diff --git a/lib/spack/llnl/util/lang.py b/lib/spack/llnl/util/lang.py
index de5fdc52f13432779cfa74270a9827273578b285..edba6e38e19e35d739d00da074bb3278a354207b 100644
--- a/lib/spack/llnl/util/lang.py
+++ b/lib/spack/llnl/util/lang.py
@@ -555,6 +555,9 @@ def instance(self):
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         return getattr(self.instance, name)
 
+    def __getitem__(self, name):
+        return self.instance[name]
+
     def __str__(self):
         return str(self.instance)
 
@@ -571,6 +574,9 @@ def __init__(self, ref_function):
     def __getattr__(self, name):
         return getattr(self.ref_function(), name)
 
+    def __getitem__(self, name):
+        return self.ref_function()[name]
+
     def __str__(self):
         return str(self.ref_function())
 
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/debug.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/debug.py
index 2a85be8a00fbe86081f4a81402a8008ed5b4bf2c..7fcbfa42126b3f6de231cb68c732881d409be2d9 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/debug.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/debug.py
@@ -76,14 +76,14 @@ def create_db_tarball(args):
     tarball_name = "spack-db.%s.tar.gz" % _debug_tarball_suffix()
     tarball_path = os.path.abspath(tarball_name)
 
-    base = os.path.basename(spack.store.root)
+    base = os.path.basename(str(spack.store.root))
     transform_args = []
     if 'GNU' in tar('--version', output=str):
         transform_args = ['--transform', 's/^%s/%s/' % (base, tarball_name)]
     else:
         transform_args = ['-s', '/^%s/%s/' % (base, tarball_name)]
 
-    wd = os.path.dirname(spack.store.root)
+    wd = os.path.dirname(str(spack.store.root))
     with working_dir(wd):
         files = [spack.store.db._index_path]
         files += glob('%s/*/*/*/.spack/spec.yaml' % base)
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/debug.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/debug.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..76c81eb5a5ea112c79a813c006f268d0b359ce17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/debug.py
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+##############################################################################
+# Copyright (c) 2013-2018, Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC.
+# Produced at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
+#
+# This file is part of Spack.
+# Created by Todd Gamblin, tgamblin@llnl.gov, All rights reserved.
+# LLNL-CODE-647188
+#
+# For details, see https://github.com/spack/spack
+# Please also see the NOTICE and LICENSE files for our notice and the LGPL.
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (as
+# published by the Free Software Foundation) version 2.1, February 1999.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
+# WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the IMPLIED WARRANTY OF
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the terms and
+# conditions of the GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+# License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
+# Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
+##############################################################################
+import os
+import os.path
+
+from spack.main import SpackCommand
+from spack.util.executable import which
+
+debug = SpackCommand('debug')
+
+
+def test_create_db_tarball(tmpdir, database):
+    with tmpdir.as_cwd():
+        debug('create-db-tarball')
+
+        files = os.listdir(os.getcwd())
+        tarball_name = files[0]
+
+        # debug command made an archive
+        assert os.path.exists(tarball_name)
+
+        # print contents of archive
+        tar = which('tar')
+        contents = tar('tzf', tarball_name, output=str)
+
+        # DB file is included
+        assert 'index.json' in contents
+
+        # spec.yamls from all installs are included
+        for spec in database.query():
+            # externals won't have a spec.yaml
+            if spec.external:
+                continue
+
+            spec_suffix = '%s/.spack/spec.yaml' % spec.dag_hash()
+            assert spec_suffix in contents