diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/Debugger.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/Debugger.cpp
index 603a2124b9..775fd407bc 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/Debugger.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/Debugger.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2009-2012, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
- * Copyright 2011-2015, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
+ * Copyright 2011-2016, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include "debug_utils.h"
 
 #include "CommandLineUserInterface.h"
+#include "DebuggerInterface.h"
 #include "GraphicalUserInterface.h"
 #include "ImageDebugLoadingStateHandlerRoster.h"
 #include "MessageCodes.h"
@@ -310,12 +311,22 @@ start_team_debugger(team_id teamID, SettingsManager* settingsManager,
 		userInterfaceReference.SetTo(userInterface, true);
 	}
 
+	BReference<DebuggerInterface> interfaceReference;
+	DebuggerInterface* debuggerInterface
+		= new(std::nothrow) DebuggerInterface(teamID);
+	if (debuggerInterface == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+	interfaceReference.SetTo(debuggerInterface, true);
+
+	if (debuggerInterface->Init() != B_OK)
+		return NULL;
+
 	status_t error = B_NO_MEMORY;
 
 	TeamDebugger* debugger = new(std::nothrow) TeamDebugger(listener,
 		userInterface, settingsManager);
-	if (debugger) {
-		error = debugger->Init(teamID, threadID, commandLineArgc,
+	if (debugger != NULL) {
+		error = debugger->Init(debuggerInterface, threadID, commandLineArgc,
 			commandLineArgv, stopInMain);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.cpp b/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.cpp
index e86bfb90f2..9d6e5f9791 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.cpp
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2009-2012, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
- * Copyright 2010-2015, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
+ * Copyright 2010-2016, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ TeamDebugger::~TeamDebugger()
 
 
 status_t
-TeamDebugger::Init(team_id teamID, thread_id threadID, int argc,
+TeamDebugger::Init(DebuggerInterface* interface, thread_id threadID, int argc,
 	const char* const* argv, bool stopInMain)
 {
 	bool targetIsLocal = true;
@@ -330,20 +330,14 @@ TeamDebugger::Init(team_id teamID, thread_id threadID, int argc,
 	// the first thing we want to do when running
 	PostMessage(MSG_LOAD_SETTINGS);
 
-	fTeamID = teamID;
-
 	status_t error = _HandleSetArguments(argc, argv);
 	if (error != B_OK)
 		return error;
 
-	// create debugger interface
-	fDebuggerInterface = new(std::nothrow) DebuggerInterface(fTeamID);
-	if (fDebuggerInterface == NULL)
-		return B_NO_MEMORY;
+	fDebuggerInterface = interface;
+	fDebuggerInterface->AcquireReference();
+	fTeamID = interface->TeamID();
 
-	error = fDebuggerInterface->Init();
-	if (error != B_OK)
-		return error;
 
 	// create file manager
 	fFileManager = new(std::nothrow) FileManager;
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.h b/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.h
index 7e645860bf..7cce854a1e 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/controllers/TeamDebugger.h
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /*
  * Copyright 2009, Ingo Weinhold, ingo_weinhold@gmx.de.
- * Copyright 2013-2015, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
+ * Copyright 2013-2016, Rene Gollent, rene@gollent.com.
  * Distributed under the terms of the MIT License.
  */
 #ifndef TEAM_DEBUGGER_H
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ public:
 									SettingsManager* settingsManager);
 								~TeamDebugger();
 
-			status_t			Init(team_id teamID, thread_id threadID,
-									int argc,
+			status_t			Init(DebuggerInterface* interface,
+									thread_id threadID, int argc,
 									const char* const* argv,
 									bool stopInMain);
 
diff --git a/src/apps/debugger/debugger_interface/DebuggerInterface.h b/src/apps/debugger/debugger_interface/DebuggerInterface.h
index 6465acc8f7..386730a159 100644
--- a/src/apps/debugger/debugger_interface/DebuggerInterface.h
+++ b/src/apps/debugger/debugger_interface/DebuggerInterface.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ public:
 			bool				Connected() const
 									{ return fNubPort >= 0; }
 
+			team_id				TeamID() const
+									{ return fTeamID; }
+
 			Architecture*		GetArchitecture() const
 									{ return fArchitecture; }