diff --git a/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.c b/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.c
index 3b9c1a3ef46..c957cf64361 100644
--- a/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.c
+++ b/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.c
@@ -91,17 +91,10 @@ static void debug_comment_exit(running_machine &machine);
                          loads any existing comment file
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------*/
 
-int debug_comment_init(running_machine *machine)
+int debug_comment_init(device_t &device, device_debug &devdebug)
 {
 	/* allocate memory for the comments */
-	device_disasm_interface *disasm;
-	for (device_t *device = machine->m_devicelist.first(); device != NULL; device = device->next())
-		if (device->interface(disasm))
-			device->debug()->m_comments = auto_alloc_clear(machine, debug_cpu_comment_group);
-
-	/* automatically load em up */
-	debug_comment_load(machine);
-	machine->add_notifier(MACHINE_NOTIFY_EXIT, debug_comment_exit);
+	devdebug.m_comments = auto_alloc_clear(device.machine, debug_cpu_comment_group);
 	return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.h b/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.h
index 1e3e63e1ae0..1214fbb4be4 100644
--- a/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.h
+++ b/src/emu/debug/debugcmt.h
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 #define DEBUG_COMMENT_MAX_NUM (0x10000)		/* 64k comments should be good for awhile */
 
 /* init and exit */
-int debug_comment_init(running_machine *machine);
+int debug_comment_init(device_t &device, device_debug &devdebug);
 
 /* load and save */
 int debug_comment_save(running_machine *machine);
diff --git a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
index 9b8b658f8f2..8f413f7ae03 100644
--- a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
+++ b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.c
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ struct _debugcpu_private
 	UINT64			tempvar[NUM_TEMP_VARIABLES];
 
 	osd_ticks_t 	last_periodic_update_time;
+
+	bool			comments_loaded;
 };
 
 
@@ -184,10 +186,6 @@ void debug_cpu_init(running_machine *machine)
 		symtable_add_register(global->symtable, symname, &global->tempvar[regnum], get_tempvar, set_tempvar);
 	}
 
-	/* loop over devices and build up their info */
-	for (device_t *device = machine->m_devicelist.first(); device != NULL; device = device->next())
-		device->set_debug(*auto_alloc(machine, device_debug(*device, global->symtable)));
-
 	/* first CPU is visible by default */
 	global->visiblecpu = machine->firstcpu;
 
@@ -1562,14 +1560,14 @@ static UINT64 get_cpunum(void *globalref, void *ref)
 //  device_debug - constructor
 //-------------------------------------------------
 
-device_debug::device_debug(device_t &device, symbol_table *globalsyms)
+device_debug::device_debug(device_t &device)
 	: m_device(device),
 	  m_exec(NULL),
 	  m_memory(NULL),
 	  m_state(NULL),
 	  m_disasm(NULL),
 	  m_flags(0),
-	  m_symtable(symtable_alloc(globalsyms, (void *)&device)),
+	  m_symtable(symtable_alloc(debug_cpu_get_global_symtable(device.machine), (void *)&device)),
 	  m_instrhook(NULL),
 	  m_dasm_override(NULL),
 	  m_opwidth(0),
@@ -1631,6 +1629,10 @@ device_debug::device_debug(device_t &device, symbol_table *globalsyms)
 		if (m_state != NULL && symtable_find(m_symtable, "curpc") == NULL)
 			symtable_add_register(m_symtable, "curpc", NULL, get_current_pc, 0);
 	}
+	
+	// initialize coments
+	if (m_disasm != NULL)
+		debug_comment_init(device, *this);
 }
 
 
@@ -1843,6 +1845,13 @@ void device_debug::instruction_hook(offs_t curpc)
 	if (global->execution_state == EXECUTION_STATE_STOPPED)
 	{
 		int firststop = true;
+		
+		// load comments if we haven't yet
+		if (!global->comments_loaded)
+		{
+			debug_comment_load(m_device.machine);
+			global->comments_loaded = true;
+		}
 
 		// reset any transient state
 		reset_transient_flags(*m_device.machine);
diff --git a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.h b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.h
index 4598afbdde4..6bf2196b910 100644
--- a/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.h
+++ b/src/emu/debug/debugcpu.h
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public:
 
 public:
 	// construction/destruction
-	device_debug(device_t &device, symbol_table *globalsyms);
+	device_debug(device_t &device);
 	~device_debug();
 
 	// getters
diff --git a/src/emu/debugger.c b/src/emu/debugger.c
index f04f20c26aa..5e6c4d86d0e 100644
--- a/src/emu/debugger.c
+++ b/src/emu/debugger.c
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ void debugger_init(running_machine *machine)
 		debug_cpu_init(machine);
 		debug_command_init(machine);
 		debug_console_init(machine);
-		debug_comment_init(machine);
 
 		/* always initialize the internal render debugger */
 		debugint_init(machine);
diff --git a/src/emu/devintrf.c b/src/emu/devintrf.c
index 557cf628426..8876c983ff3 100644
--- a/src/emu/devintrf.c
+++ b/src/emu/devintrf.c
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 ***************************************************************************/
 
 #include "emu.h"
+#include "debug/debugcpu.h"
 
 
 
@@ -726,6 +727,10 @@ void device_t::start()
 
 	// force an update of the clock
 	notify_clock_changed();
+	
+	// if we're debugging, create a device_debug object
+	if ((m_machine.debug_flags & DEBUG_FLAG_ENABLED) != 0)
+		m_debug = auto_alloc(&m_machine, device_debug(*this));
 
 	// register our save states
 	state_save_register_device_item(this, 0, m_clock);
diff --git a/src/emu/devintrf.h b/src/emu/devintrf.h
index 9ec09ea9186..fa9444051b8 100644
--- a/src/emu/devintrf.h
+++ b/src/emu/devintrf.h
@@ -387,7 +387,6 @@ public:
 
 	// debugging
 	device_debug *debug() const { return m_debug; }
-	void set_debug(device_debug &debug) { m_debug = &debug; }
 
 	// basic information getters ... pass through to underlying config
 	device_type type() const { return m_baseconfig.type(); }