diff --git a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
index b1dd3fa5..ccece405 100644
--- a/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
+++ b/arduino-debugger-extension/src/node/debug-adapter/arduino-gdb-backend.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export class ArduinoGDBBackend extends GDBBackend {
             'debug',
             '-p', requestArgs.uploadPort || 'none',
             '-b', requestArgs.fqbn,
+            '--interpreter', 'mi2',
             sketchDir
         ];
         const proc = spawn(command, args);
diff --git a/electron/build/scripts/arduino-pro-ide-electron-main.js b/electron/build/scripts/arduino-pro-ide-electron-main.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..82a63fbe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/electron/build/scripts/arduino-pro-ide-electron-main.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+const os = require('os');
+const path = require('path');
+// Enables the discovery of the VS Code extensions in the embedded `plugins` folder in the final app.
+process.env.THEIA_DEFAULT_PLUGINS = `local-dir:${path.resolve(__dirname, '..', 'plugins')}`;
+process.env.THEIA_PLUGINS = [
+    process.env.THEIA_PLUGINS,
+    `local-dir:${path.resolve(os.homedir(), '.arduinoProIDE', 'plugins')}`
+].filter(Boolean).join(',');
+require('../src-gen/frontend/electron-main.js');
diff --git a/electron/build/template-package.json b/electron/build/template-package.json
index b928587a..c4a8b0cc 100644
--- a/electron/build/template-package.json
+++ b/electron/build/template-package.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
-  "main": "src-gen/frontend/electron-main.js",
+  "main": "scripts/arduino-pro-ide-electron-main.js",
   "author": "Arduino SA",
   "resolutions": {
     "**/fs-extra": "^4.0.3"
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     "files": [
       "src-gen",
       "lib",
+      "scripts",
       "!node_modules/**/*.{ts,map}",
       "!node_modules/**/*.spec.js",
       "!node_modules/@theia/**/test/*",