diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
index 25c70d766..8450becd1 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug-options.h
@@ -171,3 +171,16 @@ OPT (PERFORMANCE,
      "performance",
      N_("Trace performance concerns"),
      N_("Tries to highlight sub-optimal Cogl usage."))
+OPT (SYNC_PRIMITIVE,
+     N_("Root Cause"),
+     "sync-primitive",
+     N_("Render primitives synchronously"),
+     N_("Call glFinish after rendering each primitive, so profilers can see "
+        "the call stack of what's incurring most of the render time."))
+OPT (SYNC_FRAME,
+     N_("Root Cause"),
+     "sync-frame",
+     N_("Render frames synchronously"),
+     N_("Call glFinish after rendering each frame, so profilers can measure "
+        "the total render time (as a portion of the stage update time) more "
+        "accurately."))
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
index 3898ee125..800f448df 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.c
@@ -80,7 +80,9 @@ static const GDebugKey cogl_behavioural_debug_keys[] = {
   { "wireframe", COGL_DEBUG_WIREFRAME},
   { "disable-software-clip", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_SOFTWARE_CLIP},
   { "disable-program-caches", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_PROGRAM_CACHES},
-  { "disable-fast-read-pixel", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL}
+  { "disable-fast-read-pixel", COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_FAST_READ_PIXEL},
+  { "sync-primitive", COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_PRIMITIVE },
+  { "sync-frame", COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_FRAME},
 };
 static const int n_cogl_behavioural_debug_keys =
   G_N_ELEMENTS (cogl_behavioural_debug_keys);
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
index 82a572b9c..d6bc358b5 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-debug.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ typedef enum
   COGL_DEBUG_CLIPPING,
   COGL_DEBUG_WINSYS,
   COGL_DEBUG_PERFORMANCE,
+  COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_PRIMITIVE,
+  COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_FRAME,
 
   COGL_DEBUG_N_FLAGS
 } CoglDebugFlags;
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
index b567530bd..4949232d3 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-journal.c
@@ -1629,8 +1629,15 @@ _cogl_journal_log_quad (CoglJournal  *journal,
                                          add_framebuffer_deps_cb,
                                          framebuffer);
 
-  if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BATCHING)))
-    _cogl_journal_flush (journal);
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_PRIMITIVE)))
+    {
+      _cogl_journal_flush (journal);
+      cogl_framebuffer_finish (framebuffer);
+    }
+  else if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_DISABLE_BATCHING)))
+    {
+      _cogl_journal_flush (journal);
+    }
 
   COGL_TIMER_STOP (_cogl_uprof_context, log_timer);
 }
diff --git a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen.c b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen.c
index 651f3a727..f6d21cf06 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl/cogl-onscreen.c
@@ -315,6 +315,9 @@ cogl_onscreen_swap_buffers_with_damage (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
 
   _cogl_framebuffer_flush_journal (framebuffer);
 
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_FRAME)))
+    cogl_framebuffer_finish (framebuffer);
+
   winsys = _cogl_framebuffer_get_winsys (framebuffer);
   winsys->onscreen_swap_buffers_with_damage (onscreen,
                                              rectangles, n_rectangles,
@@ -364,6 +367,9 @@ cogl_onscreen_swap_region (CoglOnscreen *onscreen,
 
   _cogl_framebuffer_flush_journal (framebuffer);
 
+  if (G_UNLIKELY (COGL_DEBUG_ENABLED (COGL_DEBUG_SYNC_FRAME)))
+    cogl_framebuffer_finish (framebuffer);
+
   winsys = _cogl_framebuffer_get_winsys (framebuffer);
 
   /* This should only be called if the winsys advertises