diff --git a/gdbstub.c b/gdbstub.c
index 0faca56..e4a1a79 100644
--- a/gdbstub.c
+++ b/gdbstub.c
@@ -317,6 +317,8 @@ static GDBState *gdbserver_state;
 
 bool gdb_has_xml;
 
+int semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_AUTO;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 /* XXX: This is not thread safe.  Do we care?  */
 static int gdbserver_fd = -1;
@@ -351,10 +353,19 @@ static enum {
     GDB_SYS_DISABLED,
 } gdb_syscall_mode;
 
-/* If gdb is connected when the first semihosting syscall occurs then use
-   remote gdb syscalls.  Otherwise use native file IO.  */
+/* Decide if either remote gdb syscalls or native file IO should be used. */
 int use_gdb_syscalls(void)
 {
+    if (semihosting_target == SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_NATIVE) {
+        /* -semihosting-config target=native */
+        return false;
+    } else if (semihosting_target == SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_GDB) {
+        /* -semihosting-config target=gdb */
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /* -semihosting-config target=auto */
+    /* On the first call check if gdb is connected and remember. */
     if (gdb_syscall_mode == GDB_SYS_UNKNOWN) {
         gdb_syscall_mode = (gdbserver_state ? GDB_SYS_ENABLED
                                             : GDB_SYS_DISABLED);
diff --git a/include/exec/gdbstub.h b/include/exec/gdbstub.h
index a608a26..c633248 100644
--- a/include/exec/gdbstub.h
+++ b/include/exec/gdbstub.h
@@ -95,4 +95,10 @@ extern bool gdb_has_xml;
 /* in gdbstub-xml.c, generated by scripts/feature_to_c.sh */
 extern const char *const xml_builtin[][2];
 
+/* Command line option defining whether semihosting should go via gdb or not */
+extern int semihosting_target;
+#define SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_AUTO     0
+#define SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_NATIVE   1
+#define SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_GDB      2
+
 #endif
diff --git a/qemu-options.hx b/qemu-options.hx
index 64af16d..afab995 100644
--- a/qemu-options.hx
+++ b/qemu-options.hx
@@ -3218,7 +3218,17 @@ DEF("semihosting", 0, QEMU_OPTION_semihosting,
 STEXI
 @item -semihosting
 @findex -semihosting
-Semihosting mode (ARM, M68K, Xtensa only).
+Enable semihosting mode (ARM, M68K, Xtensa only).
+ETEXI
+DEF("semihosting-config", HAS_ARG, QEMU_OPTION_semihosting_config,
+    "-semihosting-config [enable=on|off,]target=native|gdb|auto   semihosting configuration\n",
+QEMU_ARCH_ARM | QEMU_ARCH_M68K | QEMU_ARCH_XTENSA | QEMU_ARCH_LM32)
+STEXI
+@item -semihosting-config [enable=on|off,]target=native|gdb|auto
+@findex -semihosting-config
+Enable semihosting and define where the semihosting calls will be addressed,
+to QEMU (@code{native}) or to GDB (@code{gdb}). The default is @code{auto}, which means
+@code{gdb} during debug sessions and @code{native} otherwise (ARM, M68K, Xtensa only).
 ETEXI
 DEF("old-param", 0, QEMU_OPTION_old_param,
     "-old-param      old param mode\n", QEMU_ARCH_ARM)
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index eb89d62..7cdfd49 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -554,6 +554,22 @@ static QemuOptsList qemu_icount_opts = {
     },
 };
 
+static QemuOptsList qemu_semihosting_config_opts = {
+    .name = "semihosting-config",
+    .implied_opt_name = "enable",
+    .head = QTAILQ_HEAD_INITIALIZER(qemu_semihosting_config_opts.head),
+    .desc = {
+        {
+            .name = "enable",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_BOOL,
+        }, {
+            .name = "target",
+            .type = QEMU_OPT_STRING,
+        },
+        { /* end of list */ }
+    },
+};
+
 /**
  * Get machine options
  *
@@ -2811,6 +2827,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_name_opts);
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_numa_opts);
     qemu_add_opts(&qemu_icount_opts);
+    qemu_add_opts(&qemu_semihosting_config_opts);
 
     runstate_init();
 
@@ -3618,6 +3635,37 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 		break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_semihosting:
                 semihosting_enabled = 1;
+                semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_AUTO;
+                break;
+            case QEMU_OPTION_semihosting_config:
+                semihosting_enabled = 1;
+                opts = qemu_opts_parse(qemu_find_opts("semihosting-config"),
+                                           optarg, 0);
+                if (opts != NULL) {
+                    semihosting_enabled = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "enable",
+                                                            true);
+                    const char *target = qemu_opt_get(opts, "target");
+                    if (target != NULL) {
+                        if (strcmp("native", target) == 0) {
+                            semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_NATIVE;
+                        } else if (strcmp("gdb", target) == 0) {
+                            semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_GDB;
+                        } else  if (strcmp("auto", target) == 0) {
+                            semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_AUTO;
+                        } else {
+                            fprintf(stderr, "Unsupported semihosting-config"
+                                    " %s\n",
+                                optarg);
+                            exit(1);
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        semihosting_target = SEMIHOSTING_TARGET_AUTO;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    fprintf(stderr, "Unsupported semihosting-config %s\n",
+                            optarg);
+                    exit(1);
+                }
                 break;
             case QEMU_OPTION_tdf:
                 fprintf(stderr, "Warning: user space PIT time drift fix "
