diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/remotegdbserveradapter.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/remotegdbserveradapter.cpp
index 9cd71bd3a9c..0e3dd9e0ffa 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/remotegdbserveradapter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/remotegdbserveradapter.cpp
@@ -247,14 +247,24 @@ void RemoteGdbServerAdapter::callTargetRemote()
     //     (1) connects to the gdb server
     //     (2) starts the remote application
     //     (3) stops the remote application (early, e.g. in the dynamic linker)
-    QString channel = startParameters().remoteChannel;
-    if (m_engine->m_isQnxGdb) {
-        m_engine->postCommand("target qnx " + channel.toLatin1(),
-            CB(handleTargetQnx));
-    } else {
-        m_engine->postCommand("target remote " + channel.toLatin1(),
-            CB(handleTargetRemote));
+    QByteArray channel = startParameters().remoteChannel.toLatin1();
+
+    // Don't touch channels with explicitly set protocols.
+    if (!channel.startsWith("tcp:") && !channel.startsWith("udp:")
+            && !channel.startsWith("file:") && channel.contains(':'))
+    {
+        // "Fix" the IPv6 case with host names without '['...']'
+        if (!channel.startsWith('[') && channel.count(':') >= 2) {
+            channel.insert(0, '[');
+            channel.insert(channel.lastIndexOf(':'), ']');
+        }
+        channel = "tcp:" + channel;
     }
+
+    if (m_engine->m_isQnxGdb)
+        m_engine->postCommand("target qnx " + channel, CB(handleTargetQnx));
+    else
+        m_engine->postCommand("target remote " + channel, CB(handleTargetRemote));
 }
 
 void RemoteGdbServerAdapter::handleTargetRemote(const GdbResponse &record)
diff --git a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdebugsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdebugsupport.cpp
index c24fcdf6578..161fffdbbc7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdebugsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdebugsupport.cpp
@@ -110,10 +110,7 @@ DebuggerStartParameters AbstractRemoteLinuxDebugSupport::startParameters(const R
         params.startMode = AttachToRemoteServer;
         params.executable = runConfig->localExecutableFilePath();
         params.debuggerCommand = runConfig->gdbCmd();
-        QString host = devConf->sshParameters().host;
-        params.remoteChannel = host.contains(QLatin1Char(':'))
-                ? QString::fromLatin1("[%1]:-1").arg(host)
-                : host + QLatin1String(":-1");
+        params.remoteChannel = devConf->sshParameters().host + QLatin1String(":-1");
 
         // TODO: This functionality should be inside the debugger.
         const ProjectExplorer::Abi &abi = runConfig->target()
diff --git a/src/plugins/remotelinux/startgdbserverdialog.cpp b/src/plugins/remotelinux/startgdbserverdialog.cpp
index f12369d7238..bbd0619c7db 100644
--- a/src/plugins/remotelinux/startgdbserverdialog.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/remotelinux/startgdbserverdialog.cpp
@@ -359,12 +359,7 @@ void StartGdbServerDialog::reportOpenPort(int port)
         return;
 
     LinuxDeviceConfiguration::ConstPtr device = d->currentDevice();
-    QString host = device->sshParameters().host;
-    QString channel;
-    if (host.contains(QLatin1Char(':')))
-        channel = QString::fromLatin1("[%1]:%2").arg(host).arg(port);
-    else
-        channel = QString::fromLatin1("%1:%2").arg(host).arg(port);
+    QString channel = QString("%1:%2").arg(device->sshParameters().host).arg(port);
     logMessage(tr("Server started on %1").arg(channel));
 
     QMetaObject::invokeMethod(ob, "gdbServerStarted", Qt::QueuedConnection,