diff --git a/conf/Makefile.arm-embedded-toolchain b/conf/Makefile.arm-embedded-toolchain
index c774d42a44..a3fb4b7ba3 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.arm-embedded-toolchain
+++ b/conf/Makefile.arm-embedded-toolchain
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ NM    = $(PREFIX)-nm
 SIZE  = $(PREFIX)-size
 STRIP = $(PREFIX)-strip
 
-GDB = $(shell which arm-none-eabi-gdb)
+GDB = $(shell which $(PREFIX)-gdb)
 ifeq ($(GDB),)
 GDB = $(shell which gdb-multiarch)
 endif
diff --git a/conf/Makefile.arm-linux-toolchain b/conf/Makefile.arm-linux-toolchain
index 02b9912529..de054efa14 100644
--- a/conf/Makefile.arm-linux-toolchain
+++ b/conf/Makefile.arm-linux-toolchain
@@ -45,7 +45,12 @@ DMP   = $(PREFIX)-objdump
 NM    = $(PREFIX)-nm
 SIZE  = $(PREFIX)-size
 STRIP = $(PREFIX)-strip
-GDB   = gdb-multiarch
+
+GDB = $(shell $(PREFIX)-gdb)
+ifeq ($(GDB),)
+GDB = $(shell which gdb-multiarch)
+endif
+
 
 # some general commands
 RM = rm