diff --git a/tools/cmake/UploadMethodManager.cmake b/tools/cmake/UploadMethodManager.cmake
index 339f515..4c3a69f 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/UploadMethodManager.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/UploadMethodManager.cmake
@@ -52,10 +52,10 @@
 	)
 
 	# add debug target
-	if(MBED_UPLOAD_SUPPORTS_DEBUG)
+	if(MBED_UPLOAD_SUPPORTS_DEBUG AND MBED_GDB_FOUND)
 		add_custom_target(debug-${target}
 			COMMENT "starting GDB to debug ${target}..."
-			COMMAND arm-none-eabi-gdb
+			COMMAND ${MBED_GDB}
 			--command=${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/mbed-cmake.gdbinit
 			$<TARGET_FILE:${target}>
 			USES_TERMINAL)
diff --git a/tools/cmake/app.cmake b/tools/cmake/app.cmake
index b1c5399..9d32a40 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/app.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/app.cmake
@@ -58,6 +58,21 @@
 # Note: This is nice in general, but is also required because STM32Cube will only work on files with a .elf extension
 set(CMAKE_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX .elf)
 
+# Find the GDB server, assuming it will be in the same path as the compiler.
+get_filename_component(CMAKE_COMPILER_BIN_DIR ${CMAKE_C_COMPILER} DIRECTORY)
+find_program(MBED_GDB 
+    NAMES arm-none-eabi-gdb gdb-multiarch
+    HINTS ${CMAKE_COMPILER_BIN_DIR}
+    DOC "Path to the GDB client program to use when debugging.")
+
+if(EXISTS "${MBED_GDB}")
+    message(STATUS "Mbed: Found GDB executable: ${MBED_GDB}")
+    set(MBED_GDB_FOUND TRUE)
+else()
+    message(STATUS "Mbed: Could not find arm-none-eabi-gdb or gdb-mutiarch.  Debugging will be unavailable.  Set the MBED_GDB variable to specify its path.")
+    set(MBED_GDB_FOUND FALSE)
+endif()
+
 # Load upload method configuration defaults for this target.
 # Loading the settings here makes sure they are set at global scope, and also makes sure that
 # the user can override them by changing variable values after including app.cmake.
diff --git a/tools/cmake/mbed_ide_debug_cfg_generator.cmake b/tools/cmake/mbed_ide_debug_cfg_generator.cmake
index ec7eefa..831ad2a 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/mbed_ide_debug_cfg_generator.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/mbed_ide_debug_cfg_generator.cmake
@@ -58,22 +58,30 @@
 "{
     \"configurations\": [")
 
+	# Find objdump as the extension uses it.  In a sane world it should be in the compiler bin dir.
+	find_program(MBED_OBJDUMP
+		NAMES arm-none-eabi-objdump objdump
+		HINTS ${CMAKE_COMPILER_BIN_DIR}
+		DOC "Path to the GNU objdump program.  Needed for VS Code cortex-debug"
+		REQURED)
+
 	function(mbed_generate_ide_debug_configuration CMAKE_TARGET)
 
 	    # Create name (combine target name, Mbed target, and build config to generate a unique string)
 	    set(CONFIG_NAME "Connect to GDB ${CMAKE_TARGET} ${MBED_TARGET} ${CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE}")
 
-	    # from here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/38089178/is-it-possible-to-attach-to-a-remote-gdb-target-with-vscode
+	    # property list here: https://github.com/Marus/cortex-debug/blob/master/debug_attributes.md
 	    set_property(GLOBAL APPEND_STRING PROPERTY VSCODE_LAUNCH_JSON_CONTENT "
 	{
-	    \"type\": \"gdb\",
-	    \"request\": \"attach\",
+	    \"type\": \"cortex-debug\",
 	    \"name\": \"${CONFIG_NAME}\",
 	    \"executable\": \"$<TARGET_FILE:${CMAKE_TARGET}>\",
-	    \"target\": \"localhost:${GDB_PORT}\",
-	    \"remote\": true,
 	    \"cwd\": \"\${workspaceRoot}\",
-	    \"gdbpath\": \"arm-none-eabi-gdb\"
+	    \"gdbPath\": \"${MBED_GDB}\",
+		\"objdumpPath\": \"${MBED_OBJDUMP}\",
+		\"servertype\": \"external\",
+		\"gdbTarget\": \"localhost:${GDB_PORT}\",
+		\"request\": \"attach\"
 	},")
 
 	endfunction(mbed_generate_ide_debug_configuration)
diff --git a/tools/cmake/toolchains/GCC_ARM.cmake b/tools/cmake/toolchains/GCC_ARM.cmake
index 5d74715..d7eeda9 100644
--- a/tools/cmake/toolchains/GCC_ARM.cmake
+++ b/tools/cmake/toolchains/GCC_ARM.cmake
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2020 ARM Limited. All rights reserved.
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
 
-set(CMAKE_ASM_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-gcc")
-set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-gcc")
-set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER "arm-none-eabi-g++")
+# specify the cross compiler.  Use cache variables so that VS Code can detect the compiler from the cache.
+set(CMAKE_C_COMPILER arm-none-eabi-gcc CACHE FILEPATH "C Compiler")
+set(CMAKE_CXX_COMPILER arm-none-eabi-g++ CACHE FILEPATH "CXX Compiler")
+set(CMAKE_ASM_COMPILER arm-none-eabi-gcc CACHE FILEPATH "ASM Compiler")
 set(GCC_ELF2BIN "arm-none-eabi-objcopy")
 set_property(GLOBAL PROPERTY ELF2BIN ${GCC_ELF2BIN})