diff --git a/sys/amd64/amd64/trap.c b/sys/amd64/amd64/trap.c
index 27faa7c14fa..7a097302529 100644
--- a/sys/amd64/amd64/trap.c
+++ b/sys/amd64/amd64/trap.c
@@ -916,7 +916,7 @@ trap_fatal(frame, eva)
 	    curproc->p_pid, curthread->td_name);
 
 #ifdef KDB
-	if (debugger_on_panic) {
+	if (debugger_on_trap) {
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 		handled = kdb_trap(type, 0, frame);
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_UNSET;
diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/trap-v4.c b/sys/arm/arm/trap-v4.c
index cd701c95f6a..d2690ba46d6 100644
--- a/sys/arm/arm/trap-v4.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/trap-v4.c
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ dab_fatal(struct trapframe *tf, u_int fsr, u_int far, struct thread *td,
 	printf(", pc =%08x\n\n", tf->tf_pc);
 
 #ifdef KDB
-	if (debugger_on_panic) {
+	if (debugger_on_trap) {
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 		handled = kdb_trap(fsr, 0, tf);
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_UNSET;
diff --git a/sys/arm/arm/trap-v6.c b/sys/arm/arm/trap-v6.c
index ae78401e91a..58941f06ae9 100644
--- a/sys/arm/arm/trap-v6.c
+++ b/sys/arm/arm/trap-v6.c
@@ -599,7 +599,7 @@ abort_fatal(struct trapframe *tf, u_int idx, u_int fsr, u_int far,
 	printf(", pc =%08x\n\n", tf->tf_pc);
 
 #ifdef KDB
-	if (debugger_on_panic) {
+	if (debugger_on_trap) {
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 		kdb_trap(fsr, 0, tf);
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_UNSET;
diff --git a/sys/arm64/arm64/trap.c b/sys/arm64/arm64/trap.c
index 9de15479800..bb5924336b5 100644
--- a/sys/arm64/arm64/trap.c
+++ b/sys/arm64/arm64/trap.c
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ no_pmap_fault:
 			printf(" esr:         %.8lx\n", esr);
 
 #ifdef KDB
-			if (debugger_on_panic) {
+			if (debugger_on_trap) {
 				kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 				handled = kdb_trap(ESR_ELx_EXCEPTION(esr), 0,
 				    frame);
diff --git a/sys/i386/i386/trap.c b/sys/i386/i386/trap.c
index 4b62484533c..a81ec6ee89d 100644
--- a/sys/i386/i386/trap.c
+++ b/sys/i386/i386/trap.c
@@ -977,7 +977,7 @@ trap_fatal(frame, eva)
 	    curproc->p_pid, curthread->td_name);
 
 #ifdef KDB
-	if (debugger_on_panic) {
+	if (debugger_on_trap) {
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 		frame->tf_err = eva;	/* smuggle fault address to ddb */
 		handled = kdb_trap(type, 0, frame);
diff --git a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
index c5a1780cb55..2ac99440e78 100644
--- a/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
+++ b/sys/kern/kern_shutdown.c
@@ -115,14 +115,19 @@ SYSCTL_INT(_kern, OID_AUTO, panic_reboot_wait_time, CTLFLAG_RWTUN,
 
 #ifdef KDB
 #ifdef KDB_UNATTENDED
-int debugger_on_panic = 0;
+static int debugger_on_panic = 0;
 #else
-int debugger_on_panic = 1;
+static int debugger_on_panic = 1;
 #endif
 SYSCTL_INT(_debug, OID_AUTO, debugger_on_panic,
     CTLFLAG_RWTUN | CTLFLAG_SECURE,
     &debugger_on_panic, 0, "Run debugger on kernel panic");
 
+int debugger_on_trap = 0;
+SYSCTL_INT(_debug, OID_AUTO, debugger_on_trap,
+    CTLFLAG_RWTUN | CTLFLAG_SECURE,
+    &debugger_on_trap, 0, "Run debugger on kernel trap before panic");
+
 #ifdef KDB_TRACE
 static int trace_on_panic = 1;
 static bool trace_all_panics = true;
diff --git a/sys/mips/mips/trap.c b/sys/mips/mips/trap.c
index 746208e521f..042b6450b2e 100644
--- a/sys/mips/mips/trap.c
+++ b/sys/mips/mips/trap.c
@@ -1100,7 +1100,7 @@ err:
 #endif
 
 #ifdef KDB
-		if (debugger_on_panic) {
+		if (debugger_on_trap) {
 			kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 			kdb_trap(type, 0, trapframe);
 			kdb_why = KDB_WHY_UNSET;
diff --git a/sys/powerpc/powerpc/trap.c b/sys/powerpc/powerpc/trap.c
index bf5b492ea29..815ea21d421 100644
--- a/sys/powerpc/powerpc/trap.c
+++ b/sys/powerpc/powerpc/trap.c
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ trap_fatal(struct trapframe *frame)
 
 	printtrap(frame->exc, frame, 1, (frame->srr1 & PSL_PR));
 #ifdef KDB
-	if (debugger_on_panic) {
+	if (debugger_on_trap) {
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_TRAP;
 		handled = kdb_trap(frame->exc, 0, frame);
 		kdb_why = KDB_WHY_UNSET;
diff --git a/sys/sys/kdb.h b/sys/sys/kdb.h
index 8834b0fa817..75f8343b842 100644
--- a/sys/sys/kdb.h
+++ b/sys/sys/kdb.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ struct kdb_dbbe {
 	DATA_SET(kdb_dbbe_set, name##_dbbe)
 
 extern u_char kdb_active;		/* Non-zero while in debugger. */
-extern int debugger_on_panic;		/* enter the debugger on panic. */
+extern int debugger_on_trap;		/* enter the debugger on trap. */
 extern struct kdb_dbbe *kdb_dbbe;	/* Default debugger backend or NULL. */
 extern struct trapframe *kdb_frame;	/* Frame to kdb_trap(). */
 extern struct pcb *kdb_thrctx;		/* Current context. */