diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 918b4848..44e5e2ba 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -1564,18 +1564,23 @@ const core = __importStar(__nccwpck_require__(2186));
 class State {
     constructor() {
         this.processedIssuesIDs = new Set();
+        this.debug = core.getInput('debug-only') === 'true';
     }
     isIssueProcessed(issue) {
         return this.processedIssuesIDs.has(issue.number);
     }
     addIssueToProcessed(issue) {
-        this.processedIssuesIDs.add(issue.number);
+        if (!this.debug)
+            this.processedIssuesIDs.add(issue.number);
     }
     reset() {
-        this.processedIssuesIDs.clear();
+        if (!this.debug)
+            this.processedIssuesIDs.clear();
     }
     persist() {
         return __awaiter(this, void 0, void 0, function* () {
+            if (this.debug)
+                return;
             const serialized = Array.from(this.processedIssuesIDs).join('|');
             const tmpDir = os_1.default.tmpdir();
             const file = path_1.default.join(tmpDir, crypto_1.default.randomBytes(8).readBigUInt64LE(0).toString());
diff --git a/src/classes/state.ts b/src/classes/state.ts
index 2f42d772..e0d86d88 100644
--- a/src/classes/state.ts
+++ b/src/classes/state.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,13 @@ import * as core from '@actions/core';
 type IssueID = number;
 export class State implements IState {
   private processedIssuesIDs: Set<IssueID>;
+  /**
+   * @private don't mutate in the debug mode
+   */
+  private readonly debug: boolean;
   constructor() {
     this.processedIssuesIDs = new Set();
+    this.debug = core.getInput('debug-only') === 'true';
   }
 
   isIssueProcessed(issue: Issue) {
@@ -19,15 +24,17 @@ export class State implements IState {
   }
 
   addIssueToProcessed(issue: Issue) {
-    this.processedIssuesIDs.add(issue.number);
+    if (!this.debug) this.processedIssuesIDs.add(issue.number);
   }
 
   reset() {
-    this.processedIssuesIDs.clear();
+    if (!this.debug) this.processedIssuesIDs.clear();
   }
 
   private static readonly ARTIFACT_NAME = '_stale_state';
   async persist() {
+    if (this.debug) return;
+
     const serialized = Array.from(this.processedIssuesIDs).join('|');
 
     const tmpDir = os.tmpdir();