diff --git a/package/gdb/Config.in b/package/gdb/Config.in
index 6eea73b071..9a71c008a0 100644
--- a/package/gdb/Config.in
+++ b/package/gdb/Config.in
@@ -10,15 +10,23 @@ comment "gdb/gdbserver needs a toolchain w/ threads, threads debug"
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_ARCH_SUPPORTS
 	depends on !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 
+comment "gdb/gdbserver >= 8.x needs a toolchain w/ C++, gcc >= 4.8"
+	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
+	depends on !BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
+
 config BR2_PACKAGE_GDB
 	bool "gdb"
 	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS && BR2_TOOLCHAIN_HAS_THREADS_DEBUG
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_ARCH_SUPPORTS
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 || !BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
+	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || !BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
 	# When the external toolchain gdbserver is copied to the
 	# target, we don't allow building a separate gdbserver. The
 	# one from the external toolchain should be used.
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_SERVER if \
 		(!BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER && !BR2_TOOLCHAIN_EXTERNAL_GDB_SERVER_COPY)
+	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 || !BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
+	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP || !BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
 	help
 	  GDB, the GNU Project debugger, allows you to see what is
 	  going on `inside' another program while it executes -- or
diff --git a/package/gdb/Config.in.host b/package/gdb/Config.in.host
index 0011966d88..8736908b6b 100644
--- a/package/gdb/Config.in.host
+++ b/package/gdb/Config.in.host
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GDB_ARCH_SUPPORTS
 	default y
 	# The ARC version needs C++11, thus gcc >= 4.8, like gdb-8.0.x
 	depends on BR2_HOST_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 || !BR2_arc
-	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8 || !BR2_arc
 	depends on !((BR2_arm || BR2_armeb) && BR2_BINFMT_FLAT)
 	depends on !BR2_microblaze
 	depends on !BR2_nios2
@@ -63,14 +62,24 @@ config BR2_GDB_VERSION_7_12
 config BR2_GDB_VERSION_8_0
 	bool "gdb 8.0.x"
 	# Needs a C++11 compiler
-	depends on BR2_INSTALL_LIBSTDCPP
 	depends on BR2_HOST_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
-	depends on BR2_TOOLCHAIN_GCC_AT_LEAST_4_8
 
 endchoice
 
 endif
 
+# Tells whether the currently selected gdb version requires C++11
+# support in the toolchain. When host-gdb is not enabled, the target
+# gdb built is 7.11, which doesn't require C++11 support. So it's only
+# if host-gdb is built, with the version set to 8.0 that C++11 support
+# is needed in the toolchain to build gdb for the target.
+#
+# Even though this option is related to target gdb dependencies, we
+# keep it next to the BR2_GDB_VERSION so that they are kept in sync.
+config BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_NEEDS_CXX11
+	bool
+	default y if BR2_GDB_VERSION_8_0
+
 # If cross-gdb is not enabled, the latest working version is chosen.
 config BR2_GDB_VERSION
 	string