diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py b/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
index 6a342013b6..2fb4a68297 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/comm_kernel.py
@@ -228,11 +228,11 @@ def append_backtrace(self, record, inlined=False):
                          format(file=filename, line=line, function=function,
                                 address=formatted_address))
         else:
-            lines.append("    {}^".format(" " * (column - indentation)))
+            lines.append("    {}^".format(" " * (column - indentation - 1)))
             lines.append("    {}".format(source_line.strip() if source_line else "<unknown>"))
             lines.append("  File \"{file}\", line {line}, column {column},"
                          " in {function}{address}".
-                         format(file=filename, line=line, column=column + 1,
+                         format(file=filename, line=line, column=column,
                                 function=function, address=formatted_address))
         return lines
 
diff --git a/artiq/coredevice/core.py b/artiq/coredevice/core.py
index 6159c9c003..938c5da2c1 100644
--- a/artiq/coredevice/core.py
+++ b/artiq/coredevice/core.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 from typing import _GenericAlias, Generic, Literal, TypeVar
 
 import nac3artiq
+import nac3tools
 
 from artiq.language.core import *
 from artiq.language.core import _ConstGenericMarker
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ def close(self):
         """
         self.comm.close()
 
-    def compile(self, method, args, kwargs, embedding_map, file_output=None, target=None):
+    def compile(self, method, args, kwargs, embedding_map, file_output=None, debug_output=None, target=None):
         if target is not None:
             # NAC3TODO: subkernels
             raise NotImplementedError
@@ -264,24 +265,24 @@ def compile(self, method, args, kwargs, embedding_map, file_output=None, target=
         if file_output is None:
             return self.compiler.compile_method_to_mem(obj, name, args, embedding_map)
         else:
-            self.compiler.compile_method_to_file(obj, name, args, file_output, embedding_map)
+            self.compiler.compile_method_to_file(obj, name, args, file_output, debug_output, embedding_map)
 
     def run(self, function, args, kwargs):
         embedding_map = EmbeddingMap()
-        kernel_library = self.compile(function, args, kwargs, embedding_map)
+        kernel_library, debug_object = self.compile(function, args, kwargs, embedding_map)
 
-        self._run_compiled(kernel_library, embedding_map)
+        self._run_compiled(kernel_library, debug_object, embedding_map)
 
         # set by NAC3
         if embedding_map.expects_return:
             return embedding_map.return_value
 
-    def _run_compiled(self, kernel_library, embedding_map):
+    def _run_compiled(self, kernel_library, debug_object, embedding_map):
         if self.first_run:
             self.comm.check_system_info()
             self.first_run = False
 
-        symbolizer = lambda addresses: symbolize(kernel_library, addresses)
+        symbolizer = lambda addresses: symbolize(debug_object, addresses)
 
         self.comm.load(kernel_library)
         self.comm.run()
@@ -468,41 +469,29 @@ def symbolize(library, addresses):
     # inside the call instruction (or its delay slot), since that's what
     # the backtrace entry should point at.
     last_inlined = None
-    offset_addresses = [hex(addr - 1) for addr in addresses]
-    with RunTool(["llvm-addr2line", "--addresses",  "--functions", "--inlines",
-                  "--demangle", "--exe={library}"] + offset_addresses,
-                 library=library) \
-            as results:
-        lines = iter(results["__stdout__"].read().rstrip().split("\n"))
-        backtrace = []
-        while True:
-            try:
-                address_or_function = next(lines)
-            except StopIteration:
-                break
-            if address_or_function[:2] == "0x":
-                address  = int(address_or_function[2:], 16) + 1 # remove offset
-                function = next(lines)
-                inlined = False
-            else:
-                address  = backtrace[-1][4] # inlined
-                function = address_or_function
-                inlined = True
-            location = next(lines)
-
-            filename, line = location.rsplit(":", 1)
-            if filename == "??" or filename == "<synthesized>":
-                continue
-            if line == "?":
-                line = -1
-            else:
-                line = int(line)
-            # can't get column out of addr2line D:
-            if inlined:
-                last_inlined.append((filename, line, -1, function, address))
-            else:
-                last_inlined = []
-                backtrace.append((filename, line, -1, function, address,
-                                  last_inlined))
-        return backtrace
+    offset_addresses = [addr - 1 for addr in addresses]
+    call_records = nac3tools.symbolize(library, offset_addresses)
+    backtrace = []
+    for record in call_records:
+        address = record.address
+        inlined = False
+        if address is None:
+            address = backtrace[-1][4] # inlined
+            inlined = True
+        else:
+            address += 1
+        filename = record.file
+        dirname = record.dir
+        if dirname is not None:
+            filename = dirname + "/" + filename
+        function, line, column = record.name, record.line, record.column
+
+        if inlined:
+            last_inlined.append((filename, line, column, function, address))
+        else:
+            last_inlined = []
+            backtrace.append((filename, line, column, function, address,
+                                last_inlined))
+
+    return backtrace
 
diff --git a/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py b/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
index 1f202f8610..fa1329eb6a 100755
--- a/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
+++ b/artiq/frontend/artiq_compile.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ def get_argparser():
 
     parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", default=None,
                         help="output file")
+    parser.add_argument("-d", "--debug", default=None,
+                        help="debug file")
     parser.add_argument("file", metavar="FILE",
                         help="file containing the experiment to compile")
     parser.add_argument("arguments", metavar="ARGUMENTS",
@@ -65,7 +67,7 @@ def main():
 
             if not getattr(exp.run, "__artiq_kernel__", False):
                 raise ValueError("Experiment entry point must be a kernel")
-            exp_inst.core.compile(exp_inst.run, [], {}, embedding_map, file_output=output)
+            exp_inst.core.compile(exp_inst.run, [], {}, embedding_map, file_output=output, debug_output=args.debug)
         finally:
             dataset_db.close_db()
     finally: