diff --git a/headers/os/kernel/debugger.h b/headers/os/kernel/debugger.h
index d2a96841e2..5084f5a1c2 100644
--- a/headers/os/kernel/debugger.h
+++ b/headers/os/kernel/debugger.h
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@ extern status_t	remove_team_debugger(team_id team);
 extern status_t	debug_thread(thread_id thread);
 extern void		wait_for_debugger(void);
 
+// EXPERIMENTAL: Self-debugging functions. Will fail when a team debugger is
+// installed. A breakpoint/watchpoint hit will cause the default debugger to
+// be installed for the team.
+extern status_t	set_debugger_breakpoint(void *address);
+extern status_t	clear_debugger_breakpoint(void *address);
+extern status_t	set_debugger_watchpoint(void *address, uint32 type,
+					int32 length);
+extern status_t	clear_debugger_watchpoint(void *address);
+
+
 // team debugging flags
 enum {
 	// event mask: If a flag is set, any of the team's threads will stop when
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h b/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
index 26c40e395b..683793357c 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/syscalls.h
@@ -263,6 +263,10 @@ extern status_t		_kern_remove_team_debugger(team_id team);
 extern status_t		_kern_debug_thread(thread_id thread);
 extern void			_kern_wait_for_debugger(void);
 
+extern status_t		_kern_set_debugger_breakpoint(void *address, uint32 type,
+						int32 length, bool watchpoint);
+extern status_t		_kern_clear_debugger_breakpoint(void *address,
+						bool watchpoint);
 
 /* atomic_* ops (needed for CPUs that don't support them directly) */
 #ifdef ATOMIC_FUNCS_ARE_SYSCALLS
diff --git a/headers/private/kernel/user_debugger.h b/headers/private/kernel/user_debugger.h
index fbce350d71..11bfbf5c38 100644
--- a/headers/private/kernel/user_debugger.h
+++ b/headers/private/kernel/user_debugger.h
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@ status_t	_user_remove_team_debugger(team_id team);
 status_t	_user_debug_thread(thread_id thread);
 void		_user_wait_for_debugger(void);
 
+status_t	_user_set_debugger_breakpoint(void *address, uint32 type,
+				int32 length, bool watchpoint);
+status_t	_user_clear_debugger_breakpoint(void *address, bool watchpoint);
+
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 }	// extern "C"
diff --git a/src/system/kernel/debug/user_debugger.cpp b/src/system/kernel/debug/user_debugger.cpp
index bbceb7268c..fd0ea28173 100644
--- a/src/system/kernel/debug/user_debugger.cpp
+++ b/src/system/kernel/debug/user_debugger.cpp
@@ -1786,11 +1786,14 @@ debug_nub_thread(void *)
 
 
 /**	\brief Helper function for install_team_debugger(), that sets up the team
- *		   and thread debug infos.
- *
- *	Interrupts must be enabled and the team debug info lock of the team to be
- *	debugged must be held. The function will release the lock, but leave
- *	interrupts disabled.
+		   and thread debug infos.
+
+	Interrupts must be disabled and the team debug info lock of the team to be
+	debugged must be held. The function will release the lock, but leave
+	interrupts disabled.
+
+	The function also clears the arch specific team and thread debug infos
+	(including among other things formerly set break/watchpoints).
  */
 static void
 install_team_debugger_init_debug_infos(struct team *team, team_id debuggerTeam,
@@ -1805,6 +1808,8 @@ install_team_debugger_init_debug_infos(struct team *team, team_id debuggerTeam,
 	team->debug_info.debugger_port = debuggerPort;
 	team->debug_info.debugger_write_lock = debuggerPortWriteLock;
 
+	arch_clear_team_debug_info(&team->debug_info.arch_info);
+
 	RELEASE_TEAM_DEBUG_INFO_LOCK(team->debug_info);
 
 	// set the user debug flags and signal masks of all threads to the default
@@ -1822,6 +1827,8 @@ install_team_debugger_init_debug_infos(struct team *team, team_id debuggerTeam,
 				flags | B_THREAD_DEBUG_DEFAULT_FLAGS);
 			thread->debug_info.ignore_signals = 0;
 			thread->debug_info.ignore_signals_once = 0;
+
+			arch_clear_thread_debug_info(&thread->debug_info.arch_info);
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -2229,6 +2236,7 @@ _user_debug_thread(thread_id threadID)
 	return error;
 }
 
+
 void
 _user_wait_for_debugger(void)
 {
@@ -2238,3 +2246,54 @@ _user_wait_for_debugger(void)
 }
 
 
+status_t
+_user_set_debugger_breakpoint(void *address, uint32 type, int32 length,
+	bool watchpoint)
+{
+	// check the address and size
+	if (address == NULL || !IS_USER_ADDRESS(address))
+		return B_BAD_ADDRESS;
+	if (watchpoint && length < 0)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+
+	// check whether a debugger is installed already
+	team_debug_info teamDebugInfo;
+	get_team_debug_info(teamDebugInfo);
+	if (teamDebugInfo.flags & B_TEAM_DEBUG_DEBUGGER_INSTALLED)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+
+	// We can't help it, here's a small but relatively harmless race condition,
+	// since a debugger could be installed in the meantime. The worst case is
+	// that we install a break/watchpoint the debugger doesn't know about.
+
+	// set the break/watchpoint
+	if (watchpoint)
+		return arch_set_watchpoint(address, type, length);
+	else
+		return arch_set_breakpoint(address);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+_user_clear_debugger_breakpoint(void *address, bool watchpoint)
+{
+	// check the address
+	if (address == NULL || !IS_USER_ADDRESS(address))
+		return B_BAD_ADDRESS;
+
+	// check whether a debugger is installed already
+	team_debug_info teamDebugInfo;
+	get_team_debug_info(teamDebugInfo);
+	if (teamDebugInfo.flags & B_TEAM_DEBUG_DEBUGGER_INSTALLED)
+		return B_BAD_VALUE;
+
+	// We can't help it, here's a small but relatively harmless race condition,
+	// since a debugger could be installed in the meantime. The worst case is
+	// that we clear a break/watchpoint the debugger has just installed.
+
+	// clear the break/watchpoint
+	if (watchpoint)
+		return arch_clear_watchpoint(address);
+	else
+		return arch_clear_breakpoint(address);
+}
diff --git a/src/system/libroot/os/debug.c b/src/system/libroot/os/debug.c
index ced7da95e1..9041c6a48a 100644
--- a/src/system/libroot/os/debug.c
+++ b/src/system/libroot/os/debug.c
@@ -114,6 +114,34 @@ wait_for_debugger(void)
 }
 
 
+status_t
+set_debugger_breakpoint(void *address)
+{
+	return _kern_set_debugger_breakpoint(address, 0, 0, false);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+clear_debugger_breakpoint(void *address)
+{
+	return _kern_clear_debugger_breakpoint(address, false);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+set_debugger_watchpoint(void *address, uint32 type, int32 length)
+{
+	return _kern_set_debugger_breakpoint(address, type, length, true);
+}
+
+
+status_t
+clear_debugger_watchpoint(void *address)
+{
+	return _kern_clear_debugger_breakpoint(address, true);
+}
+
+
 static void
 get_debug_string(const debug_string_entry *stringEntries,
 	const char *defaultString, uint32 code, char *buffer, int32 bufferSize)