diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 7a447fe..d853631 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1 @@
-pyelftools~=0.27
\ No newline at end of file
+pyelftools~=0.27
diff --git a/riscemu/Config.py b/riscemu/Config.py
index cc1d74f..40ee2c5 100644
--- a/riscemu/Config.py
+++ b/riscemu/Config.py
@@ -19,4 +19,5 @@ class RunConfig:
     # allowed syscalls
     scall_input: bool = True
     scall_fs: bool = False
+    verbosity: int = 0
 
diff --git a/riscemu/IO/TextIO.py b/riscemu/IO/TextIO.py
index d48d465..1a615e0 100644
--- a/riscemu/IO/TextIO.py
+++ b/riscemu/IO/TextIO.py
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import time
 
 
 def _window_loop(textIO: 'TextIO'):
-    #textIO.set_sg_window(None)
-    #return
     try:
         import PySimpleGUI as sg
 
@@ -30,10 +28,9 @@ def _window_loop(textIO: 'TextIO'):
                 col.contents_changed()
 
     except ImportError:
-        print("[TextIO] module works best with PySimpleGui!")
+        print("[TextIO] window disabled - please install PySimpleGui!")
         textIO.set_sg_window(None)
 
-
 class TextIO(IOModule):
     def __init__(self, addr: int, buflen: int = 128):
         super(TextIO, self).__init__(addr, buflen + 4)
diff --git a/riscemu/MMU.py b/riscemu/MMU.py
index 0d9c8ff..d7df4af 100644
--- a/riscemu/MMU.py
+++ b/riscemu/MMU.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
 
 from .Config import RunConfig
 from .Executable import Executable, LoadedExecutable, LoadedMemorySection, LoadedInstruction, MemoryFlags
-from .helpers import align_addr
+from .helpers import align_addr, int_from_bytes
 from .Exceptions import OutOfMemoryException, InvalidAllocationException
 from .colors import *
 from typing import Dict, List, Tuple, Optional
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ class MMU:
             raise InvalidAllocationException('Invalid size request', name, req_size, flag)
 
         if req_size > self.max_alloc_size:
-            raise InvalidAllocationException('Cannot allocate more than {} bytes at a time'.format(self.max_alloc_size), name, req_size, flag)
+            raise InvalidAllocationException('Cannot allocate more than {} bytes at a time'.format(self.max_alloc_size),
+                                             name, req_size, flag)
 
         base = align_addr(self.first_free_addr)
         size = align_addr(req_size)
@@ -203,6 +204,9 @@ class MMU:
             if symb in b.symbols:
                 print("   Found local symbol {}: 0x{:X} in {}".format(symb, b.symbols[symb], b.name))
 
+    def read_int(self, addr: int) -> int:
+        return int_from_bytes(self.read(addr, 4))
+
     def __repr__(self):
         return "MMU(\n\t{}\n)".format(
             "\n\t".join(repr(x) for x in self.sections)
diff --git a/riscemu/debug.py b/riscemu/debug.py
index d8a656d..930dcbb 100644
--- a/riscemu/debug.py
+++ b/riscemu/debug.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import typing
 from .Registers import Registers
 from .colors import FMT_DEBUG, FMT_NONE
 from .Executable import LoadedInstruction
+from .helpers import *
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
     from . import *
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ def launch_debug_session(cpu: 'CPU', mmu: 'MMU', reg: 'Registers', prompt=""):
         else:
             mmu.dump(what, *args, **kwargs)
 
+    def dump_stack(*args, **kwargs):
+        mmu.dump(regs.get('sp'), *args, **kwargs)
+
     def ins():
         print("Current instruction at 0x{:08X}:".format(cpu.pc))
         return mmu.read_ins(cpu.pc)
diff --git a/riscemu/priv/ImageLoader.py b/riscemu/priv/ImageLoader.py
index 88c8f6b..7ad924c 100644
--- a/riscemu/priv/ImageLoader.py
+++ b/riscemu/priv/ImageLoader.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from .ElfLoader import ElfInstruction, ElfLoadedMemorySection, InstructionAccess
 from ..decoder import decode
 from ..IO.IOModule import IOModule
 from .privmodes import PrivModes
-from ..colors import FMT_ERROR, FMT_NONE
+from ..colors import FMT_ERROR, FMT_NONE, FMT_MEM
 import json
 
 from functools import lru_cache
@@ -117,3 +117,10 @@ class MemoryImageMMU(PrivMMU):
             if addr >= val:
                 return "{}{:+x} ({}:{})".format(sym, addr - val, sec.owner, sec.name)
         return "{}:{}{:+x}".format(sec.owner, sec.name, addr - sec.base)
+
+    def symbol(self, symb: str):
+        print(FMT_MEM + "Looking up symbol {}".format(symb))
+        for owner, symbs in self.debug_info['symbols'].items():
+            if symb in symbs:
+                print("  Hit in {}: {} = {}".format(owner, symb, symbs[symb]))
+        print(FMT_NONE, end="")
diff --git a/riscemu/priv/PrivCPU.py b/riscemu/priv/PrivCPU.py
index 02fb648..7fec324 100644
--- a/riscemu/priv/PrivCPU.py
+++ b/riscemu/priv/PrivCPU.py
@@ -83,11 +83,7 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
             if isinstance(ex, LaunchDebuggerException):
                 self.launch_debug = True
                 self.pc += self.INS_XLEN
-            else:
-                print(FMT_ERROR + "[CPU] exception caught at 0x{:08X}: {}:".format(self.pc - 1, ins) + FMT_NONE)
-                print(ex.message())
-                if self.conf.debug_on_exception:
-                    self.launch_debug = True
+
         if self.exit:
             print()
             print(FMT_CPU + "Program exited with code {}".format(self.exit_code) + FMT_NONE)
@@ -114,7 +110,7 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
     def run(self, verbose: bool = False):
         print(FMT_CPU + '[CPU] Started running from 0x{:08X} ({})'.format(self.pc, "kernel") + FMT_NONE)
         self._time_start = time.perf_counter_ns() // self.TIME_RESOLUTION_NS
-        self._run(verbose)
+        self._run(self.conf.verbosity > 1)
 
     def _init_csr(self):
         # set up CSR
@@ -162,8 +158,6 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
     def _handle_trap(self, trap: CpuTrap):
         # implement trap handling!
         self.pending_traps.append(trap)
-        print(FMT_CPU + "Trap {} encountered at {} (0x{:x})".format(trap, self.mmu.translate_address(self.pc), self.pc) + FMT_NONE)
-
 
     def step(self, verbose=True):
         try:
@@ -178,6 +172,15 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
             self.pc += self.INS_XLEN
         except CpuTrap as trap:
             self._handle_trap(trap)
+            if trap.interrupt == 0 and not isinstance(trap, EcallTrap):
+                print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] Trap {} encountered at {} (0x{:x})".format(
+                    trap,
+                    self.mmu.translate_address(self.pc),
+                    self.pc
+                ) + FMT_NONE)
+                if self.conf.debug_on_exception:
+                    raise LaunchDebuggerException()
+            self.pc += self.INS_XLEN
 
     def _timer_step(self):
         if not self._time_interrupt_enabled:
@@ -193,7 +196,7 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
         # TODO: actually select based on the official ranking
         trap = self.pending_traps.pop()  # use the most recent trap
         if not isinstance(trap, TimerInterrupt) or True:
-            print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] [{}] taking trap {}!".format(self.cycle, trap) + FMT_NONE)
+            print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] taking trap {}!".format(trap) + FMT_NONE)
 
         if trap.priv != PrivModes.MACHINE:
             print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] Trap not targeting machine mode encountered! - undefined behaviour!" + FMT_NONE)
@@ -206,7 +209,7 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
         self.csr.set_mstatus('mpp', self.mode.value)
         self.csr.set_mstatus('mie', 0)
         self.csr.set('mcause', trap.mcause)
-        self.csr.set('mepc', self.pc)
+        self.csr.set('mepc', self.pc - self.INS_XLEN)
         self.csr.set('mtval', trap.mtval)
         self.mode = trap.priv
         mtvec = self.csr.get('mtvec')
@@ -244,4 +247,3 @@ class PrivCPU(CPU):
 
     def record_perf_profile(self):
         self._perf_counters.append((time.perf_counter_ns(), self.cycle))
-
diff --git a/riscemu/priv/PrivMMU.py b/riscemu/priv/PrivMMU.py
index 28f2ecf..798caa9 100644
--- a/riscemu/priv/PrivMMU.py
+++ b/riscemu/priv/PrivMMU.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ class PrivMMU(MMU):
     def translate_address(self, addr: int):
         return ""
 
+
 class LoadedElfMMU(PrivMMU):
     def __init__(self, elf: ElfExecutable):
         super().__init__(conf=RunConfig())
diff --git a/riscemu/priv/PrivRV32I.py b/riscemu/priv/PrivRV32I.py
index a29d336..ca91f37 100644
--- a/riscemu/priv/PrivRV32I.py
+++ b/riscemu/priv/PrivRV32I.py
@@ -79,15 +79,16 @@ class PrivRV32I(RV32I):
         mepc = self.cpu.csr.get('mepc')
         self.cpu.pc = mepc - self.cpu.INS_XLEN
 
-        sec = self.mmu.get_sec_containing(mepc)
-        if sec is not None:
-            print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] [{}] returning to mode {} in {} (0x{:x})".format(
-                self.cpu.cycle,
-                PrivModes(mpp).name,
-                self.mmu.translate_address(mepc),
-                mepc
-            ) + FMT_NONE)
-            self.regs.dump_reg_a()
+        if self.cpu.conf.verbosity > 0:
+            sec = self.mmu.get_sec_containing(mepc)
+            if sec is not None:
+                print(FMT_CPU + "[CPU] returning to mode {} in {} (0x{:x})".format(
+                    PrivModes(mpp).name,
+                    self.mmu.translate_address(mepc),
+                    mepc
+                ) + FMT_NONE)
+                if self.cpu.conf.verbosity > 1:
+                    self.regs.dump_reg_a()
 
     def instruction_uret(self, ins: 'LoadedInstruction'):
         raise IllegalInstructionTrap(ins)
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ class PrivRV32I(RV32I):
         ASSERT_LEN(ins.args, 2)
         reg = ins.get_reg(0)
         addr = ins.get_imm(1)
-        if reg == 'ra' and self.cpu.mode == PrivModes.USER:
+        if reg == 'ra' and self.cpu.mode == PrivModes.USER and self.cpu.conf.verbosity > 1:
             print(FMT_CPU + 'Jumping to {} (0x{:x})'.format(
                 self.mmu.translate_address(self.pc + addr),
                 self.pc + addr
diff --git a/riscemu/priv/__main__.py b/riscemu/priv/__main__.py
index f9d3640..36c0d13 100644
--- a/riscemu/priv/__main__.py
+++ b/riscemu/priv/__main__.py
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ from .ImageLoader import MemoryImageMMU
 from .PrivMMU import LoadedElfMMU
 from .ElfLoader import ElfExecutable
 
-from ..Tokenizer import RiscVInput
-from ..ExecutableParser import ExecutableParser
-
 import sys
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
@@ -15,8 +12,9 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
 
     parser.add_argument('--kernel', type=str, help='Kernel elf loaded with user programs', nargs='?')
     parser.add_argument('--image', type=str, help='Memory image containing kernel', nargs='?')
+    parser.add_argument('--debug-exceptions', help='Launch the interactive debugger when an exception is generated', action='store_true')
 
-    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', help="Verbose output", action='store_true')
+    parser.add_argument('-v', '--verbose', help="Verbosity level (can be used multiple times)", action='count', default=0)
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
     mmu = None
@@ -30,8 +28,8 @@ if __name__ == '__main__':
         print("You must specify one of --kernel or --image for running in privilege mode!")
         sys.exit(1)
 
-    cpu = PrivCPU(RunConfig(), mmu)
-    cpu.run(args.verbose)
+    cpu = PrivCPU(RunConfig(verbosity=args.verbose, debug_on_exception=args.debug_exceptions), mmu)
+    cpu.run()