diff --git a/libr/core/cconfig.c b/libr/core/cconfig.c
index a345b68a0f..88fa72297f 100644
--- a/libr/core/cconfig.c
+++ b/libr/core/cconfig.c
@@ -1013,6 +1013,9 @@ static int cb_dbg_forks(void *user, void *data) {
 static int cb_dbg_gdb_page_size(void *user, void *data) {
 	RCore *core = (RCore*) user;
 	RConfigNode *node = (RConfigNode*) data;
+	if (node->i_value < 64) { // 64 is hardcoded min packet size
+		return false;
+	}
 	if (core->io && core->io->desc && core->io->desc->plugin
 	    && core->io->desc->plugin->name
 	    && !strcmp (core->io->desc->plugin->name, "gdb")) {
@@ -1023,6 +1026,22 @@ static int cb_dbg_gdb_page_size(void *user, void *data) {
 	return true;
 }
 
+static int cb_dbg_gdb_retries(void *user, void *data) {
+	RCore *core = (RCore*) user;
+	RConfigNode *node = (RConfigNode*) data;
+	if (node->i_value <= 0) {
+		return false;
+	}
+	if (core->io && core->io->desc && core->io->desc->plugin
+	    && core->io->desc->plugin->name
+	    && !strcmp (core->io->desc->plugin->name, "gdb")) {
+		char cmd[64];
+		snprintf (cmd, sizeof (cmd), "retries %"PFMT64d, node->i_value);
+		r_io_system (core->io, cmd);
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
 static int cb_dbg_execs(void *user, void *data) {
 	RCore *core = (RCore*) user;
 	RConfigNode *node = (RConfigNode*) data;
@@ -2410,6 +2429,7 @@ R_API int r_core_config_init(RCore *core) {
 	SETPREF ("dbg.exitkills", "true", "Kill process on exit");
 	SETPREF ("dbg.exe.path", NULL, "Path to binary being debugged");
 	SETICB ("dbg.gdb.page_size", 4096, &cb_dbg_gdb_page_size, "Page size on gdb target (useful for QEMU)");
+	SETICB ("dbg.gdb.retries", 10, &cb_dbg_gdb_retries, "Number of retries before gdb packet read times out");
 	SETCB ("dbg.consbreak", "false", &cb_consbreak, "SIGINT handle for attached processes");
 
 	r_config_set_getter (cfg, "dbg.swstep", (RConfigCallback)__dbg_swstep_getter);
diff --git a/libr/io/p/io_gdb.c b/libr/io/p/io_gdb.c
index b99c3c0d27..881c918f78 100644
--- a/libr/io/p/io_gdb.c
+++ b/libr/io/p/io_gdb.c
@@ -217,24 +217,11 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 			 " =!inv.reg         - invalidate reg cache\n"
 			 " =!pktsz           - get max packet size used\n"
 			 " =!pktsz bytes     - set max. packet size as 'bytes' bytes\n"
-			 " =!page_size       - get current setting for page size\n"
-			 " =!page_size bytes - set page size for memory reads (useful for qemu)\n"
 			 " =!exec_file [pid] - get file which was executed for"
 			                     " current/specified pid\n");
 		return true;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "page_size", 9)) {
-		int page_size;
-		if (isspace (cmd[9]) && isdigit (cmd[10])) {
-			if ((page_size = atoi (cmd + 10)) >= 64) { // 64 is hardcoded min packet size
-				desc->page_size = page_size;
-			}
-			return true;
-		}
-		io->cb_printf ("page size: %d bytes\n", desc->page_size);
-		return true;
-	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "pktsz", 5)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "pktsz")) {
 		const char *ptr = r_str_chop_ro (cmd + 5);
 		if (!isdigit (*ptr)) {
 			io->cb_printf ("packet size: %u bytes\n",
@@ -249,7 +236,7 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 		desc->stub_features.pkt_sz = R_MAX (pktsz, 8); // min = 64
 		return true;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "detach", 6)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "detach")) {
 		int pid;
 		if (!isspace (cmd[6]) || !desc->stub_features.multiprocess) {
 			return gdbr_detach (desc) >= 0;
@@ -260,7 +247,7 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 		}
 		return gdbr_detach_pid (desc, pid) >= 0;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "pkt ", 4)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "pkt ")) {
 		if (send_msg (desc, cmd + 4) == -1) {
 			return false;
 		}
@@ -272,14 +259,14 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 		}
 		return r >= 0;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "pid", 3)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "pid")) {
 		int pid = desc ? desc->pid : -1;
 		if (!cmd[3]) {
 			io->cb_printf ("%d\n", pid);
 		}
 		return pid;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "monitor", 7)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "monitor")) {
 		const char *qrcmd = cmd + 8;
 		if (!isspace (cmd[7])) {
 			qrcmd = "help";
@@ -290,7 +277,7 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 		}
 		return true;
 	}
-	if (!strncmp (cmd, "inv.reg", 7)) {
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "inv.reg")) {
 		gdbr_invalidate_reg_cache ();
 		return true;
 	}
@@ -321,8 +308,30 @@ static int __system(RIO *io, RIODesc *fd, const char *cmd) {
 		free (file);
 		return true;
 	}
-	// This is internal, not available to user. Sets a flag that next call to
-	// get memmap will be for getting baddr
+	// These are internal, not available to user directly
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "retries")) {
+		int num_retries;
+		if (isspace (cmd[7]) && isdigit (cmd[8])) {
+			if ((num_retries = atoi (cmd + 8)) >= 1) {
+				desc->num_retries = num_retries;
+			}
+			return true;
+		}
+		io->cb_printf ("num_retries: %d bytes\n", desc->page_size);
+		return true;
+	}
+	if (r_str_startswith (cmd, "page_size")) {
+		int page_size;
+		if (isspace (cmd[9]) && isdigit (cmd[10])) {
+			if ((page_size = atoi (cmd + 10)) >= 64) {
+				desc->page_size = page_size;
+			}
+			return true;
+		}
+		io->cb_printf ("page size: %d bytes\n", desc->page_size);
+		return true;
+	}
+	// Sets a flag that next call to get memmap will be for getting baddr
 	if (!strcmp (cmd, "baddr")) {
 		desc->get_baddr = true;
 		return true;
diff --git a/shlr/gdb/include/libgdbr.h b/shlr/gdb/include/libgdbr.h
index d6c05fb185..9dc01da231 100644
--- a/shlr/gdb/include/libgdbr.h
+++ b/shlr/gdb/include/libgdbr.h
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ typedef struct libgdbr_t {
 	libgdbr_stub_features_t stub_features;
 
 	int remote_file_fd; // For remote file I/O
+	int num_retries; // number of retries for packet reading
 
 	int remote_type;
 	bool no_ack;
diff --git a/shlr/gdb/src/libgdbr.c b/shlr/gdb/src/libgdbr.c
index e4d6ead1c9..c39a96f417 100644
--- a/shlr/gdb/src/libgdbr.c
+++ b/shlr/gdb/src/libgdbr.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ int gdbr_init(libgdbr_t *g, bool is_server) {
 	g->send_max = 2500;
 	g->send_buff = (char *) calloc (g->send_max, 1);
 	g->page_size = 4096;
+	g->num_retries = 10; // safe number, should be ~2.5 seconds
 	if (!g->send_buff) {
 		return -1;
 	}
diff --git a/shlr/gdb/src/packet.c b/shlr/gdb/src/packet.c
index e46ef216b7..282b001c02 100644
--- a/shlr/gdb/src/packet.c
+++ b/shlr/gdb/src/packet.c
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ static int unpack(libgdbr_t *g, struct parse_ctx *ctx, int len) {
 
 int read_packet(libgdbr_t *g, bool vcont) {
 	struct parse_ctx ctx = { 0 };
-	int ret;
+	int ret, i;
 	if (!g) {
 		eprintf ("Initialize libgdbr_t first\n");
 		return -1;
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ int read_packet(libgdbr_t *g, bool vcont) {
 		}
 	}
 	g->data_len = 0;
-	while (1) {
+	for (i = 0; i < g->num_retries; vcont ? 0 : i++) {
 		ret = r_socket_ready (g->sock, 0, READ_TIMEOUT);
 		if (ret == 0 && !vcont) {
 			continue;