diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
index 05186ab41a1..89b2de50aeb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
@@ -3376,7 +3376,8 @@ bool DebuggerPluginPrivate::boolSetting(int code) const
 
 QString DebuggerPluginPrivate::stringSetting(int code) const
 {
-    return m_debuggerSettings->item(code)->value().toString();
+    QString raw = m_debuggerSettings->item(code)->value().toString();
+    return VariableManager::expandedString(raw);
 }
 
 QStringList DebuggerPluginPrivate::stringListSetting(int code) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdboptionspage.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdboptionspage.cpp
index 71b570945b7..91a77399b85 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdboptionspage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdboptionspage.cpp
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 #include <debugger/debuggerinternalconstants.h>
 
 #include <coreplugin/icore.h>
+#include <coreplugin/variablechooser.h>
 
 #include <QCheckBox>
 #include <QCoreApplication>
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@
 #include <QSpinBox>
 #include <QTextEdit>
 
+
+using namespace Core;
+
 namespace Debugger {
 namespace Internal {
 
@@ -90,6 +94,8 @@ public:
 GdbOptionsPageWidget::GdbOptionsPageWidget(QWidget *parent)
     : QWidget(parent)
 {
+    (void) new VariableChooser(this);
+
     groupBoxGeneral = new QGroupBox(this);
     groupBoxGeneral->setTitle(GdbOptionsPage::tr("General"));
 
@@ -241,6 +247,10 @@ GdbOptionsPageWidget::GdbOptionsPageWidget(QWidget *parent)
         "Matching regular expression: "));
     */
 
+    VariableChooser::addVariableSupport(textEditCustomDumperCommands);
+    VariableChooser::addVariableSupport(textEditPostAttachCommands);
+    VariableChooser::addVariableSupport(textEditStartupCommands);
+
     QFormLayout *formLayout = new QFormLayout(groupBoxGeneral);
     formLayout->addRow(labelGdbWatchdogTimeout, spinBoxGdbWatchdogTimeout);
     formLayout->addRow(checkBoxSkipKnownFrames);