diff --git a/core/translate/select.rs b/core/translate/select.rs
index e8117d022..44079de70 100644
--- a/core/translate/select.rs
+++ b/core/translate/select.rs
@@ -650,6 +650,7 @@ fn translate_table_open_cursor(
 * if condition checks pass, it will eventually be set to true
 */
 fn left_join_match_flag_initialize(program: &mut ProgramBuilder, left_join: &LeftJoinBookkeeping) {
+    program.add_comment(program.offset(), "init LEFT JOIN match flag");
     program.emit_insn(Insn::Integer {
         value: 0,
         dest: left_join.match_flag_register,
@@ -664,6 +665,7 @@ fn left_join_match_flag_set_true(program: &mut ProgramBuilder, left_join: &LeftJ
         left_join.set_match_flag_true_label,
         program.offset() as usize,
     );
+    program.add_comment(program.offset(), "record LEFT JOIN hit");
     program.emit_insn(Insn::Integer {
         value: 1,
         dest: left_join.match_flag_register,
diff --git a/core/vdbe/builder.rs b/core/vdbe/builder.rs
index 133ec781e..a20560334 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/builder.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/builder.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::{cell::RefCell, rc::Rc};
+use std::{cell::RefCell, collections::HashMap, rc::Rc};
 
 use crate::storage::sqlite3_ondisk::DatabaseHeader;
 
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ pub struct ProgramBuilder {
     deferred_label_resolutions: Vec<(BranchOffset, InsnReference)>,
     // Bitmask of cursors that have emitted a SeekRowid instruction.
     seekrowid_emitted_bitmask: u64,
+    // map of instruction index to manual comment (used in EXPLAIN)
+    comments: HashMap<BranchOffset, &'static str>,
 }
 
 impl ProgramBuilder {
@@ -36,6 +38,7 @@ impl ProgramBuilder {
             constant_insns: Vec::new(),
             deferred_label_resolutions: Vec::new(),
             seekrowid_emitted_bitmask: 0,
+            comments: HashMap::new(),
         }
     }
 
@@ -90,6 +93,10 @@ impl ProgramBuilder {
         }
     }
 
+    pub fn add_comment(&mut self, insn_index: BranchOffset, comment: &'static str) {
+        self.comments.insert(insn_index, comment);
+    }
+
     // Emit an instruction that will be put at the end of the program (after Transaction statement).
     // This is useful for instructions that otherwise will be unnecessarily repeated in a loop.
     // Example: In `SELECT * from users where name='John'`, it is unnecessary to set r[1]='John' as we SCAN users table.
@@ -341,6 +348,7 @@ impl ProgramBuilder {
             insns: self.insns,
             cursor_ref: self.cursor_ref,
             database_header,
+            comments: self.comments,
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/vdbe/explain.rs b/core/vdbe/explain.rs
index 3a955440f..a05eb9f58 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/explain.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/explain.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 use super::{Insn, InsnReference, OwnedValue, Program};
 use std::rc::Rc;
 
-pub fn insn_to_str(program: &Program, addr: InsnReference, insn: &Insn, indent: String) -> String {
+pub fn insn_to_str(
+    program: &Program,
+    addr: InsnReference,
+    insn: &Insn,
+    indent: String,
+    manual_comment: Option<&'static str>,
+) -> String {
     let (opcode, p1, p2, p3, p4, p5, comment): (&str, i32, i32, i32, OwnedValue, u16, String) =
         match insn {
             Insn::Init { target_pc } => (
@@ -680,6 +686,6 @@ pub fn insn_to_str(program: &Program, addr: InsnReference, insn: &Insn, indent:
         p3,
         p4.to_string(),
         p5,
-        comment
+        manual_comment.map_or(format!("{}", comment), |mc| format!("{}; {}", comment, mc))
     )
 }
diff --git a/core/vdbe/mod.rs b/core/vdbe/mod.rs
index 29813c98e..4fa6c6d71 100644
--- a/core/vdbe/mod.rs
+++ b/core/vdbe/mod.rs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ use crate::Result;
 use regex::Regex;
 use std::borrow::BorrowMut;
 use std::cell::RefCell;
-use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::collections::{BTreeMap, HashMap};
 use std::rc::Rc;
 
 pub type BranchOffset = i64;
@@ -389,6 +389,7 @@ pub struct Program {
     pub insns: Vec<Insn>,
     pub cursor_ref: Vec<(Option<String>, Option<Table>)>,
     pub database_header: Rc<RefCell<DatabaseHeader>>,
+    pub comments: HashMap<BranchOffset, &'static str>,
 }
 
 impl Program {
@@ -1468,12 +1469,24 @@ fn trace_insn(program: &Program, addr: InsnReference, insn: &Insn) {
     }
     log::trace!(
         "{}",
-        explain::insn_to_str(program, addr, insn, String::new())
+        explain::insn_to_str(
+            program,
+            addr,
+            insn,
+            String::new(),
+            program.comments.get(&(addr as BranchOffset)).copied()
+        )
     );
 }
 
 fn print_insn(program: &Program, addr: InsnReference, insn: &Insn, indent: String) {
-    let s = explain::insn_to_str(program, addr, insn, indent);
+    let s = explain::insn_to_str(
+        program,
+        addr,
+        insn,
+        indent,
+        program.comments.get(&(addr as BranchOffset)).copied(),
+    );
     println!("{}", s);
 }