diff --git a/lib/rules/no-debugger.js b/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
index a158724fef1..d79cb181667 100644
--- a/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
+++ b/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 "use strict";
 
+const astUtils = require("../ast-utils");
+
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Rule Definition
 //------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -28,7 +30,10 @@ module.exports = {
                     node,
                     message: "Unexpected 'debugger' statement.",
                     fix(fixer) {
-                        return fixer.remove(node);
+                        if (astUtils.STATEMENT_LIST_PARENTS.has(node.parent.type)) {
+                            return fixer.remove(node);
+                        }
+                        return null;
                     }
                 });
             }
diff --git a/tests/lib/rules/no-debugger.js b/tests/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
index a907405c8ef..9edf059c41e 100644
--- a/tests/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
+++ b/tests/lib/rules/no-debugger.js
@@ -23,6 +23,15 @@ ruleTester.run("no-debugger", rule, {
         "var test = { debugger: 1 }; test.debugger;"
     ],
     invalid: [
-        { code: "debugger", errors: [{ message: "Unexpected 'debugger' statement.", type: "DebuggerStatement" }], output: "" }
+        {
+            code: "debugger",
+            output: "",
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected 'debugger' statement.", type: "DebuggerStatement" }]
+        },
+        {
+            code: "if (foo) debugger",
+            output: null,
+            errors: [{ message: "Unexpected 'debugger' statement.", type: "DebuggerStatement" }]
+        }
     ]
 });