diff --git a/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab b/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
index b1faf643b0..8c47932f87 100644
--- a/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
+++ b/dist/testbed-support/Makefile.iotlab
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ IOTLAB_AUTH         ?= $(HOME)/.iotlabrc
 IOTLAB_USER         ?= $(shell cut -f1 -d: $(IOTLAB_AUTH))
 IOTLAB_EXP_ID       ?= $(shell experiment-cli get -l --state Running | grep -m 1 '"id"' | grep -Eo '[[:digit:]]+')
 IOTLAB_EXP_NAME     ?= RIOT_EXP
+IOTLAB_DEBUG_PORT   ?= 3333
 
 IOTLAB_AUTHORITY    := "$(IOTLAB_USER)@$(IOTLAB_SITE).iot-lab.info"
 
@@ -43,6 +44,16 @@ iotlab-flash: $(IOTLAB_AUTH) all
 iotlab-reset: $(IOTLAB_AUTH)
 	$(AD)node-cli --reset -i $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID)
 
+ifeq (,$(IOTLAB_DEBUG_NODE))
+iotlab-debug-server: IOTLAB_DEBUG_NODE := $(shell experiment-cli get -i $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID) --resources | \
+                                            grep -m 1 "network_address" | \
+                                            sed 's/.*: "\(.*\)".*/\1/')
+endif
+iotlab-debug-server: $(IOTLAB_AUTH)
+	$(AD)node-cli --debug-start -i $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID)
+	@echo "Debug on node $(IOTLAB_DEBUG_NODE)"
+	$(AD)ssh -N -L $(IOTLAB_DEBUG_PORT):$(IOTLAB_DEBUG_NODE):3333 $(IOTLAB_AUTHORITY)
+
 iotlab-term:
 	$(AD)ssh -t $(IOTLAB_AUTHORITY) "test -f ~/.iotlabrc || auth-cli -u $(IOTLAB_USER)"
 	$(AD)ssh -t $(IOTLAB_AUTHORITY) "serial_aggregator -i $(IOTLAB_EXP_ID)"