diff --git a/gdbstub/internals.h b/gdbstub/internals.h
index 3875c6877e..9de995ce3a 100644
--- a/gdbstub/internals.h
+++ b/gdbstub/internals.h
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ void gdb_handle_query_xfer_auxv(GArray *params, void *user_ctx); /*user */
 
 void gdb_handle_query_attached(GArray *params, void *user_ctx); /* both */
 
+/* softmmu only */
+void gdb_handle_query_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params, void *user_ctx);
+void gdb_handle_set_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params, void *user_ctx);
+
 /*
  * Break/Watch point support - there is an implementation for softmmu
  * and user mode.
@@ -192,4 +196,19 @@ int gdb_breakpoint_insert(CPUState *cs, int type, hwaddr addr, hwaddr len);
 int gdb_breakpoint_remove(CPUState *cs, int type, hwaddr addr, hwaddr len);
 void gdb_breakpoint_remove_all(CPUState *cs);
 
+/**
+ * gdb_target_memory_rw_debug() - handle debug access to memory
+ * @cs: CPUState
+ * @addr: nominal address, could be an entire physical address
+ * @buf: data
+ * @len: length of access
+ * @is_write: is it a write operation
+ *
+ * This function is specialised depending on the mode we are running
+ * in. For softmmu guests we can switch the interpretation of the
+ * address to a physical address.
+ */
+int gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(CPUState *cs, hwaddr addr,
+                               uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write);
+
 #endif /* GDBSTUB_INTERNALS_H */
diff --git a/gdbstub/gdbstub.c b/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
index 0d90685c72..91021859a1 100644
--- a/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
+++ b/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
@@ -46,33 +46,6 @@
 
 #include "internals.h"
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-static int phy_memory_mode;
-#endif
-
-static inline int target_memory_rw_debug(CPUState *cpu, target_ulong addr,
-                                         uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write)
-{
-    CPUClass *cc;
-
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-    if (phy_memory_mode) {
-        if (is_write) {
-            cpu_physical_memory_write(addr, buf, len);
-        } else {
-            cpu_physical_memory_read(addr, buf, len);
-        }
-        return 0;
-    }
-#endif
-
-    cc = CPU_GET_CLASS(cpu);
-    if (cc->memory_rw_debug) {
-        return cc->memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
-    }
-    return cpu_memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
-}
-
 typedef struct GDBRegisterState {
     int base_reg;
     int num_regs;
@@ -1194,11 +1167,11 @@ static void handle_write_mem(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
     }
 
     gdb_hextomem(gdbserver_state.mem_buf, get_param(params, 2)->data,
-             get_param(params, 1)->val_ull);
-    if (target_memory_rw_debug(gdbserver_state.g_cpu,
-                               get_param(params, 0)->val_ull,
-                               gdbserver_state.mem_buf->data,
-                               gdbserver_state.mem_buf->len, true)) {
+                 get_param(params, 1)->val_ull);
+    if (gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(gdbserver_state.g_cpu,
+                                   get_param(params, 0)->val_ull,
+                                   gdbserver_state.mem_buf->data,
+                                   gdbserver_state.mem_buf->len, true)) {
         gdb_put_packet("E14");
         return;
     }
@@ -1222,10 +1195,10 @@ static void handle_read_mem(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
     g_byte_array_set_size(gdbserver_state.mem_buf,
                           get_param(params, 1)->val_ull);
 
-    if (target_memory_rw_debug(gdbserver_state.g_cpu,
-                               get_param(params, 0)->val_ull,
-                               gdbserver_state.mem_buf->data,
-                               gdbserver_state.mem_buf->len, false)) {
+    if (gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(gdbserver_state.g_cpu,
+                                   get_param(params, 0)->val_ull,
+                                   gdbserver_state.mem_buf->data,
+                                   gdbserver_state.mem_buf->len, false)) {
         gdb_put_packet("E14");
         return;
     }
@@ -1675,30 +1648,6 @@ static void handle_query_qemu_supported(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
     gdb_put_strbuf();
 }
 
-#ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-static void handle_query_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params,
-                                           void *user_ctx)
-{
-    g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf, "%d", phy_memory_mode);
-    gdb_put_strbuf();
-}
-
-static void handle_set_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
-{
-    if (!params->len) {
-        gdb_put_packet("E22");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    if (!get_param(params, 0)->val_ul) {
-        phy_memory_mode = 0;
-    } else {
-        phy_memory_mode = 1;
-    }
-    gdb_put_packet("OK");
-}
-#endif
-
 static const GdbCmdParseEntry gdb_gen_query_set_common_table[] = {
     /* Order is important if has same prefix */
     {
@@ -1789,7 +1738,7 @@ static const GdbCmdParseEntry gdb_gen_query_table[] = {
     },
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     {
-        .handler = handle_query_qemu_phy_mem_mode,
+        .handler = gdb_handle_query_qemu_phy_mem_mode,
         .cmd = "qemu.PhyMemMode",
     },
 #endif
@@ -1805,7 +1754,7 @@ static const GdbCmdParseEntry gdb_gen_set_table[] = {
     },
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
     {
-        .handler = handle_set_qemu_phy_mem_mode,
+        .handler = gdb_handle_set_qemu_phy_mem_mode,
         .cmd = "qemu.PhyMemMode:",
         .cmd_startswith = 1,
         .schema = "l0"
diff --git a/gdbstub/softmmu.c b/gdbstub/softmmu.c
index ade0cc366c..d9b9ba0a32 100644
--- a/gdbstub/softmmu.c
+++ b/gdbstub/softmmu.c
@@ -406,9 +406,60 @@ void gdb_exit(int code)
   qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&gdbserver_system_state.chr, true);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Memory access
+ */
+static int phy_memory_mode;
+
+int gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(CPUState *cpu, hwaddr addr,
+                               uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write)
+{
+    CPUClass *cc;
+
+    if (phy_memory_mode) {
+        if (is_write) {
+            cpu_physical_memory_write(addr, buf, len);
+        } else {
+            cpu_physical_memory_read(addr, buf, len);
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
+    cc = CPU_GET_CLASS(cpu);
+    if (cc->memory_rw_debug) {
+        return cc->memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
+    }
+
+    return cpu_memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
+}
+
+
 /*
  * Softmmu specific command helpers
  */
+
+void gdb_handle_query_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params,
+                                        void *user_ctx)
+{
+    g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf, "%d", phy_memory_mode);
+    gdb_put_strbuf();
+}
+
+void gdb_handle_set_qemu_phy_mem_mode(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
+{
+    if (!params->len) {
+        gdb_put_packet("E22");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (!get_param(params, 0)->val_ul) {
+        phy_memory_mode = 0;
+    } else {
+        phy_memory_mode = 1;
+    }
+    gdb_put_packet("OK");
+}
+
 void gdb_handle_query_rcmd(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
 {
     const guint8 zero = 0;
diff --git a/gdbstub/user.c b/gdbstub/user.c
index 90dfe49f27..b956c0e297 100644
--- a/gdbstub/user.c
+++ b/gdbstub/user.c
@@ -373,6 +373,21 @@ int gdb_continue_partial(char *newstates)
     return res;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Memory access helpers
+ */
+int gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(CPUState *cpu, hwaddr addr,
+                               uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write)
+{
+    CPUClass *cc;
+
+    cc = CPU_GET_CLASS(cpu);
+    if (cc->memory_rw_debug) {
+        return cc->memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
+    }
+    return cpu_memory_rw_debug(cpu, addr, buf, len, is_write);
+}
+
 /*
  * Break/Watch point helpers
  */
