diff --git a/spec/runtime/document_spec.cc b/spec/runtime/document_spec.cc
index 069ff7b4..f7b447e9 100644
--- a/spec/runtime/document_spec.cc
+++ b/spec/runtime/document_spec.cc
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-#include "runtime/runtime_spec_helper.h"
+#include "runtime/debugger.h"
 #include "runtime/helpers/spy_debugger.h"
+#include "runtime/runtime_spec_helper.h"
 
 extern "C" const TSLanguage * ts_language_json();
 
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ describe("Document", [&]() {
 
       describe("disabling debugging", [&]() {
         before_each([&]() {
-          ts_document_debug_parse(doc, {});
+          ts_document_debug_parse(doc, ts_debugger_null());
         });
 
         it("does not call the debugger any more", [&]() {
diff --git a/src/runtime/debugger.h b/src/runtime/debugger.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2bf212d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/runtime/debugger.h
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+#ifndef RUNTIME_DEBUGGER_H_
+#define RUNTIME_DEBUGGER_H_
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+extern "C" {
+#endif
+
+#include "tree_sitter/runtime.h"
+
+static inline TSDebugger ts_debugger_null() {
+  return (TSDebugger) { .data = NULL, .debug_fn = NULL, .release_fn = NULL, };
+}
+
+#ifdef __cplusplus
+}
+#endif
+
+#endif  // RUNTIME_DEBUGGER_H_
diff --git a/src/runtime/lexer.c b/src/runtime/lexer.c
index c58338a7..ff6277ef 100644
--- a/src/runtime/lexer.c
+++ b/src/runtime/lexer.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #include "tree_sitter/parser.h"
 #include "runtime/tree.h"
 #include "runtime/length.h"
+#include "runtime/debugger.h"
 #include "utf8proc.h"
 
 static const char *empty_chunk = "";
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ static TSTree *accept(TSLexer *lexer, TSSymbol symbol, int is_hidden) {
 TSLexer ts_lexer_make() {
   TSLexer result = (TSLexer) { .advance_fn = advance,
                                .accept_fn = accept,
-                               .debugger = {},
+                               .debugger = ts_debugger_null(),
                                .chunk = NULL,
                                .chunk_start = 0,
                                .chunk_size = 0,
diff --git a/src/runtime/parser.c b/src/runtime/parser.c
index 6c6f10c2..7db9f262 100644
--- a/src/runtime/parser.c
+++ b/src/runtime/parser.c
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 #include "runtime/stack.h"
 #include "runtime/parser.h"
 #include "runtime/length.h"
+#include "runtime/debugger.h"
 
 /*
  *  Debugging
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ TSParser ts_parser_make() {
   return (TSParser) { .lexer = ts_lexer_make(),
                       .stack = ts_stack_make(),
                       .right_stack = ts_stack_make(),
-                      .debugger = (TSDebugger) {} };
+                      .debugger = ts_debugger_null() };
 }
 
 void ts_parser_destroy(TSParser *parser) {