The debugging of bifurcated processes allows a debugger to: (1) read and/or write process memory for the debuggee process; (2) get and/or set the thread context for the debuggee process threads; (3) control running threads of the debuggee process; and (4) handle debug events. Bifurcated processes include a shadow process whereby threads are scheduled and a corresponding work process which handles the actual work to be done by the process. The reading and writing of process memory and the getting and setting of the context is done by passing the request to the execution environment in which the work process is executing. The control of threads of the debuggee process is handled by requesting that the execution environment in which the shadow process is running perform the request. Debug events are routed to the debugger from the execution environment in which the work process is executing.