diff --git a/config/functions b/config/functions
index 0107e2cf29..f77ec476f7 100644
--- a/config/functions
+++ b/config/functions
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ setup_pkg_config_host() {
 }
 
 setup_toolchain() {
+  local have_gold="no"
   if [ "$LTO_SUPPORT" = "yes" ]; then
     if flag_enabled "lto-parallel" "no"; then
       TARGET_CFLAGS+=" $FLAGS_OPTIM_LTO_PARALLEL $FLAGS_OPTIM_LTO_NO_FAT"
@@ -233,13 +234,20 @@ setup_toolchain() {
   # gold flag
   if flag_enabled "gold" "$GOLD_SUPPORT" "only-disable"; then
     TARGET_LDFLAGS+=" $LDFLAGS_OPTIM_GOLD"
+    have_gold="yes"
   fi
 
   # compiler optimization, descending priority: speed, size, default
   if [ "${BUILD_WITH_DEBUG}" = "yes" ]; then
-    TARGET_CFLAGS+=" $CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
-    TARGET_CXXFLAGS+=" $CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
-    TARGET_LDFLAGS+=" $LDFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
+    if [ "${SPLIT_DEBUG_INFO}" = "yes" -a "${have_gold}" = "yes" ]; then
+      TARGET_CFLAGS+=" $CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT"
+      TARGET_CXXFLAGS+=" $CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT"
+      TARGET_LDFLAGS+=" $LDFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT"
+    else
+      TARGET_CFLAGS+=" $CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
+      TARGET_CXXFLAGS+=" $CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
+      TARGET_LDFLAGS+=" $LDFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
+    fi
   elif flag_enabled "speed" "no"; then
     TARGET_CFLAGS+=" $CFLAGS_OPTIM_SPEED"
     TARGET_CXXFLAGS+=" $CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_SPEED"
diff --git a/config/optimize b/config/optimize
index 7cdb26447d..d8486d2af4 100644
--- a/config/optimize
+++ b/config/optimize
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_SIZE="$CFLAGS_OPTIM_SIZE"
 CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG="-ggdb -Os"
 CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG="$CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG"
 LDFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG="-ggdb"
+# split debug settings (requires gold)
+CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT="-gsplit-dwarf -Os"
+CXXFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT="$CFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT"
+LDFLAGS_OPTIM_DEBUG_SPLIT="-Wl,--gdb-index"
 
 # position-independent code
 CFLAGS_OPTIM_PIC="-fPIC -DPIC"
diff --git a/packages/debug/gdb/package.mk b/packages/debug/gdb/package.mk
index 2867e0af0d..47804f8c18 100644
--- a/packages/debug/gdb/package.mk
+++ b/packages/debug/gdb/package.mk
@@ -9,10 +9,11 @@ PKG_LICENSE="GPL"
 PKG_SITE="http://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/"
 PKG_URL="https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gdb/$PKG_NAME-$PKG_VERSION.tar.xz"
 PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET="toolchain zlib ncurses expat"
+PKG_DEPENDS_HOST="toolchain:host zlib:host ncurses:host expat:host"
 PKG_LONGDESC="GNU Project debugger, allows you to see what is going on inside another program while it executes."
 PKG_BUILD_FLAGS="+size"
 
-PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="bash_cv_have_mbstate_t=set \
+PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_COMMON="bash_cv_have_mbstate_t=set \
                            --disable-shared \
                            --enable-static \
                            --with-auto-load-safe-path=/ \
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@ PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="bash_cv_have_mbstate_t=set \
                            --with-intel-pt=no \
                            --with-babeltrace=no \
                            --with-expat=yes \
-                           --with-libexpat-prefix=${SYSROOT_PREFIX}/usr \
                            --disable-source-highlight \
                            --disable-nls \
                            --disable-sim \
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="bash_cv_have_mbstate_t=set \
                            --enable-libssp \
                            --disable-werror"
 
+PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="${PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_COMMON} \
+                           --with-libexpat-prefix=${SYSROOT_PREFIX}/usr"
+
+PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_HOST="${PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_COMMON} \
+                         --target=${TARGET_NAME}"
+
 pre_configure_target() {
   CC_FOR_BUILD="$HOST_CC"
   CFLAGS_FOR_BUILD="$HOST_CFLAGS"
diff --git a/packages/devel/ncurses/package.mk b/packages/devel/ncurses/package.mk
index 2748beda82..449c4a20b5 100644
--- a/packages/devel/ncurses/package.mk
+++ b/packages/devel/ncurses/package.mk
@@ -60,6 +60,12 @@ PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_TARGET="--without-ada \
                            --disable-home-terminfo \
                            --disable-assertions"
 
+PKG_CONFIGURE_OPTS_HOST="--enable-termcap \
+                         --with-termlib \
+                         --with-shared \
+                         --enable-pc-files \
+                         --without-manpages"
+
 post_makeinstall_target() {
   cp misc/ncurses-config $TOOLCHAIN/bin
   chmod +x $TOOLCHAIN/bin/ncurses-config
diff --git a/packages/virtual/debug/package.mk b/packages/virtual/debug/package.mk
index d2a771cc8b..b12030eff6 100644
--- a/packages/virtual/debug/package.mk
+++ b/packages/virtual/debug/package.mk
@@ -24,3 +24,7 @@ fi
 if build_with_debug && [ "$VALGRIND" = "yes" ]; then
   PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET="$PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET valgrind"
 fi
+
+if [ "$REMOTE_GDB" = "yes" ]; then
+  PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET="$PKG_DEPENDS_TARGET gdb:host"
+fi