diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
index 6319f1f648e25307436e66be7b3bfd0b0c68bf10..7c122304faf11880f35c2242df1fd4c31e427c7d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
@@ -1221,6 +1221,9 @@ void DebuggerPlugin::startExternalApplication()
         m_manager->breakByFunctionMain();
 
     QSharedPointer<RunConfiguration> rc = activeRunConfiguration();
+    if (rc.isNull())
+        rc = DebuggerRunner::createDefaultRunConfiguration(sp->executable);
+
     if (RunControl *runControl = m_debuggerRunner
             ->run(rc, ProjectExplorer::Constants::DEBUGMODE, sp, StartExternal))
         runControl->start();
@@ -1244,6 +1247,8 @@ void DebuggerPlugin::attachExternalApplication(qint64 pid, const QString &crashP
     sp->crashParameter = crashParameter;
     const DebuggerStartMode dsm = crashParameter.isEmpty() ?  AttachExternal : AttachCrashedExternal;
     QSharedPointer<RunConfiguration> rc = activeRunConfiguration();
+    if (rc.isNull())
+        rc = DebuggerRunner::createDefaultRunConfiguration();
     if (RunControl *runControl = m_debuggerRunner
             ->run(rc, ProjectExplorer::Constants::DEBUGMODE, sp, dsm))
         runControl->start();
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.cpp
index b1d531493e4fe799e2b5ab92303d2fb5f6ff9408..88316d0d5baa5390470877eb19bd9a12dc747e1a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,34 @@ using ProjectExplorer::RunConfiguration;
 using ProjectExplorer::RunControl;
 using ProjectExplorer::ApplicationRunConfiguration;
 
+// A default run configuration for external executables or attaching to
+// running processes by id.
+class DefaultApplicationRunConfiguration : public ProjectExplorer::ApplicationRunConfiguration
+{
+public:
+    explicit DefaultApplicationRunConfiguration(const QString &executable = QString());
+
+    virtual QString executable() const                 { return m_executable; }
+    virtual RunMode runMode() const                    { return Gui; }
+    virtual QString workingDirectory() const           { return QString(); }
+    virtual QStringList commandLineArguments() const   { return QStringList(); }
+    virtual ProjectExplorer::Environment environment() const
+        { return ProjectExplorer::Environment(); }
+    virtual QString dumperLibrary() const              { return QString(); }
+    virtual QStringList dumperLibraryLocations() const { return QStringList(); }
+    virtual ProjectExplorer::ToolChain::ToolChainType toolChainType() const
+        { return ProjectExplorer::ToolChain::UNKNOWN; }
+    virtual QWidget *configurationWidget()             { return 0; }
+
+private:
+    const QString m_executable;
+};
+
+DefaultApplicationRunConfiguration::DefaultApplicationRunConfiguration(const QString &executable) :
+    ProjectExplorer::ApplicationRunConfiguration(0),
+    m_executable(executable)
+{
+}
 
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
@@ -73,6 +101,11 @@ QString DebuggerRunner::displayName() const
     return tr("Debug");
 }
 
+RunConfigurationPtr DebuggerRunner::createDefaultRunConfiguration(const QString &executable)
+{
+    return RunConfigurationPtr(new DefaultApplicationRunConfiguration(executable));
+}
+
 RunControl *DebuggerRunner::run(RunConfigurationPtr runConfiguration,
                                 const QString &mode,
                                 const QSharedPointer<DebuggerStartParameters> &sp,
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.h b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.h
index a9a4027d47907397c52d97804b87d37e49f1e35e..c9d3da9a0551c56cd1543c7d545ed8d36b044f1f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunner.h
@@ -70,6 +70,8 @@ public:
                  const QSharedPointer<DebuggerStartParameters> &sp,
                  DebuggerStartMode startMode);
 
+    static RunConfigurationPtr createDefaultRunConfiguration(const QString &executable = QString());
+
 private:
     QSharedPointer<DebuggerStartParameters> m_startParameters;
     DebuggerManager *m_manager;