diff --git a/backends/cxxrtl/cxxrtl_backend.cc b/backends/cxxrtl/cxxrtl_backend.cc
index 819b2c1df..7080f54d5 100644
--- a/backends/cxxrtl/cxxrtl_backend.cc
+++ b/backends/cxxrtl/cxxrtl_backend.cc
@@ -2429,8 +2429,6 @@ struct CxxrtlWorker {
 			inc_indent();
 				for (auto wire : module->wires()) {
 					const auto &debug_wire_type = debug_wire_types[wire];
-					if (!wire->name.isPublic())
-						continue;
 					count_public_wires++;
 					switch (debug_wire_type.type) {
 						case WireType::BUFFERED:
@@ -2438,6 +2436,9 @@ struct CxxrtlWorker {
 							// Member wire
 							std::vector<std::string> flags;
 
+							if (!wire->name.isPublic())
+								flags.push_back("GENERATED");
+
 							if (wire->port_input && wire->port_output)
 								flags.push_back("INOUT");
 							else if (wire->port_output)
diff --git a/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/capi/cxxrtl_capi.h b/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/capi/cxxrtl_capi.h
index ae42733ad..62ca38943 100644
--- a/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/capi/cxxrtl_capi.h
+++ b/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/capi/cxxrtl_capi.h
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ enum cxxrtl_flag {
 	// node, such as inputs and dangling wires.
 	CXXRTL_UNDRIVEN = 1 << 4,
 
+	// Generated correspond to netlist nodes that correspond to state with an internal name, that
+	// need to be saved, but wouldn't otherwise have a debug item generated.
+	CXXRTL_GENERATED = 1 << 5,
+
 	// More object flags may be added in the future, but the existing ones will never change.
 };
 
diff --git a/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/cxxrtl.h b/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/cxxrtl.h
index 9b4f5774f..fbbe2373f 100644
--- a/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/cxxrtl.h
+++ b/backends/cxxrtl/runtime/cxxrtl/cxxrtl.h
@@ -1294,6 +1294,7 @@ struct debug_item : ::cxxrtl_object {
 		DRIVEN_SYNC = CXXRTL_DRIVEN_SYNC,
 		DRIVEN_COMB = CXXRTL_DRIVEN_COMB,
 		UNDRIVEN    = CXXRTL_UNDRIVEN,
+		GENERATED = CXXRTL_GENERATED,
 	};
 
 	debug_item(const ::cxxrtl_object &object) : cxxrtl_object(object) {}