diff --git a/src/etc/rust-gdb b/src/etc/rust-gdb
index 520a108da914c..52601cd96f80d 100755
--- a/src/etc/rust-gdb
+++ b/src/etc/rust-gdb
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ RUSTC_SYSROOT=`rustc --print=sysroot`
 GDB_PYTHON_MODULE_DIRECTORY="$RUSTC_SYSROOT/lib/rustlib/etc"
 
 # Run GDB with the additional arguments that load the pretty printers
-PYTHONPATH="$PYTHONPATH:$GDB_PYTHON_MODULE_DIRECTORY" gdb \
+# Set the environment variable `RUST_GDB` to overwrite the call to a
+# different/specific command (defaults to `gdb`).
+RUST_GDB="${RUST_GDB:-gdb}"
+PYTHONPATH="$PYTHONPATH:$GDB_PYTHON_MODULE_DIRECTORY" ${RUST_GDB} \
   -d "$GDB_PYTHON_MODULE_DIRECTORY" \
   -iex "add-auto-load-safe-path $GDB_PYTHON_MODULE_DIRECTORY" \
   "$@"