern enum ivy_status print_ast_node(
+	struct ivy_ast_node *node, struct ivy_ast_node_iterator *it);
+
 #endif