A method for processing distributed breakpoints when debugging a distributed application includes establishing a breakpoint in source code of a distributed computer program and executing the distributed computer program. Thereafter, an encountering of the breakpoint is detected in one of the processes, and execution of the one of the processes halted. However, halting execution of any other of the processes is delayed for a delay period during which a list both is generated of others of the processes in which the breakpoint is encountered and also is sorted in accordance with prioritization criteria. Finally, the sorted list is presented after the lapse of the delay period, individual ones of the processes selected in the list, and execution of the selected individual ones of the processes in the sorted list halted while halting of execution of non-selected ones of the processes in the sorted list is bypassed.