diff --git a/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.cc
index 5a6720cb70..da536544f5 100644
--- a/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ tryTranslate(ThreadContext *tc, Addr addr)
            mmu->translateFunctional(req, tc, BaseTLB::Execute) == NoFault;
 }
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port)
-    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, tc, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port)
+    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.hh
index ea6cd05771..80d06d03aa 100644
--- a/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/arm/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     AArch64GdbRegCache regCache64;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs();
     std::vector<std::string>
     availableFeatures() const
diff --git a/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.cc
index 30efb36e80..6f869fcaf6 100644
--- a/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@
 
 using namespace MipsISA;
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port)
-    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, tc, _port), regCache(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port)
+    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache(this)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.hh
index a8e7c1f592..8fb54f7d5e 100644
--- a/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/mips/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     MipsGdbRegCache regCache;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs();
     std::vector<std::string>
     availableFeatures() const
diff --git a/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.cc
index ce9976fac6..860a23338e 100644
--- a/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -145,8 +145,8 @@
 
 using namespace PowerISA;
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port)
-    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, tc, _port), regCache(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port)
+    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache(this)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.hh
index 4f46ca51d1..ab5037e4e8 100644
--- a/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/power/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     PowerGdbRegCache regCache;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs();
     std::vector<std::string>
     availableFeatures() const
diff --git a/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.cc
index 681a39d341..b8549e266e 100644
--- a/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -152,8 +152,8 @@
 
 using namespace RiscvISA;
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port)
-    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, tc, _port), regCache(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port)
+    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache(this)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.hh
index e57504b048..565a7738e9 100644
--- a/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/riscv/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     RiscvGdbRegCache regCache;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs() override;
     /**
      * Informs GDB remote serial protocol that XML features are supported
diff --git a/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.cc
index 1a1042da2f..53d2250a10 100644
--- a/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@
 
 using namespace SparcISA;
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *c, int _port)
-    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, c, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port)
+    : BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
 {}
 
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
diff --git a/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.hh
index b646fbbc4a..d6abf32994 100644
--- a/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/sparc/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     SPARC64GdbRegCache regCache64;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *tc, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs();
 };
 } // namespace SparcISA
diff --git a/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.cc b/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.cc
index f370675d1c..9f8495d442 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@
 
 using namespace X86ISA;
 
-RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *c, int _port) :
-    BaseRemoteGDB(_system, c, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
+RemoteGDB::RemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port) :
+    BaseRemoteGDB(_system, _port), regCache32(this), regCache64(this)
 {}
 
 bool
diff --git a/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.hh b/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.hh
index 7ba91aeae0..3d5909fb86 100644
--- a/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/arch/x86/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class RemoteGDB : public BaseRemoteGDB
     AMD64GdbRegCache regCache64;
 
   public:
-    RemoteGDB(System *system, ThreadContext *context, int _port);
+    RemoteGDB(System *system, int _port);
     BaseGdbRegCache *gdbRegs();
 };
 } // namespace X86ISA
diff --git a/src/base/remote_gdb.cc b/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
index 0592b7799d..8ec8641bdd 100644
--- a/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
+++ b/src/base/remote_gdb.cc
@@ -349,12 +349,10 @@ std::map<Addr, HardBreakpoint *> hardBreakMap;
 
 }
 
-BaseRemoteGDB::BaseRemoteGDB(System *_system, ThreadContext *c, int _port) :
+BaseRemoteGDB::BaseRemoteGDB(System *_system, int _port) :
         connectEvent(nullptr), dataEvent(nullptr), _port(_port), fd(-1),
         sys(_system), trapEvent(this), singleStepEvent(*this)
-{
-    addThreadContext(c);
-}
+{}
 
 BaseRemoteGDB::~BaseRemoteGDB()
 {
@@ -392,7 +390,7 @@ void
 BaseRemoteGDB::connect()
 {
     panic_if(!listener.islistening(),
-             "Cannot accept GDB connections if we're not listening!");
+             "Can't accept GDB connections without any threads!");
 
     int sfd = listener.accept(true);
 
@@ -445,6 +443,10 @@ BaseRemoteGDB::addThreadContext(ThreadContext *_tc)
     // If no ThreadContext is current selected, select this one.
     if (!tc)
         assert(selectThreadContext(_tc->contextId()));
+
+    // Now that we have a thread, we can start listening.
+    if (!listener.islistening())
+        listen();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/base/remote_gdb.hh b/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
index 231ca62b54..b5870e049b 100644
--- a/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
+++ b/src/base/remote_gdb.hh
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ class BaseRemoteGDB
     /**
      * Interface to other parts of the simulator.
      */
-    BaseRemoteGDB(System *system, ThreadContext *context, int _port);
+    BaseRemoteGDB(System *system, int _port);
     virtual ~BaseRemoteGDB();
 
     std::string name();
diff --git a/src/sim/system.cc b/src/sim/system.cc
index 2abebdb326..e2c42a9e6a 100644
--- a/src/sim/system.cc
+++ b/src/sim/system.cc
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ System::System(const Params &p)
       redirectPaths(p.redirect_paths)
 {
     if (workload)
-        workload->system = this;
+        workload->setSystem(this);
 
     // add self to global system list
     systemList.push_back(this);
diff --git a/src/sim/workload.cc b/src/sim/workload.cc
index d1ce8b554b..ba9a7387be 100644
--- a/src/sim/workload.cc
+++ b/src/sim/workload.cc
@@ -32,6 +32,18 @@
 #include "cpu/thread_context.hh"
 #include "sim/debug.hh"
 
+void
+Workload::setSystem(System *sys)
+{
+    system = sys;
+
+#   if THE_ISA != NULL_ISA
+    int port = getRemoteGDBPort();
+    if (port)
+        gdb = new TheISA::RemoteGDB(system, port);
+#   endif
+}
+
 void
 Workload::registerThreadContext(ThreadContext *tc)
 {
@@ -42,13 +54,8 @@ Workload::registerThreadContext(ThreadContext *tc)
             tc->contextId());
 
 #   if THE_ISA != NULL_ISA
-    int port = getRemoteGDBPort();
-    if (port && !gdb) {
-        gdb = new TheISA::RemoteGDB(system, tc, port);
-        gdb->listen();
-    } else if (gdb) {
+    if (gdb)
         gdb->addThreadContext(tc);
-    }
 #   endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/sim/workload.hh b/src/sim/workload.hh
index b6345257f1..b2cb4a72d8 100644
--- a/src/sim/workload.hh
+++ b/src/sim/workload.hh
@@ -71,11 +71,15 @@ class Workload : public SimObject
     bool waitForRemoteGDB = false;
     std::set<ThreadContext *> threads;
 
+    System *system = nullptr;
+
   public:
     Workload(const WorkloadParams &params) : SimObject(params), stats(this),
             waitForRemoteGDB(params.wait_for_remote_gdb)
     {}
 
+    void setSystem(System *sys);
+
     void recordQuiesce() { stats.instStats.quiesce++; }
     void recordArm() { stats.instStats.arm++; }
 
@@ -83,8 +87,6 @@ class Workload : public SimObject
     // system object, this helper can be removed.
     bool trapToGdb(int signal, ContextID ctx_id);
 
-    System *system = nullptr;
-
     virtual void registerThreadContext(ThreadContext *tc);
     virtual void replaceThreadContext(ThreadContext *tc);