diff --git a/debug.c b/debug.c
index 30cc38a..7be1c38 100644
--- a/debug.c
+++ b/debug.c
@@ -1121,6 +1121,37 @@ debug_save_raw(struct debug_struct* p_debug,
   util_file_close(p_file);
 }
 
+static void
+debug_save_screen(struct debug_struct* p_debug, const char* p_file_name) {
+  struct util_file* p_file;
+  struct render_struct* p_render = p_debug->p_render;
+  uint32_t* p_buffer;
+  uint32_t size;
+
+  if (!render_has_buffer(p_render)) {
+    (void) printf("no render buffer; start with -headless-render or "
+                  "-frame-cycles\n");
+    return;
+  }
+
+  p_buffer = render_get_buffer(p_render);
+  size = render_get_buffer_size(p_render);
+
+  p_file = util_file_try_open(p_file_name, 1, 1);
+  if (p_file == NULL) {
+    log_do_log(k_log_misc, k_log_warning, "cannot open file %s", p_file_name);
+    return;
+  }
+
+  util_file_write(p_file, p_buffer, size);
+  util_file_close(p_file);
+  (void) printf("saved %ux%u BGRA (%u bytes) to %s\n",
+                render_get_width(p_render),
+                render_get_height(p_render),
+                size,
+                p_file_name);
+}
+
 static void
 debug_print_registers(uint8_t reg_a,
                       uint8_t reg_x,
@@ -2357,6 +2388,8 @@ debug_callback_common(struct debug_struct* p_debug,
                (parse_hex_int3 >= 0) &&
                (parse_hex_int3 < 65536)) {
       debug_save_raw(p_debug, p_param_1_str, parse_hex_int2, parse_hex_int3);
+    } else if (!strcmp(p_command, "savescreen") && (p_param_1_str != NULL)) {
+      debug_save_screen(p_debug, p_param_1_str);
     } else if (!strcmp(p_command, "ss")) {
       state_save(p_bbc, p_param_1_str);
     } else if (!strcmp(p_command, "d")) {
@@ -2526,6 +2559,7 @@ debug_callback_common(struct debug_struct* p_debug,
   "find <a> <l> ...   : find a byte sequence, starting at <a>, length <l>\n"
   "loadmem <f> <a>    : load memory to <a> from raw file <f>\n"
   "savemem <f> <a> <l>: save memory from <a>, length <l> to raw file <f>\n"
+  "savescreen <f>     : save render buffer to raw BGRA file <f>\n"
   "sys                : show system VIA registers\n"
   "user               : show user VIA registers\n"
   "r                  : show regular registers\n"
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 9f36527..9cf4033 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ beebjit_main(void) {
   int disc_mutable_flag = 0;
   int terminal_flag = 0;
   int headless_flag = 0;
+  int headless_render_flag = 0;
   int fasttape_flag = 0;
   int convert_hfe_flag = 0;
   int convert_ssd_flag = 0;
@@ -307,6 +308,8 @@ beebjit_main(void) {
       terminal_flag = 1;
     } else if (!strcmp(arg, "-headless")) {
       headless_flag = 1;
+    } else if (!strcmp(arg, "-headless-render")) {
+      headless_render_flag = 1;
     } else if (!strcmp(arg, "-fasttape")) {
       fasttape_flag = 1;
     } else if (!strcmp(arg, "-convert-hfe")) {
@@ -394,6 +397,7 @@ beebjit_main(void) {
 "-max-frames     <m>: max frame images to save, default 1.\n"
 "-exit-on-max-frames: exit the process once max-frames is hit.\n"
 "-frames-dir     <d>: directory for frame files, default '.'.\n"
+"-headless-render   : in -headless mode, allocate a render buffer.\n"
 "-watford           : for a model B with a 1770, load Watford DDFS ROM.\n"
 "-opus              : for a model B with a 1770, load Opus DDOS ROM.\n"
 "-dfs12             : for a model B with an 8271, load newer DFS v1.2 ROM.\n"
@@ -594,7 +598,7 @@ beebjit_main(void) {
     render_set_buffer(p_render, p_render_buffer);
 
     window_handle = os_window_get_handle(p_window);
-  } else if (frame_cycles > 0) {
+  } else if ((frame_cycles > 0) || headless_render_flag) {
     /* TODO: push this down into video.c. */
     render_create_internal_buffer(p_render);
   }
diff --git a/run_functional_tests.sh b/run_functional_tests.sh
index 7e8935f..3c87deb 100755
--- a/run_functional_tests.sh
+++ b/run_functional_tests.sh
@@ -52,6 +52,38 @@ echo 'Checking RVI rendering.'
     -opt video:always-render \
     -commands "breakat 11000000;c;eval '(frame_buffer_crc32==0x2c23c1b6)||bail';q"
 
+echo 'Checking -headless-render produces matching framebuffer.'
+# This re-runs the RVI rendering scenario in headless mode with
+# -headless-render. The CRC must match the GUI-mode value above, proving
+# that headless rendering is pixel-identical to GUI rendering and that the
+# buffer allocation path triggered by -headless-render works.
+./beebjit -0 test/display/raster-c.ssd \
+    -mode jit \
+    -autoboot \
+    -fast -accurate -debug \
+    -headless -headless-render \
+    -opt video:always-render \
+    -commands "breakat 11000000;c;eval '(frame_buffer_crc32==0x2c23c1b6)||bail';q"
+
+echo 'Checking savescreen dumps render buffer to file.'
+# This runs the same scenario and uses savescreen to dump the BGRA buffer.
+# The file size must equal width * height * 4 = 768 * 640 * 4 = 1966080
+# bytes for the current render dimensions.
+TMP_BGRA=$(mktemp)
+./beebjit -0 test/display/raster-c.ssd \
+    -mode jit \
+    -autoboot \
+    -fast -accurate -debug \
+    -headless -headless-render \
+    -opt video:always-render \
+    -commands "breakat 11000000;c;savescreen $TMP_BGRA;q" > /dev/null
+SAVESCREEN_SIZE=$(wc -c < "$TMP_BGRA")
+rm -f "$TMP_BGRA"
+if [ "$SAVESCREEN_SIZE" -ne 1966080 ]; then
+    echo "savescreen file size $SAVESCREEN_SIZE != expected 1966080"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 # This checks the framebuffer looks as expected, in an RVI test case that uses
 # teletext output to implement pre-line blanking.
 ./beebjit -0 test/display/rvi-working.ssd \