diff --git a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
index eb3a0959321..16549fbbab8 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
@@ -2343,6 +2343,10 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
         return Err(incompatible_options_error(opts));
     }
 
+    if matches.contains_id(options::OUTPUT) && settings.debug {
+        return Err(incompatible_options_error("o --debug"));
+    }
+
     settings.ignore_leading_blanks = matches.get_flag(options::IGNORE_LEADING_BLANKS);
 
     settings.reverse = matches.get_flag(options::REVERSE);
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
index 5b6b7d6c2e7..13d824444c3 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
@@ -4243,3 +4243,13 @@ fn test_numeric_looking_file_names_are_kept_verbatim(
     at.touch("empty");
     ucmd.args(args).fails_with_code(2).stderr_is(expected);
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn test_debug_incompatible_with_output() {
+    let (at, mut ucmd) = at_and_ucmd!();
+    ucmd.args(&["-o", "out", "--debug"])
+        .pipe_in("b\na\n")
+        .fails_with_code(2)
+        .stderr_only("sort: options '-o --debug' are incompatible\n");
+    assert!(!at.file_exists("out"));
+}