diff --git a/include/mgba/debugger/debugger.h b/include/mgba/debugger/debugger.h
index d66ea824b38..baef1d502d9 100644
--- a/include/mgba/debugger/debugger.h
+++ b/include/mgba/debugger/debugger.h
@@ -212,10 +212,13 @@ struct mDebuggerPlatform {
 	void (*nextInstructionInfo)(struct mDebuggerPlatform* d, struct mDebuggerInstructionInfo* info);
 };
 
+struct mCoreThreadInternal;
+
 struct mDebugger {
 	struct mCPUComponent d;
 	struct mDebuggerPlatform* platform;
 	enum mDebuggerState state;
+	struct mCoreThreadInternal* threadImpl;
 	struct mCore* core;
 	struct mScriptBridge* bridge;
 	struct mStackTrace stackTrace;
@@ -245,9 +248,13 @@ void mDebuggerInit(struct mDebugger*);
 void mDebuggerDeinit(struct mDebugger*);
 
 void mDebuggerAttach(struct mDebugger*, struct mCore*);
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+void mDebuggerSetThread(struct mDebugger*, struct mCoreThreadInternal*);
+void mDebuggerUnsetThread(struct mDebugger*);
+#endif
 void mDebuggerAttachModule(struct mDebugger*, struct mDebuggerModule*);
 void mDebuggerDetachModule(struct mDebugger*, struct mDebuggerModule*);
-void mDebuggerRunTimeout(struct mDebugger* debugger, int32_t timeoutMs);
+void mDebuggerRunTimeout(struct mDebugger*, int32_t);
 void mDebuggerRun(struct mDebugger*);
 void mDebuggerRunFrame(struct mDebugger*);
 void mDebuggerEnter(struct mDebugger*, enum mDebuggerEntryReason, struct mDebuggerEntryInfo*);
diff --git a/src/core/thread.c b/src/core/thread.c
index 92d13412092..23c6263926d 100644
--- a/src/core/thread.c
+++ b/src/core/thread.c
@@ -285,9 +285,10 @@ static THREAD_ENTRY _mCoreThreadRun(void* context) {
 #ifdef ENABLE_DEBUGGERS
 		struct mDebugger* debugger = core->debugger;
 		if (debugger) {
-			MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
+			if (!debugger->threadImpl) {
+				mDebuggerSetThread(core->debugger, impl);
+			}
 			mDebuggerRun(debugger);
-			MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
 			if (debugger->state == DEBUGGER_SHUTDOWN) {
 				impl->state = mTHREAD_EXITING;
 			}
@@ -385,6 +386,12 @@ static THREAD_ENTRY _mCoreThreadRun(void* context) {
 		impl->state = mTHREAD_SHUTDOWN;
 	}
 	ConditionWake(&threadContext->impl->stateOffThreadCond);
+
+#ifdef ENABLE_DEBUGGERS
+	if (core->debugger && core->debugger->threadImpl) {
+		mDebuggerUnsetThread(core->debugger);
+	}
+#endif
 	MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
 
 	if (core->opts.rewindEnable) {
diff --git a/src/debugger/debugger.c b/src/debugger/debugger.c
index 995a280991d..d5dfe3ac3fd 100644
--- a/src/debugger/debugger.c
+++ b/src/debugger/debugger.c
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
  * file, You can obtain one at http://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/. */
 #include <mgba/debugger/debugger.h>
 
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+#include <mgba/core/thread.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <mgba/core/core.h>
 
 #include <mgba/internal/debugger/cli-debugger.h>
@@ -97,6 +101,20 @@ void mDebuggerAttach(struct mDebugger* debugger, struct mCore* core) {
 	core->attachDebugger(core, debugger);
 }
 
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+void mDebuggerSetThread(struct mDebugger* debugger, struct mCoreThreadInternal* thread) {
+	if (!debugger->threadImpl) {
+		debugger->threadImpl = thread;
+	}
+}
+
+void mDebuggerUnsetThread(struct mDebugger* debugger) {
+	if (debugger->threadImpl) {
+		debugger->threadImpl = 0;
+	}
+}
+#endif
+
 void mDebuggerAttachModule(struct mDebugger* debugger, struct mDebuggerModule* module) {
 	module->p = debugger;
 	*mDebuggerModuleListAppend(&debugger->modules) = module;
@@ -127,37 +145,97 @@ void mDebuggerRunTimeout(struct mDebugger* debugger, int32_t timeoutMs) {
 	size_t i;
 	size_t anyPaused = 0;
 
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+	struct mCoreThreadInternal* impl = debugger->threadImpl;
+#endif
+
 	switch (debugger->state) {
 	case DEBUGGER_RUNNING:
-		if (!debugger->platform->hasBreakpoints(debugger->platform)) {
-			debugger->core->runLoop(debugger->core);
-		} else {
-			debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
-			debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+		bool hasBreakpoints = debugger->platform->hasBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+		if (impl) {
+			if (impl->state == mTHREAD_RUNNING) {
+				if (!hasBreakpoints) {
+					MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
+					debugger->core->runLoop(debugger->core);
+					MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
+				} else {
+					MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
+					debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
+					debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+					MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
+				}
+			}
+		} else
+#endif
+		{
+			if (!hasBreakpoints) {
+				debugger->core->runLoop(debugger->core);
+			} else {
+				debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
+				debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+			}
 		}
 		break;
 	case DEBUGGER_CALLBACK:
-		debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
-		debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
-		for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
-			struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
-			if (module->needsCallback) {
-				module->custom(module);
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+		if (impl) {
+			MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
+			debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
+			debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+			for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
+				struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
+				if (module->needsCallback) {
+					module->custom(module);
+				}
+			}
+			MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
+		} else
+#endif
+		{
+			debugger->core->step(debugger->core);
+			debugger->platform->checkBreakpoints(debugger->platform);
+			for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
+				struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
+				if (module->needsCallback) {
+					module->custom(module);
+				}
 			}
 		}
 		break;
 	case DEBUGGER_PAUSED:
-		for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
-			struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
-			if (module->isPaused) {
-				if (module->paused) {
-					module->paused(module, timeoutMs);
+#ifndef DISABLE_THREADING
+		if (impl) {
+			MutexUnlock(&impl->stateMutex);
+			for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
+				struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
+				if (module->isPaused) {
+					if (module->paused) {
+						module->paused(module, timeoutMs);
+					}
+					if (module->isPaused) {
+						++anyPaused;
+					}
+				} else if (module->needsCallback) {
+					module->custom(module);
 				}
+			}
+			MutexLock(&impl->stateMutex);
+		} else
+#endif
+		{
+			for (i = 0; i < mDebuggerModuleListSize(&debugger->modules); ++i) {
+				struct mDebuggerModule* module = *mDebuggerModuleListGetPointer(&debugger->modules, i);
 				if (module->isPaused) {
-					++anyPaused;
+					if (module->paused) {
+						module->paused(module, timeoutMs);
+					}
+					if (module->isPaused) {
+						++anyPaused;
+					}
+				} else if (module->needsCallback) {
+					module->custom(module);
 				}
-			} else if (module->needsCallback) {
-				module->custom(module);
 			}
 		}
 		if (debugger->state == DEBUGGER_PAUSED && !anyPaused) {
@@ -165,7 +243,7 @@ void mDebuggerRunTimeout(struct mDebugger* debugger, int32_t timeoutMs) {
 		}
 		break;
 	case DEBUGGER_CREATED:
-		mLOG(DEBUGGER, ERROR, "Attempted to run debugger before initializtion");
+		mLOG(DEBUGGER, ERROR, "Attempted to run debugger before initialization");
 		return;
 	case DEBUGGER_SHUTDOWN:
 		return;