diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/DebugConfiguration.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/DebugConfiguration.java
index 81f4c743c53..94f247f0732 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/DebugConfiguration.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/DebugConfiguration.java
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public class DebugConfiguration implements ICDebugConfiguration {
 	public String[] getPlatforms() {
 		String platform = getConfigurationElement().getAttribute("platform");
 		if ( platform == null ) {
-			return new String[] {"*"};
+			return new String[] {"local"};
 		}
 		StringTokenizer stoken = new StringTokenizer(platform, ",");
 		String[] platforms = new String[stoken.countTokens()];
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/plugin.xml b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/plugin.xml
index f8db46015cd..6562f8882e5 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/plugin.xml
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core/plugin.xml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
    <extension
          point="org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core.CDebugger">
       <debugger
+      		platform="local"
             name="%GDBDebugger.name"
             modes="run,core,attach"
             class="org.eclipse.cdt.debug.mi.core.GDBDebugger"