diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 9f782054509..ffcfabb8d36 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -1140,6 +1140,18 @@ if test "$tcg" = "auto"; then
   fi
 fi
 
+#########################################
+# gdb test
+
+if test -n "$gdb_bin"; then
+    gdb_version=$($gdb_bin --version | head -n 1)
+    if version_ge ${gdb_version##* } 9.1; then
+        gdb_arches=$($python "$source_path/scripts/probe-gdb-support.py" $gdb_bin)
+    else
+        gdb_bin=""
+    fi
+fi
+
 ##########################################
 # big/little endian test
 cat > $TMPC << EOF
@@ -1660,17 +1672,7 @@ fi
 
 echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
 echo "TARGET_DIRS=$target_list" >> $config_host_mak
-
-if test -n "$gdb_bin"; then
-    gdb_version=$($gdb_bin --version | head -n 1)
-    if version_ge ${gdb_version##* } 9.1; then
-        echo "HAVE_GDB_BIN=$gdb_bin" >> $config_host_mak
-        gdb_arches=$($python "$source_path/scripts/probe-gdb-support.py" $gdb_bin)
-    else
-        gdb_bin=""
-    fi
-fi
-
+echo "GDB=$gdb_bin" >> $config_host_mak
 if test "$container" != no; then
     echo "RUNC=$runc" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
@@ -1715,10 +1717,6 @@ mkdir -p tests/tcg
 echo "# Automatically generated by configure - do not modify" > $config_host_mak
 echo "SRC_PATH=$source_path" >> $config_host_mak
 
-# versioned checked in the main config_host.mak above
-if test -n "$gdb_bin"; then
-    echo "HAVE_GDB_BIN=$gdb_bin" >> $config_host_mak
-fi
 if test "$plugins" = "yes" ; then
     echo "CONFIG_PLUGIN=y" >> $config_host_mak
 fi
@@ -1755,7 +1753,7 @@ for target in $target_list; do
 
       # will GDB work with these binaries?
       if test "${gdb_arches#*$arch}" != "$gdb_arches"; then
-          echo "HOST_GDB_SUPPORTS_ARCH=y" >> "$config_target_mak"
+          echo "GDB=$gdb_bin" >> $config_target_mak
       fi
 
       echo "run-tcg-tests-$target: $qemu\$(EXESUF)" >> Makefile.prereqs
diff --git a/meson.build b/meson.build
index 1be9f92f7da..2bda62a2b1b 100644
--- a/meson.build
+++ b/meson.build
@@ -4021,8 +4021,8 @@ summary(summary_info, bool_yn: true, section: 'Directories')
 summary_info = {}
 summary_info += {'python':            '@0@ (version: @1@)'.format(python.full_path(), python.language_version())}
 summary_info += {'sphinx-build':      sphinx_build}
-if config_host.has_key('HAVE_GDB_BIN')
-  summary_info += {'gdb':             config_host['HAVE_GDB_BIN']}
+if config_host.has_key('GDB')
+  summary_info += {'gdb':             config_host['GDB']}
 endif
 summary_info += {'iasl':              iasl}
 summary_info += {'genisoimage':       config_host['GENISOIMAGE']}
diff --git a/tests/tcg/aarch64/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/aarch64/Makefile.target
index d01b8ff47c8..62b38c792fb 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/aarch64/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/aarch64/Makefile.target
@@ -105,19 +105,19 @@ sha512-sve: sha512.c
 
 TESTS += sha512-sve
 
-ifeq ($(HOST_GDB_SUPPORTS_ARCH),y)
+ifneq ($(GDB),)
 GDB_SCRIPT=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
 
 run-gdbstub-sysregs: sysregs
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(AARCH64_SRC)/gdbstub/test-sve.py, \
 	basic gdbstub SVE support)
 
 run-gdbstub-sve-ioctls: sve-ioctls
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(AARCH64_SRC)/gdbstub/test-sve-ioctl.py, \
 	basic gdbstub SVE ZLEN support)
diff --git a/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
index 43bddeaf212..f3bfaf1a228 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/multiarch/Makefile.target
@@ -63,45 +63,39 @@ run-test-mmap: test-mmap
 run-test-mmap-%: test-mmap
 	$(call run-test, test-mmap-$*, $(QEMU) -p $* $<, $< ($* byte pages))
 
-ifneq ($(HAVE_GDB_BIN),)
-ifeq ($(HOST_GDB_SUPPORTS_ARCH),y)
+ifneq ($(GDB),)
 GDB_SCRIPT=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
 
 run-gdbstub-sha1: sha1
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(MULTIARCH_SRC)/gdbstub/sha1.py, \
 	basic gdbstub support)
 
 run-gdbstub-qxfer-auxv-read: sha1
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(MULTIARCH_SRC)/gdbstub/test-qxfer-auxv-read.py, \
 	basic gdbstub qXfer:auxv:read support)
 
 run-gdbstub-proc-mappings: sha1
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(MULTIARCH_SRC)/gdbstub/test-proc-mappings.py, \
 	proc mappings support)
 
 run-gdbstub-thread-breakpoint: testthread
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(MULTIARCH_SRC)/gdbstub/test-thread-breakpoint.py, \
 	hitting a breakpoint on non-main thread)
-
 else
 run-gdbstub-%:
-	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "no guest arch support")
-endif
-else
-run-gdbstub-%:
-	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "need working gdb")
+	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "need working gdb with $(patsubst -%,,$(TARGET_NAME)) support")
 endif
 EXTRA_RUNS += run-gdbstub-sha1 run-gdbstub-qxfer-auxv-read \
 	      run-gdbstub-proc-mappings run-gdbstub-thread-breakpoint
diff --git a/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target b/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
index 90810a32b2f..dee4f58dea1 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
+++ b/tests/tcg/multiarch/system/Makefile.softmmu-target
@@ -14,13 +14,12 @@ VPATH+=$(MULTIARCH_SYSTEM_SRC)
 MULTIARCH_TEST_SRCS=$(wildcard $(MULTIARCH_SYSTEM_SRC)/*.c)
 MULTIARCH_TESTS = $(patsubst $(MULTIARCH_SYSTEM_SRC)/%.c, %, $(MULTIARCH_TEST_SRCS))
 
-ifneq ($(HAVE_GDB_BIN),)
-ifeq ($(HOST_GDB_SUPPORTS_ARCH),y)
+ifneq ($(GDB),)
 GDB_SCRIPT=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
 
 run-gdbstub-memory: memory
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) \
 		--output $<.gdb.out \
 		--qargs \
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ run-gdbstub-memory: memory
 	softmmu gdbstub support)
 run-gdbstub-interrupt: interrupt
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) \
 		--output $<.gdb.out \
 		--qargs \
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ run-gdbstub-interrupt: interrupt
 	softmmu gdbstub support)
 run-gdbstub-untimely-packet: hello
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--gdb-args "-ex 'set debug remote 1'" \
 		--output untimely-packet.gdb.out \
 		--stderr untimely-packet.gdb.err \
@@ -51,11 +50,7 @@ run-gdbstub-untimely-packet: hello
 		"GREP", file untimely-packet.gdb.err)
 else
 run-gdbstub-%:
-	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "no guest arch support")
-endif
-else
-run-gdbstub-%:
-	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "need working gdb")
+	$(call skip-test, "gdbstub test $*", "need working gdb with $(patsubst -%,,$(TARGET_NAME)) support")
 endif
 
 MULTIARCH_RUNS += run-gdbstub-memory run-gdbstub-interrupt run-gdbstub-untimely-packet
diff --git a/tests/tcg/s390x/Makefile.target b/tests/tcg/s390x/Makefile.target
index c650aefe5c1..826f0a18e43 100644
--- a/tests/tcg/s390x/Makefile.target
+++ b/tests/tcg/s390x/Makefile.target
@@ -81,12 +81,12 @@ $(Z15_TESTS): CFLAGS+=-march=z15 -O2
 TESTS+=$(Z15_TESTS)
 endif
 
-ifeq ($(HOST_GDB_SUPPORTS_ARCH),y)
+ifneq ($(GDB),)
 GDB_SCRIPT=$(SRC_PATH)/tests/guest-debug/run-test.py
 
 run-gdbstub-signals-s390x: signals-s390x
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(S390X_SRC)/gdbstub/test-signals-s390x.py, \
 	mixing signals and debugging)
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ hello-s390x-asm: CFLAGS+=-nostdlib
 
 run-gdbstub-svc: hello-s390x-asm
 	$(call run-test, $@, $(GDB_SCRIPT) \
-		--gdb $(HAVE_GDB_BIN) \
+		--gdb $(GDB) \
 		--qemu $(QEMU) --qargs "$(QEMU_OPTS)" \
 		--bin $< --test $(S390X_SRC)/gdbstub/test-svc.py, \
 	single-stepping svc)
