--- a/graal/com.oracle.graal.compiler/src/com/oracle/graal/compiler/GraalDebugConfig.java	Wed Jan 21 10:20:41 2015 -0800
+++ b/graal/com.oracle.graal.compiler/src/com/oracle/graal/compiler/GraalDebugConfig.java	Wed Jan 21 11:00:48 2015 -0800
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@
     public static final OptionValue<String> Log = new OptionValue<>(null);
     @Option(help = "Pattern for filtering debug scope output based on method context (see MethodFilter)", type = OptionType.Debug)
     public static final OptionValue<String> MethodFilter = new OptionValue<>(null);
+    @Option(help = "Only check MethodFilter against the root method in the context if true, otherwise check all methods", type = OptionType.Debug)
+    public static final OptionValue<Boolean> MethodFilterRootOnly = new OptionValue<>(false);
+
     @Option(help = "How to print metric and timing values:%n" +
                    "Name - aggregate by unqualified name%n" +
                    "Partial - aggregate by partially qualified name (e.g., A.B.C.D.Counter and X.Y.Z.D.Counter will be merged to D.Counter)%n" +
@@ -205,18 +208,31 @@
         if (methodFilter == null && extraFilters.isEmpty()) {
             return true;
         } else {
+            JavaMethod lastMethod = null;
             for (Object o : Debug.context()) {
                 if (extraFilters.contains(o)) {
                     return true;
                 } else if (methodFilter != null) {
                     JavaMethod method = asJavaMethod(o);
                     if (method != null) {
-                        if (com.oracle.graal.compiler.MethodFilter.matches(methodFilter, method)) {
-                            return true;
+                        if (!MethodFilterRootOnly.getValue()) {
+                            if (com.oracle.graal.compiler.MethodFilter.matches(methodFilter, method)) {
+                                return true;
+                            }
+                        } else {
+                            /*
+                             * The context values operate as a stack so if we want MethodFilter to
+                             * only apply to the root method we have to check only the last method
+                             * seen.
+                             */
+                            lastMethod = method;
                         }
                     }
                 }
             }
+            if (lastMethod != null && com.oracle.graal.compiler.MethodFilter.matches(methodFilter, lastMethod)) {
+                return true;
+            }
             return false;
         }
     }