Index: mini/mini.c
===================================================================
--- mini/mini.c	(revision 123898)
+++ mini/mini.c	(working copy)
@@ -3123,6 +3123,10 @@
 		/* The debugger needs all locals to be on the stack or in a global register */
 		cfg->disable_vreg_to_lvreg = TRUE;
 
+		/* Don't remove unused variables when running inside the debugger since the user
+		 * may still want to view them. */
+		cfg->disable_deadce_vars = TRUE;
+
 		// cfg->opt |= MONO_OPT_SHARED;
 		cfg->opt &= ~MONO_OPT_DEADCE;
 		cfg->opt &= ~MONO_OPT_INLINE;
Index: mini/mini.h
===================================================================
--- mini/mini.h	(revision 123898)
+++ mini/mini.h	(working copy)
@@ -854,6 +854,7 @@
 	guint            disable_initlocals_opt : 1;
 	guint            disable_omit_fp : 1;
 	guint            disable_vreg_to_lvreg : 1;
+	guint            disable_deadce_vars : 1;
 	guint            has_got_slots : 1;
 	guint            uses_rgctx_reg : 1;
 	guint            uses_vtable_reg : 1;
Index: mini/ChangeLog
===================================================================
--- mini/ChangeLog	(revision 123898)
+++ mini/ChangeLog	(working copy)
@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
+2009-01-21  Martin Baulig  <martin@ximian.com>
+
+	* mini.h
+	(MonoCompile): Added `disable_deadce_vars' to disable removing
+	unused variables.
+
+	* mini.c
+	(mini_method_compile): Set `cfg->disable_deadce_vars' when running
+	inside the debugger.
+
+	* liveness.c (mono_analyze_liveness): Don't remove any unused
+	variables if `cfg->disable_deadce_vars' is set.
+
 2009-01-20  Rodrigo Kumpera  <rkumpera@novell.com>
 
 	* mini-exceptions.c (mono_print_thread_dump): Add information
Index: mini/liveness.c
===================================================================
--- mini/liveness.c	(revision 123898)
+++ mini/liveness.c	(working copy)
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@
 				 * VOLATILE, since that would prevent it from being allocated to
 				 * registers.
 				 */
-				 if (!(cfg->generic_sharing_context && mono_method_signature (cfg->method)->hasthis && cfg->varinfo [vi->idx] == cfg->args [0]))
+				 if (!cfg->disable_deadce_vars && !(cfg->generic_sharing_context && mono_method_signature (cfg->method)->hasthis && cfg->varinfo [vi->idx] == cfg->args [0]))
 					 cfg->varinfo [vi->idx]->flags |= MONO_INST_IS_DEAD;
 			}
 			vi->range.first_use.abs_pos = 0;