diff --git a/arch/x86/core/ia32/gdbstub.c b/arch/x86/core/ia32/gdbstub.c
index f40797a3bcb..9639b992adf 100644
--- a/arch/x86/core/ia32/gdbstub.c
+++ b/arch/x86/core/ia32/gdbstub.c
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 
 
 static struct gdb_ctx ctx;
-static bool start;
 
 /**
  * Currently we just handle vectors 1 and 3 but lets keep it generic
@@ -100,8 +99,7 @@ static void z_gdb_interrupt(unsigned int vector, z_arch_esf_t *esf)
 	ctx.registers[GDB_FS] = esf->fs;
 	ctx.registers[GDB_GS] = esf->gs;
 
-	z_gdb_main_loop(&ctx, start);
-	start = false;
+	z_gdb_main_loop(&ctx);
 
 	esf->eax = ctx.registers[GDB_EAX];
 	esf->ecx = ctx.registers[GDB_ECX];
@@ -230,7 +228,6 @@ static __used void z_gdb_break_isr(z_arch_esf_t *esf)
 
 void arch_gdb_init(void)
 {
-	start = true;
 	__asm__ volatile ("int3");
 }
 
diff --git a/kernel/include/kernel_internal.h b/kernel/include/kernel_internal.h
index 2612b9c2984..c8c3c8cd991 100644
--- a/kernel/include/kernel_internal.h
+++ b/kernel/include/kernel_internal.h
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ struct gdb_ctx;
 /* Should be called by the arch layer. This is the gdbstub main loop
  * and synchronously communicate with gdb on host.
  */
-extern int z_gdb_main_loop(struct gdb_ctx *ctx, bool start);
+extern int z_gdb_main_loop(struct gdb_ctx *ctx);
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_INSTRUMENT_THREAD_SWITCHING
diff --git a/subsys/debug/gdbstub.c b/subsys/debug/gdbstub.c
index e3de190220a..b2ae55c656b 100644
--- a/subsys/debug/gdbstub.c
+++ b/subsys/debug/gdbstub.c
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@ LOG_MODULE_REGISTER(gdbstub);
 #define GDB_ERROR_MEMORY    "E14"
 #define GDB_ERROR_OVERFLOW  "E22"
 
+static bool not_first_start;
+
 size_t gdb_bin2hex(const uint8_t *buf, size_t buflen, char *hex, size_t hexlen)
 {
 	if ((hexlen + 1) < buflen * 2) {
@@ -229,7 +231,7 @@ static int gdb_send_exception(uint8_t *buf, size_t len, uint8_t exception)
 /**
  * Synchronously communicate with gdb on the host
  */
-int z_gdb_main_loop(struct gdb_ctx *ctx, bool start)
+int z_gdb_main_loop(struct gdb_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	/* 'static' modifier is intentional so the buffer
 	 * is not declared inside running stack, which may
@@ -245,8 +247,13 @@ int z_gdb_main_loop(struct gdb_ctx *ctx, bool start)
 
 	state = RECEIVING;
 
-	if (start == false) {
+	/* Only send exception if this is not the first
+	 * GDB break.
+	 */
+	if (not_first_start) {
 		gdb_send_exception(buf, sizeof(buf), ctx->exception);
+	} else {
+		not_first_start = true;
 	}
 
 #define CHECK_ERROR(condition)			\