diff --git a/extensions/debug/CHANGELOG.md b/extensions/debug/CHANGELOG.md
index 29ca8053ff..9e89b70fee 100644
--- a/extensions/debug/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/extensions/debug/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 debug extension Change Log
 2.0.1 under development
 -----------------------
 
-- no changes in this release.
+- Enh #5600: Allow configuring debug panels in `yii\debug\Module::panels` as panel class name strings (qiangxue)
 
 
 2.0.0 October 12, 2014
diff --git a/extensions/debug/Module.php b/extensions/debug/Module.php
index d884d68597..709d2d3254 100644
--- a/extensions/debug/Module.php
+++ b/extensions/debug/Module.php
@@ -101,6 +101,9 @@ class Module extends \yii\base\Module implements BootstrapInterface
         }
 
         foreach ($this->panels as $id => $config) {
+            if (is_string($config)) {
+                $config = ['class' => $config];
+            }
             $config['module'] = $this;
             $config['id'] = $id;
             $this->panels[$id] = Yii::createObject($config);
diff --git a/framework/CHANGELOG.md b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
index e22f5d1082..10d7caeac1 100644
--- a/framework/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/framework/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Yii Framework 2 Change Log
 2.0.1 under development
 -----------------------
 
+- Enh #5600: Allow configuring debug panels in `yii\debug\Module::panels` as panel class name strings (qiangxue)
 - Bug #5584: `yii\rbac\DbRbacManager` should not delete items when deleting a rule on a database not supporting cascade update (mdmunir)