diff --git a/tools/vscode/generate_debug_config.py b/tools/vscode/generate_debug_config.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..ec5f6dc6cb83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/vscode/generate_debug_config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+
+import argparse
+import json
+import os
+import pathlib
+import shlex
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+
+BAZEL_OPTIONS = shlex.split(os.environ.get("BAZEL_BUILD_OPTION_LIST", ""))
+BAZEL_STARTUP_OPTIONS = shlex.split(os.environ.get("BAZEL_STARTUP_OPTION_LIST", ""))
+
+
+def bazel_info(name, bazel_extra_options=[]):
+    return subprocess.check_output(["/usr/local/bin/bazel", *BAZEL_STARTUP_OPTIONS, "info", name] + BAZEL_OPTIONS
+                                   + bazel_extra_options).decode().strip()
+
+
+def get_workspace():
+    return bazel_info("workspace")
+
+
+def get_execution_root(workspace):
+    # If compilation database exists, use its execution root, this allows setting
+    # breakpoints with clangd navigation easier.
+    try:
+        compdb = pathlib.Path(workspace, "compile_commands.json").read_text()
+        return json.loads(compdb)[0]['directory']
+    except:
+        return bazel_info("execution_root")
+
+
+def binary_path(bazel_bin, target):
+    return pathlib.Path(
+        bazel_bin,
+        *[s for s in target.replace('@', 'external/').replace(':', '/').split('/') if s != ''])
+
+
+def build_binary_with_debug_info(target):
+    targets = [target, target + ".dwp"]
+    subprocess.check_call(["/usr/local/bin/bazel", *BAZEL_STARTUP_OPTIONS, "build", "--verbose_failures", "--copt", "-DENVOY_IGNORE_GLIBCXX_USE_CXX11_ABI_ERROR=1", "-s", "-c", "dbg"] + BAZEL_OPTIONS
+                          + targets)
+
+    bazel_bin = bazel_info("bazel-bin", ["-c", "dbg"])
+    return binary_path(bazel_bin, target)
+
+
+def get_launch_json(workspace):
+    try:
+        return json.loads(pathlib.Path(workspace, ".vscode", "launch.json").read_text())
+    except:
+        return {"version": "0.2.0"}
+
+
+def write_launch_json(workspace, launch):
+    launch_json = pathlib.Path(workspace, ".vscode", "launch.json")
+    backup_launch_json = pathlib.Path(workspace, ".vscode", "launch.json.bak")
+    if launch_json.exists():
+        shutil.move(str(launch_json), str(backup_launch_json))
+
+    launch_json.write_text(json.dumps(launch, indent=4))
+
+
+def gdb_config(target, binary, workspace, execroot, arguments):
+    return {
+        "name": "gdb " + target,
+        "request": "launch",
+        "arguments": arguments,
+        "type": "gdb",
+        "target": str(binary),
+        "debugger_args": ["--directory=" + execroot],
+        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+        "valuesFormatting": "disabled"
+    }
+
+
+def lldb_config(target, binary, workspace, execroot, arguments):
+    return {
+        "name": "lldb " + target,
+        "program": str(binary),
+        "sourceMap": {
+            "/proc/self/cwd": workspace,
+            "/proc/self/cwd/external": execroot + "/external",
+            "/proc/self/cwd/bazel-out": execroot + "/bazel-out"
+        },
+        "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
+        "args": shlex.split(arguments),
+        "type": "lldb",
+        "request": "launch"
+    }
+
+
+def add_to_launch_json(target, binary, workspace, execroot, arguments, debugger_type, overwrite):
+    launch = get_launch_json(workspace)
+    new_config = {}
+    always_overwritten_fields = []
+    if debugger_type == "lldb":
+        always_overwritten_fields = ["program", "sourceMap", "cwd", "type", "request"]
+        new_config = lldb_config(target, binary, workspace, execroot, arguments)
+    else:
+        always_overwritten_fields = [
+            "request", "type", "target", "debugger_args", "cwd", "valuesFormatting"
+        ]
+        new_config = gdb_config(target, binary, workspace, execroot, arguments)
+
+    configurations = launch.get("configurations", [])
+    for config in configurations:
+        if config.get("name", None) == new_config["name"]:
+            if overwrite:
+                config.clear()
+                config.update(new_config)
+            else:
+                for k in always_overwritten_fields:
+                    config[k] = new_config[k]
+                print(
+                    f"old config exists, only {always_overwritten_fields} will be updated, use --overwrite to recreate config"
+                )
+            break
+    else:
+        configurations.append(new_config)
+
+    launch["configurations"] = configurations
+    write_launch_json(workspace, launch)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Build and generate launch config for VSCode')
+    parser.add_argument('--debugger', default="gdb", help="debugger type, one of [gdb, lldb]")
+    parser.add_argument('--args', default='', help="command line arguments if target binary")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--overwrite',
+        action="store_true",
+        help="recreate config without preserving any existing config")
+    parser.add_argument('target', help="target binary which you want to build")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    workspace = get_workspace()
+    execution_root = get_execution_root(workspace)
+    debug_binary = build_binary_with_debug_info(args.target)
+    add_to_launch_json(
+        args.target, debug_binary, workspace, execution_root, args.args, args.debugger,
+        args.overwrite)
+
+# export CC=/usr/local/bin/clang
+# export CXX=/usr/local/bin/clang++
+# python3 tools/vscode/generate_debug_config.py //source/exe:envoy-static  --debugger gdb --args "-c examples/xds/bootstrap-ads.yaml --drain-time-s 1 -l trace --service-node sidecar~172.17.0.118~envoy.istio-system~istio-system.svc.cluster.local --service-cluster mockAdapter1 --log-path `pwd`/`date +%Y%m%d%H%M`_envoy-consul-istio.log"
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