diff --git a/visidata/errors.py b/visidata/errors.py
index a96cc16a2..59630d308 100644
--- a/visidata/errors.py
+++ b/visidata/errors.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from visidata import vd, VisiData
 
 vd.option('debug', False, 'exit on error and display stacktrace')
+vd.option('debug_stacktrace_full', False, 'for exceptions, show callstack levels above the catch')
 
 
 class ExpectedException(Exception):
@@ -11,11 +12,19 @@ class ExpectedException(Exception):
 
 
 def stacktrace(e=None):
+    '''if options.debug_stacktrace_full is True, display all callstack
+    levels above the level where the exception was caught, in addition
+    to the standard exception.'''
     if not e:
-        return traceback.format_exc().strip().splitlines()
+        if vd.options.debug_stacktrace_full:
+            trim_levels = 3   # calling function -> stacktrace() -> format_stack()
+            stack = ''.join(traceback.format_stack()).strip().splitlines()
+            trace_above = stack[:-2*trim_levels]
+        else:
+            trace_above = []
+        return trace_above + traceback.format_exc().strip().splitlines()
     return traceback.format_exception_only(type(e), e)
 
-
 @VisiData.api
 def exceptionCaught(vd, exc=None, status=True, **kwargs):
     'Add *exc* to list of last errors and add to status history.  Show on left status bar if *status* is True.  Reraise exception if options.debug is True.'