diff --git a/ipykernel/ipkernel.py b/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
index 7b600a2bf..3bbf92aff 100644
--- a/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
+++ b/ipykernel/ipkernel.py
@@ -13,12 +13,13 @@
 from IPython.utils.tokenutil import token_at_cursor, line_at_cursor
 from tornado import gen
 from traitlets import Instance, Type, Any, List, Bool, observe, observe_compat
+from zmq.eventloop.zmqstream import ZMQStream
 
 from .comm import CommManager
 from .kernelbase import Kernel as KernelBase
 from .zmqshell import ZMQInteractiveShell
 from .eventloops import _use_appnope
-
+from .debugger import Debugger
 from .compiler import XCachingCompiler
 
 try:
@@ -44,6 +45,8 @@ class IPythonKernel(KernelBase):
         help="Set this flag to False to deactivate the use of experimental IPython completion APIs.",
     ).tag(config=True)
 
+    debugpy_stream = Instance(ZMQStream, allow_none=True)
+
     user_module = Any()
     @observe('user_module')
     @observe_compat
@@ -67,6 +70,13 @@ def _user_ns_changed(self, change):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         super(IPythonKernel, self).__init__(**kwargs)
 
+        # Initialize the Debugger
+        self.debugger = Debugger(self.log,
+                                 self.debugpy_stream,
+                                 self._publish_debug_event,
+                                 self.debug_shell_socket,
+                                 self.session)
+
         # Initialize the InteractiveShell subclass
         self.shell = self.shell_class.instance(parent=self,
             profile_dir = self.profile_dir,
@@ -140,12 +150,20 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         'file_extension': '.py'
     }
 
+    @gen.coroutine
+    def dispatch_debugpy(self, msg):
+        # The first frame is the socket id, we can drop it
+        frame = msg[1].bytes.decode('utf-8')
+        self.log.debug("Debugpy received: %s", frame)
+        self.debugger.tcp_client.receive_dap_frame(frame)
+
     @property
     def banner(self):
         return self.shell.banner
 
     def start(self):
         self.shell.exit_now = False
+        self.debugpy_stream.on_recv(self.dispatch_debugpy, copy=False)
         super(IPythonKernel, self).start()
 
     def set_parent(self, ident, parent, channel='shell'):
@@ -381,6 +399,10 @@ def do_complete(self, code, cursor_pos):
                 'metadata' : {},
                 'status' : 'ok'}
 
+    @gen.coroutine
+    def do_debug_request(self, msg):
+        return (yield self.debugger.process_request(msg))
+
     def _experimental_do_complete(self, code, cursor_pos):
         """
         Experimental completions from IPython, using Jedi.
diff --git a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
index 7b2917d23..3f12dc558 100644
--- a/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
+++ b/ipykernel/kernelbase.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import time
 import uuid
 import warnings
-import asyncio
 
 try:
     # jupyter_client >= 5, use tz-aware now
@@ -40,7 +39,6 @@
 
 from ._version import kernel_protocol_version
 
-from .debugger import Debugger
 
 class Kernel(SingletonConfigurable):
 
@@ -71,7 +69,6 @@ def shell_streams(self):
         return [shell_stream]
 
     control_stream = Instance(ZMQStream, allow_none=True)
-    debugpy_stream = Instance(ZMQStream, allow_none=True)
 
     debug_shell_socket = Any()
 
@@ -180,23 +177,10 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         for msg_type in self.control_msg_types:
             self.control_handlers[msg_type] = getattr(self, msg_type)
 
-        self.debugger = Debugger(self.log,
-                                 self.debugpy_stream,
-                                 self._publish_debug_event,
-                                 self.debug_shell_socket,
-                                 self.session)
-
         self.control_queue = Queue()
         if 'control_thread' in kwargs:
             kwargs['control_thread'].io_loop.add_callback(self.poll_control_queue)
 
-    @gen.coroutine
-    def dispatch_debugpy(self, msg):
-        # The first frame is the socket id, we can drop it
-        frame = msg[1].bytes.decode('utf-8')
-        self.log.debug("Debugpy received: %s", frame)
-        self.debugger.tcp_client.receive_dap_frame(frame)
-
     @gen.coroutine
     def dispatch_control(self, msg):
         self.control_queue.put_nowait(msg)
@@ -440,7 +424,6 @@ def start(self):
         self.io_loop.add_callback(self.dispatch_queue)
 
         self.control_stream.on_recv(self.dispatch_control, copy=False)
-        self.debugpy_stream.on_recv(self.dispatch_debugpy, copy=False)
 
         self.shell_stream.on_recv(
             partial(
@@ -752,7 +735,7 @@ def debug_request(self, stream, ident, parent):
 
     @gen.coroutine
     def do_debug_request(self, msg):
-        return (yield self.debugger.process_request(msg))
+        raise NotImplementedError
 
     #---------------------------------------------------------------------------
     # Engine methods (DEPRECATED)