diff --git a/gdbstub/gdbstub.c b/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
index d08568cea0e..a096104b07a 100644
--- a/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
+++ b/gdbstub/gdbstub.c
@@ -1422,11 +1422,10 @@ static void handle_v_attach(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
     gdbserver_state.g_cpu = cpu;
     gdbserver_state.c_cpu = cpu;
 
-    if (gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+    if (gdb_try_stop()) {
         g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf, "T%02xthread:", GDB_SIGNAL_TRAP);
         gdb_append_thread_id(cpu, gdbserver_state.str_buf);
         g_string_append_c(gdbserver_state.str_buf, ';');
-        gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
 cleanup:
         gdb_put_strbuf();
     }
@@ -2016,12 +2015,11 @@ static void handle_gen_set(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
 
 static void handle_target_halt(GArray *params, void *user_ctx)
 {
-    if (gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+    if (gdb_try_stop()) {
         g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf, "T%02xthread:", GDB_SIGNAL_TRAP);
         gdb_append_thread_id(gdbserver_state.c_cpu, gdbserver_state.str_buf);
         g_string_append_c(gdbserver_state.str_buf, ';');
         gdb_put_strbuf();
-        gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
     }
     /*
      * Remove all the breakpoints when this query is issued,
@@ -2493,3 +2491,12 @@ void gdb_create_default_process(GDBState *s)
     process->target_xml = NULL;
 }
 
+bool gdb_try_stop(void)
+{
+    if (!gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
+    return true;
+}
diff --git a/gdbstub/internals.h b/gdbstub/internals.h
index 5acc36846f3..310861e581b 100644
--- a/gdbstub/internals.h
+++ b/gdbstub/internals.h
@@ -215,4 +215,6 @@ void gdb_breakpoint_remove_all(CPUState *cs);
 int gdb_target_memory_rw_debug(CPUState *cs, hwaddr addr,
                                uint8_t *buf, int len, bool is_write);
 
+bool gdb_try_stop(void);
+
 #endif /* GDBSTUB_INTERNALS_H */
diff --git a/gdbstub/system.c b/gdbstub/system.c
index 5ce357c6c2b..fbe9528569c 100644
--- a/gdbstub/system.c
+++ b/gdbstub/system.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ static void gdb_vm_state_change(void *opaque, bool running, RunState state)
         return;
     }
 
-    if (!gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+    if (!gdb_try_stop()) {
         return;
     }
 
@@ -211,7 +211,6 @@ static void gdb_vm_state_change(void *opaque, bool running, RunState state)
 
 send_packet:
     gdb_put_packet(buf->str);
-    gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
 
     /* disable single step if it was enabled */
     cpu_single_step(cpu, 0);
@@ -428,10 +427,9 @@ void gdb_exit(int code)
 
     trace_gdbstub_op_exiting((uint8_t)code);
 
-    if (gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+    if (gdb_try_stop()) {
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "W%02x", (uint8_t)code);
         gdb_put_packet(buf);
-        gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
     }
 
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&gdbserver_system_state.chr, true);
diff --git a/gdbstub/user.c b/gdbstub/user.c
index 6a493c5ba3a..77ba227fc3b 100644
--- a/gdbstub/user.c
+++ b/gdbstub/user.c
@@ -181,10 +181,9 @@ void gdb_exit(int code)
 
     trace_gdbstub_op_exiting((uint8_t)code);
 
-    if (gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+    if (gdb_try_stop()) {
         snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "W%02x", (uint8_t)code);
         gdb_put_packet(buf);
-        gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
     }
 
 }
@@ -222,7 +221,7 @@ int gdb_handlesig(CPUState *cpu, int sig, const char *reason, void *siginfo,
 
     if (sig != 0) {
         gdb_set_stop_cpu(cpu);
-        if (gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+        if (gdb_try_stop()) {
             g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf,
                             "T%02xthread:", gdb_target_signal_to_gdb(sig));
             gdb_append_thread_id(cpu, gdbserver_state.str_buf);
@@ -231,7 +230,6 @@ int gdb_handlesig(CPUState *cpu, int sig, const char *reason, void *siginfo,
                 g_string_append(gdbserver_state.str_buf, reason);
             }
             gdb_put_strbuf();
-            gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
         }
     }
     /*
@@ -276,13 +274,12 @@ void gdb_signalled(CPUArchState *env, int sig)
     char buf[4];
 
     if (!gdbserver_state.init || gdbserver_user_state.fd < 0 ||
-        !gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+        !gdb_try_stop()) {
         return;
     }
 
     snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "X%02x", gdb_target_signal_to_gdb(sig));
     gdb_put_packet(buf);
-    gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply = false;
 }
 
 static void gdb_accept_init(int fd)
@@ -502,7 +499,7 @@ void gdbserver_fork_end(CPUState *cpu, pid_t pid)
         gdbserver_user_state.fork_peer_pid = pid;
         gdbserver_user_state.fork_peer_tid = pid;
 
-        if (!gdbserver_state.allow_stop_reply) {
+        if (!gdb_try_stop()) {
             goto fail;
         }
         g_string_printf(gdbserver_state.str_buf,
