diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 02b314dfc..02e32989b 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -113,5 +113,6 @@ platform/galileo/bsp/libc/newlib-2.2.0-1*
 platform/galileo/bsp/grub/src/
 platform/galileo/bsp/grub/bin/
 
-# galileo build artefacts
+# galileo build and debug artefacts
 *.galileo
+LOG_OPENOCD
diff --git a/platform/galileo/Makefile.customrules-galileo b/platform/galileo/Makefile.customrules-galileo
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0ab0e662c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/galileo/Makefile.customrules-galileo
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+GDB ?= gdb
+OPENOCD_SCRIPTS = $(CONTIKI)/platform/galileo/bsp/openocd-scripts
+
+.PHONY: debug
+
+debug: $(CONTIKI_PROJECT).$(TARGET)
+	@openocd -s $(OPENOCD_SCRIPTS) -f debug.cfg &> $(shell pwd)/LOG_OPENOCD &
+	@$(GDB) $< -ex "target remote :3333"
diff --git a/platform/galileo/bsp/openocd-scripts/debug.cfg b/platform/galileo/bsp/openocd-scripts/debug.cfg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bbe8a5919
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platform/galileo/bsp/openocd-scripts/debug.cfg
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+source [find interface/ftdi/flyswatter2.cfg];
+source [find board/quark_x10xx_board.cfg];
+
+quark_x10xx.cpu configure -event gdb-attach {
+  halt
+}
+
+quark_x10xx.cpu configure -event gdb-detach {
+  resume
+  shutdown
+}