diff --git a/package/gdb/Config.in b/package/gdb/Config.in
index 88de76094e..49ee4b3728 100644
--- a/package/gdb/Config.in
+++ b/package/gdb/Config.in
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER
 	depends on BR2_USE_WCHAR
 	depends on !BR2_sh
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_GMP
-	select BR2_PACKAGE_MPFR if (BR2_GDB_VERSION_14 || BR2_GDB_VERSION_15 || BR2_arc)
+	select BR2_PACKAGE_MPFR if !(BR2_GDB_VERSION_13)
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_NCURSES
 	select BR2_PACKAGE_ZLIB
 
diff --git a/package/gdb/Config.in.host b/package/gdb/Config.in.host
index cf2a1e4f1f..76f5cf8b4d 100644
--- a/package/gdb/Config.in.host
+++ b/package/gdb/Config.in.host
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ config BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GDB_SIM
 
 choice
 	prompt "GDB debugger Version"
-	default BR2_GDB_VERSION_13
+	default BR2_GDB_VERSION_14
 	depends on !BR2_arc
 	help
 	  Select the version of gdb you wish to use.
@@ -72,9 +72,7 @@ config BR2_GDB_VERSION
 	string
 	default "arc-2023.09-release" if BR2_arc
 	default "12.1"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_12
-	default "13.2"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_13 || !BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GDB
-	# When making 14.x the default, or 14.x becomes the oldest version,
-	# be sure to update the target variant to properly select mpfr.
-	default "14.2"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_14
+	default "13.2"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_13
+	default "14.2"     if BR2_GDB_VERSION_14 || !BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GDB
 	default "15.1"	   if BR2_GDB_VERSION_15
 	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_GDB || BR2_PACKAGE_HOST_GDB
diff --git a/package/gdb/gdb.mk b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
index f2ef270e87..c966cdc10b 100644
--- a/package/gdb/gdb.mk
+++ b/package/gdb/gdb.mk
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ endif
 # gdb.
 # GDB fork from ARC GNU tools 2023.09 is based on GDB14 branch and so
 # requires MPFR as well.
-ifeq ($(BR2_GDB_VERSION_14)$(BR2_GDB_VERSION_15)$(BR2_arc):$(BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER),y:y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_GDB_DEBUGGER):$(BR2_GDB_VERSION_13),y:)
 GDB_DEPENDENCIES += mpfr
 GDB_CONF_OPTS += --with-mpfr=$(STAGING_DIR)
 else
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ HOST_GDB_CONF_OPTS = \
 # GDB newer than 14.x need host-mpfr
 # GDB fork from ARC GNU tools 2023.09 is based on GDB14 branch and so
 # requires MPFR as well.
-ifeq ($(BR2_GDB_VERSION_14)$(BR2_GDB_VERSION_15)$(BR2_arc),y)
+ifeq ($(BR2_GDB_VERSION_13),)
 HOST_GDB_DEPENDENCIES += host-mpfr
 HOST_GDB_CONF_OPTS += --with-mpfr=$(HOST_DIR)
 else