diff --git a/collects/gui-debugger/debug-tool.rkt b/collects/gui-debugger/debug-tool.rkt
index f75c0d4af9..9bef7cbbb5 100644
--- a/collects/gui-debugger/debug-tool.rkt
+++ b/collects/gui-debugger/debug-tool.rkt
@@ -1337,7 +1337,7 @@
                               (when (and paragraph expr)
                                 (send (get-current-tab) move-to-frame paragraph))]
                              [else (void)]))))))
-          (set! variables-text (new text% [auto-wrap #t]))
+          (set! variables-text (new text% [auto-wrap #f]))
           (let ([stack-frames-panel (make-object vertical-panel% stack-view-panel)])
             (new message% [parent stack-frames-panel] [label "Stack"])
             (new editor-canvas% [parent stack-frames-panel] [editor stack-frames] [style '(no-hscroll)]))
diff --git a/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt b/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
index 853190d704..ff2178fc16 100644
--- a/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
+++ b/doc/release-notes/drracket/HISTORY.txt
@@ -9,6 +9,10 @@
   . Check Syntax now shows the blue boxes from the 
     documentation in the definitions window
 
+  . Change the "Variables" pane of the debugger so that it does not do
+    word-wrapping (this avoids some performance problems when very
+    large values are rendered there)
+
 ------------------------------
        Version 5.3
 ------------------------------