diff --git a/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-target.h b/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-target.h
index 1e132fb28c..7836f93bd6 100644
--- a/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-target.h
+++ b/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-target.h
@@ -49,9 +49,17 @@ extern "C" {
 /**
  * Target capabilities mask.
  */
-#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_SWBREAK   (1 << 0)
-#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_HWBREAK   (1 << 1)
-#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_HWWATCH   (1 << 2)
+#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_SWBREAK      (1 << 0)
+#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_HWBREAK      (1 << 1)
+#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_HWWATCH      (1 << 2)
+/*
+ * This target capability indicates that the target implementation uses a pure
+ * software break implementation which must not allow breakpoints to be
+ * inserted before the actual switch to the thread, be it in interrupt context
+ * or otherwise. Such implementations must necessarily implement a thread
+ * switch hook and interrupt hooks to handle these situations.
+ */
+#define RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_PURE_SWBREAK (1 << 3)
 
 /**
  * Types of hardware breakpoints.
diff --git a/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-threads.c b/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-threads.c
index c628c0250e..841199bfe3 100644
--- a/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-threads.c
+++ b/cpukit/libdebugger/rtems-debugger-threads.c
@@ -355,9 +355,11 @@ rtems_debugger_thread_system_resume(bool detaching)
   current = rtems_debugger_thread_current(threads);
   if (current != NULL) {
     size_t i;
+    rtems_debugger_target* target = rtems_debugger->target;
     if (rtems_debugger_verbose())
       rtems_debugger_printf("rtems-db: sys:    : resuming\n");
-    if (!detaching) {
+    if (!detaching
+      && (target->capabilities & RTEMS_DEBUGGER_TARGET_CAP_PURE_SWBREAK) == 0) {
       r = rtems_debugger_target_swbreak_insert();
       if (r == 0)
         r = rtems_debugger_target_hwbreak_insert();