diff --git a/common/jinja/runtime.cpp b/common/jinja/runtime.cpp
index f98cb0876f19..474129df2c4c 100644
--- a/common/jinja/runtime.cpp
+++ b/common/jinja/runtime.cpp
@@ -954,4 +954,50 @@ value keyword_argument_expression::execute_impl(context & ctx) {
     return mk_val<value_kwarg>(k, v);
 }
 
+std::string runtime::debug_dump_program(const program & prog, const std::string & src) {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
+    size_t lvl = 0;
+    context ctx;
+    ctx.src.reset(new std::string(src));
+
+    auto indent = [](size_t lvl) -> std::string {
+        return std::string(lvl * 2, ' ');
+    };
+
+    ctx.visitor = [&](bool is_leaf, statement * node, std::vector<visitor_pair> children) {
+        oss << indent(lvl) << node->type() << ":\n";
+        lvl++;
+        if (is_leaf) {
+            const auto & pos = node->pos;
+            oss << indent(lvl) << "(leaf) at " << get_line_col(src, pos) << " in source:\n";
+            std::string snippet = peak_source(src, pos);
+            string_replace_all(snippet, "\n", "\n" + indent(lvl));
+            oss << indent(lvl) << snippet << "\n";
+        } else {
+            for (auto & [label, children_vec] : children) {
+                oss << indent(lvl) << label << ":\n";
+                lvl++;
+                if (children_vec.empty()) {
+                    oss << indent(lvl) << "<empty>\n\n";
+                } else {
+                    for (auto * child : children_vec) {
+                        if (!child) {
+                            continue;
+                        }
+                        child->visit(ctx);
+                    }
+                }
+                lvl--;
+            }
+        }
+        lvl--;
+    };
+
+    for (const auto & stmt : prog.body) {
+        stmt->visit(ctx);
+    }
+
+    return oss.str();
+}
+
 } // namespace jinja
diff --git a/common/jinja/runtime.h b/common/jinja/runtime.h
index 37b4c35cac8f..0884a15922bb 100644
--- a/common/jinja/runtime.h
+++ b/common/jinja/runtime.h
@@ -47,12 +47,19 @@ const T * cast_stmt(const statement_ptr & ptr) {
 // not thread-safe
 void enable_debug(bool enable);
 
+// for visiting AST nodes
+// function signature: void(bool is_leaf, statement * node, pair of <label, children>)
+using visitor_pair = std::pair<std::string, std::vector<statement *>>;
+using visitor_fn = std::function<void(bool, statement *, std::vector<visitor_pair>)>;
+
 struct context {
     std::shared_ptr<std::string> src; // for debugging; use shared_ptr to avoid copying on scope creation
     std::time_t current_time; // for functions that need current time
 
     bool is_get_stats = false; // whether to collect stats
 
+    visitor_fn visitor;
+
     // src is optional, used for error reporting
     context(std::string src = "") : src(std::make_shared<std::string>(std::move(src))) {
         env = mk_val<value_object>();
@@ -99,6 +106,15 @@ struct context {
     value_object env;
 };
 
+// utils for visiting AST nodes
+static std::vector<statement *> stmts_to_ptr(const statements & stmts) {
+    std::vector<statement *> children;
+    for (const auto & stmt : stmts) {
+        children.push_back(stmt.get());
+    }
+    return children;
+}
+
 /**
  * Base class for all nodes in the AST.
  */
@@ -106,6 +122,7 @@ struct statement {
     size_t pos; // position in source, for debugging
     virtual ~statement() = default;
     virtual std::string type() const { return "Statement"; }
+    virtual void visit(context & ctx) { ctx.visitor(true, this, {}); }
 
     // execute_impl must be overridden by derived classes
     virtual value execute_impl(context &) { throw_exec_error(); }
@@ -166,6 +183,13 @@ struct if_statement : public statement {
 
     std::string type() const override { return "If"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"test", {test.get()}},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)},
+            {"alternate", stmts_to_ptr(alternate)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct identifier;
@@ -190,6 +214,14 @@ struct for_statement : public statement {
 
     std::string type() const override { return "For"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"loopvar", {loopvar.get()}},
+            {"iterable", {iterable.get()}},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)},
+            {"default_block", stmts_to_ptr(default_block)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct break_statement : public statement {
@@ -241,6 +273,13 @@ struct set_statement : public statement {
 
     std::string type() const override { return "Set"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"assignee", {assignee.get()}},
+            {"value", {val.get()}},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct macro_statement : public statement {
@@ -256,6 +295,13 @@ struct macro_statement : public statement {
 
     std::string type() const override { return "Macro"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"name", {name.get()}},
+            {"args", stmts_to_ptr(args)},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct comment_statement : public statement {
@@ -289,6 +335,12 @@ struct member_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "MemberExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"object", {object.get()}},
+            {"property", {property.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct call_expression : public expression {
@@ -302,6 +354,12 @@ struct call_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "CallExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"callee", {callee.get()}},
+            {"args", stmts_to_ptr(args)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -405,6 +463,12 @@ struct binary_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "BinaryExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"left", {left.get()}},
+            {"right", {right.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -431,6 +495,12 @@ struct filter_expression : public expression {
 
     std::string type() const override { return "FilterExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"operand", {operand.get()}},
+            {"filter", {filter.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct filter_statement : public statement {
@@ -443,6 +513,12 @@ struct filter_statement : public statement {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "FilterStatement"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"filter", {filter.get()}},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -468,6 +544,12 @@ struct select_expression : public expression {
         }
         return lhs->execute_impl(ctx);
     }
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"lhs", {lhs.get()}},
+            {"test", {test.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -486,6 +568,12 @@ struct test_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "TestExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"operand", {operand.get()}},
+            {"test", {test.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 /**
@@ -501,6 +589,11 @@ struct unary_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "UnaryExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"argument", {argument.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct slice_expression : public expression {
@@ -518,6 +611,13 @@ struct slice_expression : public expression {
     [[noreturn]] value execute_impl(context &) override {
         throw std::runtime_error("must be handled by MemberExpression");
     }
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"start_expr", {start_expr.get()}},
+            {"stop_expr", {stop_expr.get()}},
+            {"step_expr", {step_expr.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct keyword_argument_expression : public expression {
@@ -531,6 +631,12 @@ struct keyword_argument_expression : public expression {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "KeywordArgumentExpression"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"key", {key.get()}},
+            {"val", {val.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct spread_expression : public expression {
@@ -539,6 +645,11 @@ struct spread_expression : public expression {
         chk_type<expression>(this->argument);
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "SpreadExpression"; }
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"argument", {argument.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct call_statement : public statement {
@@ -553,6 +664,13 @@ struct call_statement : public statement {
     }
     std::string type() const override { return "CallStatement"; }
     value execute_impl(context & ctx) override;
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"call", {call.get()}},
+            {"caller_args", stmts_to_ptr(caller_args)},
+            {"body", stmts_to_ptr(body)}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct ternary_expression : public expression {
@@ -575,6 +693,13 @@ struct ternary_expression : public expression {
             return false_expr->execute(ctx);
         }
     }
+    void visit(context & ctx) override {
+        ctx.visitor(false, this, {
+            {"condition", {condition.get()}},
+            {"true_expr", {true_expr.get()}},
+            {"false_expr", {false_expr.get()}}
+        });
+    }
 };
 
 struct raised_exception : public std::exception {
@@ -648,6 +773,8 @@ struct runtime {
         }
         return parts;
     }
+
+    static std::string debug_dump_program(const program & prog, const std::string & src);
 };
 
 } // namespace jinja
diff --git a/tests/test-chat-template.cpp b/tests/test-chat-template.cpp
index d971b23746c7..6a6292cd0151 100644
--- a/tests/test-chat-template.cpp
+++ b/tests/test-chat-template.cpp
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ using json = nlohmann::ordered_json;
 static int main_automated_tests(void);
 
 static void run_multiple(const std::string& dir_path, bool stop_on_first_failure, const json& input, bool use_common = false);
-static void run_single(const std::string& contents, json input, bool use_common = false, const std::string & output_path = "");
+static void run_single(const std::string& contents, json input, bool use_common = false, bool dump_prog = false, const std::string & output_path = "");
 
 static std::string HELP = R"(
 Usage: test-chat-template [OPTIONS] PATH_TO_TEMPLATE
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ Usage: test-chat-template [OPTIONS] PATH_TO_TEMPLATE
   --json <path>            Path to the JSON input file.
   --stop-on-first-fail     Stop testing on the first failure (default: false).
   --no-common              Use direct Jinja engine instead of common chat templates (default: use common).
+  --dump-prog              Dump the parsed program for debugging (only for single template runs).
   --output <path>          Path to output results (only for single template runs).
 If PATH_TO_TEMPLATE is a file, runs that single template.
 If PATH_TO_TEMPLATE is a directory, runs all .jinja files in that directory.
@@ -118,6 +119,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
     std::string & json_to_use = DEFAULT_JSON;
     bool stop_on_first_fail = false;
     bool use_common = true;
+    bool dump_prog = false;
 
     for (size_t i = 1; i < args.size(); i++) {
         if (args[i] == "--help" || args[i] == "-h") {
@@ -136,6 +138,8 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
             i++;
         } else if (args[i] == "--no-common") {
             use_common = false;
+        } else if (args[i] == "--dump-prog") {
+            dump_prog = true;
         } else if (tmpl_path.empty()) {
             tmpl_path = args[i];
         } else {
@@ -172,7 +176,7 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
         std::string contents = std::string(
             std::istreambuf_iterator<char>(infile),
             std::istreambuf_iterator<char>());
-        run_single(contents, input_json, use_common, output_path);
+        run_single(contents, input_json, use_common, dump_prog, output_path);
     } else {
         std::cerr << "Error: PATH_TO_TEMPLATE is not a valid file or directory: " << tmpl_path << "\n";
         return 1;
@@ -276,11 +280,21 @@ static jinja::value_string format_using_direct_engine(
 }
 
 
-void run_single(const std::string& contents, json input, bool use_common, const std::string & output_path) {
+void run_single(const std::string& contents, json input, bool use_common, bool dump_prog, const std::string & output_path) {
     jinja::enable_debug(true);
 
     jinja::value_string output_parts;
 
+    if (dump_prog) {
+        jinja::lexer lexer;
+        auto lexer_res = lexer.tokenize(contents);
+        jinja::program ast = jinja::parse_from_tokens(lexer_res);
+        std::string prog_dump = jinja::runtime::debug_dump_program(ast, contents);
+        std::cout << "\n=== DUMPED PROGRAM ===\n";
+        std::cout << prog_dump << "\n";
+        return;
+    }
+
     if (use_common) {
         std::string bos_token = "<s>";
         std::string eos_token = "</s>";