diff --git a/wscript b/wscript
index 85d70b667..a58858c4c 100644
--- a/wscript
+++ b/wscript
@@ -200,6 +200,10 @@ def options(opt):
                          ' argument is the path to the python program, optionally followed'
                          ' by command-line options that are passed to the program.'),
                    type="string", default='', dest='pyrun_no_build')
+    opt.add_option('--gdb',
+                   help=('Change the default command template to run programs and unit tests with gdb'),
+                   action="store_true", default=False,
+                   dest='gdb')
     opt.add_option('--valgrind',
                    help=('Change the default command template to run programs and unit tests with valgrind'),
                    action="store_true", default=False,
diff --git a/wutils.py b/wutils.py
index 3dded5430..d07f79427 100644
--- a/wutils.py
+++ b/wutils.py
@@ -113,8 +113,17 @@ def run_argv(argv, env, os_env=None, cwd=None, force_no_valgrind=False):
 
     if Options.options.valgrind and Options.options.command_template:
         raise WafError("Options --command-template and --valgrind are conflicting")
+    if Options.options.gdb and Options.options.command_template:
+        raise WafError("Options --command-template and --gdb are conflicting")
+    if Options.options.gdb and Options.options.valgrind:
+        raise WafError("Options --valgrind and --gdb are conflicting")
 
-    if Options.options.valgrind and not force_no_valgrind:
+    if Options.options.gdb:
+        argv = ["gdb", "--args"] + argv
+        proc = subprocess.Popen(argv, env=proc_env, cwd=cwd)
+        retval = proc.wait()
+        return retval
+    elif Options.options.valgrind and not force_no_valgrind:
         if not env['VALGRIND']:
             raise WafError("valgrind is not installed")
         # Use the first program found in the env['VALGRIND'] list
@@ -152,7 +161,7 @@ def run_argv(argv, env, os_env=None, cwd=None, force_no_valgrind=False):
         if signame:
             raise WafError("Command %s terminated with signal %s."
                                  " Run it under a debugger to get more information "
-                                 "(./waf --run <program> --command-template=\"gdb --args %%s <args>\")." % (argv, signame))
+                                 "(./waf --run <program> --gdb\")." % (argv, signame))
         else:
             raise WafError("Command %s exited with code %i" % (argv, retval))
     return retval