diff --git a/arch/x86/Kconfig b/arch/x86/Kconfig
index 1197b5596d5a..5f44955ee21c 100644
--- a/arch/x86/Kconfig
+++ b/arch/x86/Kconfig
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ config X86
 	select ARCH_HAS_ACPI_TABLE_UPGRADE	if ACPI
 	select ARCH_HAS_DEBUG_VIRTUAL
 	select ARCH_HAS_DEVMEM_IS_ALLOWED
+	select ARCH_HAS_EARLY_DEBUG		if KGDB
 	select ARCH_HAS_ELF_RANDOMIZE
 	select ARCH_HAS_FAST_MULTIPLIER
 	select ARCH_HAS_FILTER_PGPROT
diff --git a/kernel/debug/debug_core.c b/kernel/debug/debug_core.c
index b542f36499c6..1cd8e8b41115 100644
--- a/kernel/debug/debug_core.c
+++ b/kernel/debug/debug_core.c
@@ -948,6 +948,14 @@ void kgdb_panic(const char *msg)
 	kgdb_breakpoint();
 }
 
+static void kgdb_initial_breakpoint(void)
+{
+	kgdb_break_asap = 0;
+
+	pr_crit("Waiting for connection from remote gdb...\n");
+	kgdb_breakpoint();
+}
+
 void __weak kgdb_arch_late(void)
 {
 }
@@ -958,6 +966,9 @@ void __init dbg_late_init(void)
 	if (kgdb_io_module_registered)
 		kgdb_arch_late();
 	kdb_init(KDB_INIT_FULL);
+
+	if (kgdb_io_module_registered && kgdb_break_asap)
+		kgdb_initial_breakpoint();
 }
 
 static int
@@ -1053,14 +1064,6 @@ void kgdb_schedule_breakpoint(void)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(kgdb_schedule_breakpoint);
 
-static void kgdb_initial_breakpoint(void)
-{
-	kgdb_break_asap = 0;
-
-	pr_crit("Waiting for connection from remote gdb...\n");
-	kgdb_breakpoint();
-}
-
 /**
  *	kgdb_register_io_module - register KGDB IO module
  *	@new_dbg_io_ops: the io ops vector
@@ -1097,7 +1100,8 @@ int kgdb_register_io_module(struct kgdb_io *new_dbg_io_ops)
 	/* Arm KGDB now. */
 	kgdb_register_callbacks();
 
-	if (kgdb_break_asap)
+	if (kgdb_break_asap &&
+	    (!dbg_is_early || IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_EARLY_DEBUG)))
 		kgdb_initial_breakpoint();
 
 	return 0;
@@ -1167,7 +1171,8 @@ static int __init opt_kgdb_wait(char *str)
 	kgdb_break_asap = 1;
 
 	kdb_init(KDB_INIT_EARLY);
-	if (kgdb_io_module_registered)
+	if (kgdb_io_module_registered &&
+	    IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARCH_HAS_EARLY_DEBUG))
 		kgdb_initial_breakpoint();
 
 	return 0;
diff --git a/lib/Kconfig.kgdb b/lib/Kconfig.kgdb
index 933680b59e2d..ffa7a76de086 100644
--- a/lib/Kconfig.kgdb
+++ b/lib/Kconfig.kgdb
@@ -124,4 +124,22 @@ config KDB_CONTINUE_CATASTROPHIC
 	  CONFIG_KDB_CONTINUE_CATASTROPHIC == 2. KDB forces a reboot.
 	  If you are not sure, say 0.
 
+config ARCH_HAS_EARLY_DEBUG
+	bool
+	default n
+	help
+	  If an architecture can definitely handle entering the debugger
+	  when early_param's are parsed then it select this config.
+	  Otherwise, if "kgdbwait" is passed on the kernel command line it
+	  won't actually be processed until dbg_late_init() just after the
+	  call to kgdb_arch_late() is made.
+
+	  NOTE: Even if this isn't selected by an architecture we will
+	  still try to register kgdb to handle breakpoints and crashes
+	  when early_param's are parsed, we just won't act on the
+	  "kgdbwait" parameter until dbg_late_init().  If you get a
+	  crash and try to drop into kgdb somewhere between these two
+	  places you might or might not end up being able to use kgdb
+	  depending on exactly how far along the architecture has initted.
+
 endif # KGDB