diff --git a/toolchain/Config.in b/toolchain/Config.in
index 5ff2a91523..2f4709a421 100644
--- a/toolchain/Config.in
+++ b/toolchain/Config.in
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ choice
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT
 	bool "Buildroot toolchain"
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_SHADOW_PASSWORDS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
 
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL
 	bool "External toolchain"
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_CTNG
 	bool "Crosstool-NG toolchain"
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_SHADOW_PASSWORDS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
 	help
 	  Say 'y' if you want to generate the toolchain with crosstool-NG
 	  ( http://ymorin.is-a-geek.org/projects/crosstool )
diff --git a/toolchain/gdb/Config.in b/toolchain/gdb/Config.in
index 2a2844aab3..9868580c90 100644
--- a/toolchain/gdb/Config.in
+++ b/toolchain/gdb/Config.in
@@ -52,25 +52,33 @@ choice
 		bool "gdb 7.0.1"
 		depends on !BR2_bfin
 		depends on BR2_DEPRECATED
-		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE
+		depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if (BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT && !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE)
 
 	config BR2_GDB_VERSION_7_1
 		bool "gdb 7.1"
 		depends on !BR2_bfin
-		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE
+		depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if (BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT && !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE)
 
 	config BR2_GDB_VERSION_7_2
 		bool "gdb 7.2.x"
 		depends on !BR2_bfin
-		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE
+		depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if (BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT && !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE)
 
 	config BR2_GDB_VERSION_7_3
 		bool "gdb 7.3.x"
 		depends on !BR2_bfin
-		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE
+		depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+		select BR2_PTHREAD_DEBUG if (BR2_TOOLCHAIN_BUILDROOT && !BR2_PTHREADS_NONE)
 
 endchoice
 
+comment "gdb 7.x support needs pthread debug support in toolchain"
+	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GDB || BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_SERVER || BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_HOST
+	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+
 config BR2_GDB_VERSION
 	string
 	default "6.6a"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_6_6
diff --git a/toolchain/helpers.mk b/toolchain/helpers.mk
index 96919d4b13..65cc9982d5 100644
--- a/toolchain/helpers.mk
+++ b/toolchain/helpers.mk
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ check_uclibc = \
 	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__UCLIBC_HAS_RPC__,BR2_INET_RPC,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},RPC support) ;\
 	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__UCLIBC_HAS_LOCALE__,BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},Locale support) ;\
 	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__UCLIBC_HAS_WCHAR__,BR2_USE_WCHAR,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},Wide char support) ;\
-	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__UCLIBC_HAS_THREADS__,BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},Thread support)
+	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__UCLIBC_HAS_THREADS__,BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},Thread support) ;\
+	$(call check_uclibc_feature,__PTHREADS_DEBUG_SUPPORT__,BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG,$${UCLIBC_CONFIG_FILE},Thread debugging support)
 
 #
 # Check that the Buildroot configuration of the ABI matches the
diff --git a/toolchain/toolchain-common.in b/toolchain/toolchain-common.in
index 2d11008098..56ac85f5c1 100644
--- a/toolchain/toolchain-common.in
+++ b/toolchain/toolchain-common.in
@@ -26,6 +26,14 @@ config BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
 	bool
 
+config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+	bool
+
+config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG_IF_NEEDED
+	default y if !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	bool
+
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_SHADOW_PASSWORDS
 	bool
 
diff --git a/toolchain/toolchain-external/Config.in b/toolchain/toolchain-external/Config.in
index 678babd257..eadfe50cf8 100644
--- a/toolchain/toolchain-external/Config.in
+++ b/toolchain/toolchain-external/Config.in
@@ -175,6 +175,7 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CODESOURCERY_SH2A_201103
 	select BR2_INET_RPC
 	select BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 	select BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	help
 	  Sourcery CodeBench toolchain for the SuperH architecture,
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CODESOURCERY_SH2A_201009
 	select BR2_INET_RPC
 	select BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 	select BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	help
 	  Sourcery CodeBench toolchain for the SuperH architecture,
@@ -224,6 +226,7 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_BLACKFIN_UCLINUX_2010RC1
 	select BR2_INET_RPC
 	select BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 	help
 	  Toolchain for the Blackfin architecture, from
 	  http://blackfin.uclinux.org.
@@ -285,6 +288,7 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_GLIBC
 	select BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	select BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_SHADOW_PASSWORDS
 
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_UCLIBC
@@ -361,6 +365,16 @@ config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_HAS_THREADS
 	  support. If you don't know, leave the default value,
 	  Buildroot will tell you if it's correct or not.
 
+config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
+	bool "Toolchain has threads debugging support?"
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_HAS_THREADS
+	select BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
+	default y
+	help
+	  Select this option if your external toolchain has thread
+	  debugging support. If you don't know, leave the default
+	  value, Buildroot will tell you if it's correct or not.
+
 endif # BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_UCLIBC
 
 config BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_CXX