diff --git a/include/exec/gdbstub.h b/include/exec/gdbstub.h
index 4a2b8e30893..94d8f83e92d 100644
--- a/include/exec/gdbstub.h
+++ b/include/exec/gdbstub.h
@@ -177,11 +177,15 @@ static inline uint8_t * gdb_get_reg_ptr(GByteArray *buf, int len)
 
 #endif
 
-#ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-int gdbserver_start(int);
-#else
-int gdbserver_start(const char *port);
-#endif
+/**
+ * gdbserver_start: start the gdb server
+ * @port_or_device: connection spec for gdb
+ *
+ * For CONFIG_USER this is either a tcp port or a path to a fifo. For
+ * system emulation you can use a full chardev spec for your gdbserver
+ * port.
+ */
+int gdbserver_start(const char *port_or_device);
 
 void gdbserver_cleanup(void);
 
diff --git a/bsd-user/main.c b/bsd-user/main.c
index 770c2b267ad..28f122b80e6 100644
--- a/bsd-user/main.c
+++ b/bsd-user/main.c
@@ -738,7 +738,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
     CPUState *cpu;
     int optind;
     const char *r;
-    int gdbstub_port = 0;
+    const char *gdbstub = NULL;
     char **target_environ, **wrk;
     envlist_t *envlist = NULL;
     char *trace_file = NULL;
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
                 exit(1);
             }
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "g")) {
-            gdbstub_port = atoi(argv[optind++]);
+            gdbstub = g_strdup(argv[optind++]);
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "r")) {
             qemu_uname_release = argv[optind++];
         } else if (!strcmp(r, "cpu")) {
@@ -1124,8 +1124,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 #error unsupported target CPU
 #endif
 
-    if (gdbstub_port) {
-        gdbserver_start (gdbstub_port);
+    if (gdbstub) {
+        gdbserver_start(gdbstub);
         gdb_handlesig(cpu, 0);
     }
     cpu_loop(env);
diff --git a/gdbstub.c b/gdbstub.c
index b5381aa5204..6950fd243f3 100644
--- a/gdbstub.c
+++ b/gdbstub.c
@@ -355,6 +355,7 @@ typedef struct GDBState {
     int signal;
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     int fd;
+    char *socket_path;
     int running_state;
 #else
     CharBackend chr;
@@ -2962,6 +2963,9 @@ void gdb_exit(CPUArchState *env, int code)
       return;
   }
 #ifdef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
+  if (gdbserver_state.socket_path) {
+      unlink(gdbserver_state.socket_path);
+  }
   if (gdbserver_state.fd < 0) {
       return;
   }
@@ -3066,7 +3070,66 @@ void gdb_signalled(CPUArchState *env, int sig)
     put_packet(buf);
 }
 
-static bool gdb_accept(int gdb_fd)
+static void gdb_accept_init(int fd)
+{
+    init_gdbserver_state();
+    create_default_process(&gdbserver_state);
+    gdbserver_state.processes[0].attached = true;
+    gdbserver_state.c_cpu = gdb_first_attached_cpu();
+    gdbserver_state.g_cpu = gdbserver_state.c_cpu;
+    gdbserver_state.fd = fd;
+    gdb_has_xml = false;
+}
+
+static bool gdb_accept_socket(int gdb_fd)
+{
+    int fd;
+
+    for(;;) {
+        fd = accept(gdb_fd, NULL, NULL);
+        if (fd < 0 && errno != EINTR) {
+            perror("accept socket");
+            return false;
+        } else if (fd >= 0) {
+            qemu_set_cloexec(fd);
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    gdb_accept_init(fd);
+    return true;
+}
+
+static int gdbserver_open_socket(const char *path)
+{
+    struct sockaddr_un sockaddr;
+    int fd, ret;
+
+    fd = socket(AF_UNIX, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        perror("create socket");
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    sockaddr.sun_family = AF_UNIX;
+    pstrcpy(sockaddr.sun_path, sizeof(sockaddr.sun_path) - 1, path);
+    ret = bind(fd, (struct sockaddr *)&sockaddr, sizeof(sockaddr));
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        perror("bind socket");
+        close(fd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+    ret = listen(fd, 1);
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        perror("listen socket");
+        close(fd);
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    return fd;
+}
+
+static bool gdb_accept_tcp(int gdb_fd)
 {
     struct sockaddr_in sockaddr;
     socklen_t len;
@@ -3091,17 +3154,11 @@ static bool gdb_accept(int gdb_fd)
         return false;
     }
 
-    init_gdbserver_state();
-    create_default_process(&gdbserver_state);
-    gdbserver_state.processes[0].attached = true;
-    gdbserver_state.c_cpu = gdb_first_attached_cpu();
-    gdbserver_state.g_cpu = gdbserver_state.c_cpu;
-    gdbserver_state.fd = fd;
-    gdb_has_xml = false;
+    gdb_accept_init(fd);
     return true;
 }
 
-static int gdbserver_open(int port)
+static int gdbserver_open_port(int port)
 {
     struct sockaddr_in sockaddr;
     int fd, ret;
@@ -3130,21 +3187,35 @@ static int gdbserver_open(int port)
         close(fd);
         return -1;
     }
+
     return fd;
 }
 
-int gdbserver_start(int port)
+int gdbserver_start(const char *port_or_path)
 {
-    int gdb_fd = gdbserver_open(port);
+    int port = g_ascii_strtoull(port_or_path, NULL, 10);
+    int gdb_fd;
+
+    if (port > 0) {
+        gdb_fd = gdbserver_open_port(port);
+    } else {
+        gdb_fd = gdbserver_open_socket(port_or_path);
+    }
+
     if (gdb_fd < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
-    /* accept connections */
-    if (!gdb_accept(gdb_fd)) {
-        close(gdb_fd);
-        return -1;
+
+    if (port > 0 && gdb_accept_tcp(gdb_fd)) {
+        return 0;
+    } else if (gdb_accept_socket(gdb_fd)) {
+        gdbserver_state.socket_path = g_strdup(port_or_path);
+        return 0;
     }
-    return 0;
+
+    /* gone wrong */
+    close(gdb_fd);
+    return -1;
 }
 
 /* Disable gdb stub for child processes.  */
diff --git a/linux-user/main.c b/linux-user/main.c
index 22578b16336..2cd443237d8 100644
--- a/linux-user/main.c
+++ b/linux-user/main.c
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ char *exec_path;
 
 int singlestep;
 static const char *argv0;
-static int gdbstub_port;
+static const char *gdbstub;
 static envlist_t *envlist;
 static const char *cpu_model;
 static const char *cpu_type;
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ static void handle_arg_seed(const char *arg)
 
 static void handle_arg_gdb(const char *arg)
 {
-    gdbstub_port = atoi(arg);
+    gdbstub = g_strdup(arg);
 }
 
 static void handle_arg_uname(const char *arg)
@@ -861,10 +861,10 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
 
     target_cpu_copy_regs(env, regs);
 
-    if (gdbstub_port) {
-        if (gdbserver_start(gdbstub_port) < 0) {
-            fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open gdbserver on port %d\n",
-                    gdbstub_port);
+    if (gdbstub) {
+        if (gdbserver_start(gdbstub) < 0) {
+            fprintf(stderr, "qemu: could not open gdbserver on %s\n",
+                    gdbstub);
             exit(EXIT_FAILURE);
         }
         gdb_handlesig(cpu, 0);
