diff --git a/frontend/document/credocument.lua b/frontend/document/credocument.lua
index 9cd29ed33..fa26cab9d 100644
--- a/frontend/document/credocument.lua
+++ b/frontend/document/credocument.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ local Document = require("document/document")
 local Configurable = require("ui/reader/configurable")
 local Font = require("ui/font")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 -- TBD: DrawContext
 
 local CreDocument = Document:new{
diff --git a/frontend/document/document.lua b/frontend/document/document.lua
index 19fbbf99b..787eeab3d 100644
--- a/frontend/document/document.lua
+++ b/frontend/document/document.lua
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ local Cache = require("cache")
 local CacheItem = require("cacheitem")
 local TileCacheItem = require("document/tilecacheitem")
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
+local Configurable = require("ui/reader/configurable")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 --[[
 This is an abstract interface to a document
diff --git a/frontend/document/tilecacheitem.lua b/frontend/document/tilecacheitem.lua
index f76ea96b6..72f347d4a 100644
--- a/frontend/document/tilecacheitem.lua
+++ b/frontend/document/tilecacheitem.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 local CacheItem = require("cacheitem")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local TileCacheItem = CacheItem:new{}
 
diff --git a/frontend/ui/device/screen.lua b/frontend/ui/device/screen.lua
index 9a1b929c5..2375d2170 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/device/screen.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/device/screen.lua
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 -- Blitbuffer
 -- einkfb
diff --git a/frontend/ui/font.lua b/frontend/ui/font.lua
index 5a074258f..4870b1b85 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/font.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/font.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-require "dbg" -- for DEBUG()
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local Font = {
 	fontmap = {
diff --git a/frontend/ui/geometry.lua b/frontend/ui/geometry.lua
index 1a3609ffb..a6fb49a6c 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/geometry.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/geometry.lua
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
+
 --[[
 2D Geometry utilities
 
diff --git a/frontend/ui/gesturedetector.lua b/frontend/ui/gesturedetector.lua
index d28285415..970daaad5 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/gesturedetector.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/gesturedetector.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
 local TimeVal = require("ui/timeval")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 --[[
 Current detectable gestures:
diff --git a/frontend/ui/input.lua b/frontend/ui/input.lua
index 52cc9a355..6b9ee0c98 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/input.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/input.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ local Event = require("ui/event")
 local TimeVal = require("ui/timeval")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Dbg = require("dbg")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 -- constants from <linux/input.h>
 local EV_SYN = 0
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readercropping.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readercropping.lua
index b27eb2ac7..be64d1d78 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readercropping.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readercropping.lua
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ local HorizontalGroup = require("ui/widget/horizontalgroup")
 local BBoxWidget = require("ui/widget/bboxwidget")
 local HorizontalSpan = require("ui/widget/horizontalspan")
 local Button = require("ui/widget/button")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local PageCropDialog = VerticalGroup:new{
 	ok_text = "OK",
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerdictionary.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerdictionary.lua
index 719c6ff46..7d8cfe1e8 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerdictionary.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerdictionary.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local DictQuickLookup = require("ui/widget/dictquicklookup")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local JSON = require("JSON")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local ReaderDictionary = EventListener:new{}
 
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readergoto.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readergoto.lua
index ce58115a2..2b269388f 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readergoto.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readergoto.lua
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ local InputDialog = require("ui/widget/inputdialog")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderGoto = InputContainer:new{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerhighlight.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerhighlight.lua
index 9f5ad7506..b8247f121 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerhighlight.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerhighlight.lua
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ local Event = require("ui/event")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local ButtonTable = require("ui/widget/buttontable")
 local Input = require("ui/input")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderHighlight = InputContainer:new{}
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerpaging.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerpaging.lua
index 7016d4eb3..1bc8d9fc0 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerpaging.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerpaging.lua
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ local Device = require("ui/device")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local Math = require("optmath")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local ReaderPaging = InputContainer:new{
 	current_page = 0,
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerpanning.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerpanning.lua
index c4d56583b..8b1008c7b 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerpanning.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerpanning.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local InputContainer = require("ui/widget/container/inputcontainer")
 local Device = require("ui/device")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderPanning = InputContainer:new{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerrolling.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerrolling.lua
index 9b8f373a6..1b3b5dfc5 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerrolling.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerrolling.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ local Input = require("ui/input")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
 local GestureRange = require("ui/gesturerange")
 local ReaderPanning = require("ui/reader/readerpanning")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderRolling = InputContainer:new{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readertypeset.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readertypeset.lua
index 215b1e6cf..05c9dab8e 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readertypeset.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readertypeset.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local InputContainer = require("ui/widget/container/inputcontainer")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 -- lfs
 
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerview.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerview.lua
index 5e0b9a48e..3803143d7 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerview.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerview.lua
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ local ReaderDogear = require("ui/reader/readerdogear")
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local ReaderView = OverlapGroup:new{
 	document = nil,
diff --git a/frontend/ui/reader/readerzooming.lua b/frontend/ui/reader/readerzooming.lua
index 9f776ba74..b8d7bfc10 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/reader/readerzooming.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/reader/readerzooming.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
 local GestureRange = require("ui/gesturerange")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderZooming = InputContainer:new{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/readerui.lua b/frontend/ui/readerui.lua
index 770c592c9..80120da6d 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/readerui.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/readerui.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ local Device = require("ui/device")
 local DocSettings = require("docsettings")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ReaderView = require("ui/reader/readerview")
diff --git a/frontend/ui/rendertext.lua b/frontend/ui/rendertext.lua
index ea46fffc1..9ddb8994d 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/rendertext.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/rendertext.lua
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 local Cache = require("cache")
 local CacheItem = require("cacheitem")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 --[[
 TODO: all these functions should probably be methods on Face objects
diff --git a/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua b/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
index d7d2a1abe..ac160d8d2 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/uimanager.lua
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ local Device = require("ui/device")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Input = require("ui/input")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 -- initialize output module, this must be initialized before Input
 Screen:init()
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/bboxwidget.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/bboxwidget.lua
index 295bc906b..65fd7cff8 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/bboxwidget.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/bboxwidget.lua
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ local Event = require("ui/event")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local Device = require("ui/device")
 local GestureRange = require("ui/gesturerange")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 --[[
 BBoxWidget shows a bbox for page cropping
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/confirmbox.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/confirmbox.lua
index bed5e6322..efff673d2 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/confirmbox.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/confirmbox.lua
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local HorizontalGroup = require("ui/widget/horizontalgroup")
 local VerticalSpan = require("ui/widget/verticalspan")
 local HorizontalSpan = require("ui/widget/horizontalspan")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 -- screen
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/container/inputcontainer.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/container/inputcontainer.lua
index a7ae4925f..0ed9b9812 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/container/inputcontainer.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/container/inputcontainer.lua
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 local WidgetContainer = require("ui/widget/container/widgetcontainer")
 local Event = require("ui/event")
 local Geom = require("ui/geometry")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 --[[
 an InputContainer is an WidgetContainer that handles input events
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/dictquicklookup.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/dictquicklookup.lua
index f02fe0174..06442a0aa 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/dictquicklookup.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/dictquicklookup.lua
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local ButtonTable = require("ui/widget/buttontable")
 local Device = require("ui/device")
 local VerticalGroup = require("ui/widget/verticalgroup")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 --[[
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/toggleswitch.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/toggleswitch.lua
index 85ff147f4..20ef1b8a1 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/toggleswitch.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/toggleswitch.lua
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
 local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Device = require("ui/device")
 local GestureRange = require("ui/gesturerange")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 local _ = require("gettext")
 
 local ToggleLabel = TextWidget:new{
diff --git a/frontend/ui/widget/virtualkeyboard.lua b/frontend/ui/widget/virtualkeyboard.lua
index fc80ce751..8d16130f2 100644
--- a/frontend/ui/widget/virtualkeyboard.lua
+++ b/frontend/ui/widget/virtualkeyboard.lua
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ local Screen = require("ui/screen")
 local Device = require("ui/device")
 local GestureRange = require("ui/gesturerange")
 local UIManager = require("ui/uimanager")
+local DEBUG = require("dbg")
 
 local VirtualKey = InputContainer:new{
 	key = nil,