diff --git a/Makefile.target b/Makefile.target
index f73510524c..fe83837cd3 100644
--- a/Makefile.target
+++ b/Makefile.target
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ CFLAGS+=-p
 endif
 
 OBJS= main.o syscall.o strace.o mmap.o signal.o path.o thunk.o \
-      elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o envlist.o
+      elfload.o linuxload.o uaccess.o envlist.o gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
 LIBS+= $(PTHREADLIBS)
 LIBS+= $(CLOCKLIBS)
 ifdef TARGET_HAS_BFLT
@@ -340,10 +340,6 @@ ifeq ($(TARGET_ARCH), m68k)
 OBJS+= m68k-sim.o m68k-semi.o
 endif
 
-ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
-OBJS+=gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
-endif
-
 OBJS+= libqemu.a
 
 # Note: this is a workaround. The real fix is to avoid compiling
@@ -373,14 +369,11 @@ LDFLAGS+=-Wl,-segaddr,__STD_PROG_ZONE,0x1000 -image_base 0x0e000000
 
 LIBS+=-lmx
 
-OBJS= main.o commpage.o machload.o mmap.o signal.o syscall.o thunk.o
+OBJS= main.o commpage.o machload.o mmap.o signal.o syscall.o thunk.o \
+      gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
 
 OBJS+= libqemu.a
 
-ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
-OBJS+=gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
-endif
-
 # Note: this is a workaround. The real fix is to avoid compiling
 # cpu_signal_handler() in cpu-exec.c.
 signal.o: CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
@@ -476,15 +469,12 @@ LDFLAGS+=-Wl,-T,$(SRC_PATH)/$(ARCH)el.ld
 endif
 endif
 
-OBJS= main.o bsdload.o elfload.o mmap.o path.o signal.o strace.o syscall.o
+OBJS= main.o bsdload.o elfload.o mmap.o path.o signal.o strace.o syscall.o \
+      gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
 OBJS+= uaccess.o
 
 OBJS+= libqemu.a
 
-ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
-OBJS+=gdbstub.o
-endif
-
 # Note: this is a workaround. The real fix is to avoid compiling
 # cpu_signal_handler() in cpu-exec.c.
 signal.o: CFLAGS += $(HELPER_CFLAGS)
@@ -498,7 +488,8 @@ endif #CONFIG_BSD_USER
 # System emulator target
 ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 
-OBJS=vl.o osdep.o monitor.o pci.o loader.o isa_mmio.o machine.o dma-helpers.o
+OBJS=vl.o osdep.o monitor.o pci.o loader.o isa_mmio.o machine.o dma-helpers.o \
+     gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
 # virtio has to be here due to weird dependency between PCI and virtio-net.
 # need to fix this properly
 OBJS+=virtio.o virtio-blk.o virtio-balloon.o virtio-net.o virtio-console.o
@@ -686,9 +677,6 @@ ifeq ($(TARGET_BASE_ARCH), m68k)
 OBJS+= an5206.o mcf5206.o mcf_uart.o mcf_intc.o mcf5208.o mcf_fec.o
 OBJS+= m68k-semi.o dummy_m68k.o
 endif
-ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
-OBJS+=gdbstub.o gdbstub-xml.o
-endif
 ifdef CONFIG_COCOA
 COCOA_LIBS=-F/System/Library/Frameworks -framework Cocoa -framework IOKit
 ifdef CONFIG_COREAUDIO
diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 82fb60ace9..b2a2540241 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ strip_opt="yes"
 bigendian="no"
 mingw32="no"
 EXESUF=""
-gdbstub="yes"
 slirp="yes"
 vde="yes"
 fmod_lib=""
@@ -1526,10 +1525,6 @@ if test -n "$sparc_cpu"; then
   echo "CONFIG__sparc_${sparc_cpu}__=yes" >> $config_mak
   echo "#define __sparc_${sparc_cpu}__ 1" >> $config_h
 fi
-if test "$gdbstub" = "yes" ; then
-  echo "CONFIG_GDBSTUB=yes" >> $config_mak
-  echo "#define CONFIG_GDBSTUB 1" >> $config_h
-fi
 if test "$gprof" = "yes" ; then
   echo "TARGET_GPROF=yes" >> $config_mak
   echo "#define HAVE_GPROF 1" >> $config_h
diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index d64f459a6e..0f38c71b11 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -581,7 +581,6 @@ static void encrypted_bdrv_it(void *opaque, BlockDriverState *bs)
     }
 }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
 static void do_gdbserver(Monitor *mon, const char *device)
 {
     if (!device)
@@ -596,7 +595,6 @@ static void do_gdbserver(Monitor *mon, const char *device)
                        device);
     }
 }
-#endif
 
 static void do_watchdog_action(Monitor *mon, const char *action)
 {
@@ -1692,10 +1690,8 @@ static const mon_cmd_t mon_cmds[] = {
       "", "stop emulation", },
     { "c|cont", "", do_cont,
       "", "resume emulation", },
-#ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
     { "gdbserver", "s?", do_gdbserver,
       "[device]", "start gdbserver on given device (default 'tcp::1234'), stop with 'none'", },
-#endif
     { "x", "/l", do_memory_dump,
       "/fmt addr", "virtual memory dump starting at 'addr'", },
     { "xp", "/l", do_physical_memory_dump,
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index 867111c1eb..846d798a42 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -4350,13 +4350,11 @@ static void tcg_cpu_exec(void)
         }
         if (cpu_can_run(env))
             ret = qemu_cpu_exec(env);
-#ifndef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
         if (ret == EXCP_DEBUG) {
             gdb_set_stop_cpu(env);
             debug_requested = 1;
             break;
         }
-#endif
     }
 }
 
@@ -4795,9 +4793,7 @@ static void termsig_setup(void)
 
 int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 {
-#ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
     const char *gdbstub_dev = NULL;
-#endif
     uint32_t boot_devices_bitmap = 0;
     int i;
     int snapshot, linux_boot, net_boot;
@@ -5229,14 +5225,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
                     cpu_set_log(mask);
                 }
                 break;
-#ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
             case QEMU_OPTION_s:
                 gdbstub_dev = "tcp::" DEFAULT_GDBSTUB_PORT;
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_gdb:
                 gdbstub_dev = optarg;
                 break;
-#endif
             case QEMU_OPTION_L:
                 bios_dir = optarg;
                 break;
@@ -6023,13 +6017,11 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
         }
     }
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_GDBSTUB
     if (gdbstub_dev && gdbserver_start(gdbstub_dev) < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open gdbserver on device '%s'\n",
                 gdbstub_dev);
         exit(1);
     }
-#endif
 
     if (loadvm)
         do_loadvm(cur_mon, loadvm);