diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 716d2a0..5643bb7 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 ## Unreleased
 
 -   added workaround for [this issue](https://github.com/mosra/m.css/issues/239) introduced in Doxygen 1.9.7
+-   made `--bug-report` keep a copy of the original (pre-pre-processed?) XML
 -   updated m.css
 
 ## v0.18.0 - 2024-08-03
diff --git a/src/poxy/main.py b/src/poxy/main.py
index cdd70ea..d97a81b 100644
--- a/src/poxy/main.py
+++ b/src/poxy/main.py
@@ -329,7 +329,11 @@ def cleanup():
 
 
 def bug_report(args: argparse.Namespace):
-    bug_report_args = [arg for arg in sys.argv[1:] if arg not in (r'--bug-report', r'--worker', r'-v', r'--verbose')]
+    bug_report_args = [
+        arg
+        for arg in sys.argv[1:]
+        if arg not in (r'--bug-report', r'--worker', r'-v', r'--verbose', r'--keep-original-xml')
+    ]
     for key in (r'--output-dir', r'--temp-dir', r'--copy-config-to'):
         pos = -1
         try:
@@ -357,6 +361,7 @@ def bug_report(args: argparse.Namespace):
             r'--worker',
             r'--verbose',
             r'--nocleanup',
+            r'--keep-original-xml',
             r'--output-dir',
             str(paths.BUG_REPORT_DIR),
             r'--temp-dir',
@@ -520,6 +525,7 @@ def main(invoker=True):
     args.add_argument(r'--temp-dir', type=Path, default=None, help=argparse.SUPPRESS)  #
     args.add_argument(r'--copy-config-to', type=Path, default=None, help=argparse.SUPPRESS)  #
     args.add_argument(r'--versions-in-navbar', action=r'store_true', help=argparse.SUPPRESS)  #
+    args.add_argument(r'--keep-original-xml', action=r'store_true', help=argparse.SUPPRESS)  #
     args = args.parse_args()
 
     # --------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -632,6 +638,7 @@ def main(invoker=True):
             temp_dir=args.temp_dir,
             copy_config_to=args.copy_config_to,
             versions_in_navbar=args.versions_in_navbar,
+            keep_original_xml=args.keep_original_xml,
             # kwargs:
             xml_v2=args.xml_v2,
         )
diff --git a/src/poxy/project.py b/src/poxy/project.py
index 00848fb..669fbc2 100644
--- a/src/poxy/project.py
+++ b/src/poxy/project.py
@@ -1286,8 +1286,11 @@ def __init__(
 
             # temp xml output path used by doxygen
             self.temp_xml_dir = Path(self.temp_dir, r'xml')
+            self.temp_original_xml_dir = Path(self.temp_dir, r'xml_original')
             self.verbose_value(r'Context.temp_xml_dir', self.temp_xml_dir)
+            self.verbose_value(r'Context.temp_original_xml_dir', self.temp_original_xml_dir)
             assert self.temp_xml_dir.is_absolute()
+            assert self.temp_original_xml_dir.is_absolute()
 
             # xml output path (--xml)
             self.xml_dir = Path(self.output_dir, r'xml')
diff --git a/src/poxy/run.py b/src/poxy/run.py
index 432b2b4..b5031cb 100644
--- a/src/poxy/run.py
+++ b/src/poxy/run.py
@@ -1172,11 +1172,13 @@ def extract_types_from_tagfile_node(node):
     context.verbose_object(r'Context.code_blocks', context.code_blocks)
 
 
-def clean_xml(context: Context):
+def clean_xml(context: Context, dir=None):
     assert context is not None
     assert isinstance(context, Context)
+    if dir is None:
+        dir = context.temp_xml_dir
 
-    xml_files = get_all_files(context.temp_xml_dir, any=(r'*.xml'))
+    xml_files = get_all_files(dir, any=(r'*.xml'))
     for xml_file in xml_files:
         root = xml_utils.read(
             xml_file, parser=xml_utils.create_parser(remove_blank_text=True), logger=context.verbose_logger  #
@@ -1738,6 +1740,7 @@ def run(
     temp_dir: Path = None,
     copy_config_to: Path = None,
     versions_in_navbar: bool = False,
+    keep_original_xml: bool = False,
     **kwargs,
 ):
     timer = lambda desc: ScopeTimer(desc, print_start=True, print_end=context.verbose_logger)
@@ -1771,7 +1774,11 @@ def run(
         # generate + postprocess XML in temp_xml_dir
         # (we always do this even when output_xml is false because it is required by the html)
         with timer(rf'Generating XML files with Doxygen {doxygen.version_string()}') as t:
+            delete_directory(context.temp_original_xml_dir)
             run_doxygen(context)
+            if keep_original_xml:
+                copy_tree(str(context.temp_xml_dir), str(context.temp_original_xml_dir))
+                clean_xml(context, dir=context.temp_original_xml_dir)
         with timer(r'Post-processing XML files') as t:
             if context.xml_v2:
                 postprocess_xml_v2(context)