diff --git a/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py b/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
index 9cc6fb745..8dff373b2 100644
--- a/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
+++ b/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
@@ -244,6 +244,33 @@ def find_file(device, executable_path, sysroot, run_as_cmd=None):
             return (open(path, "r"), found_locally)
     raise RuntimeError('Could not find executable {}'.format(executable_path))
 
+def find_executable_path(device, executable_name, run_as_cmd=None):
+    """Find a device executable from its name
+
+    This function calls which on the device to retrieve the absolute path of
+    the executable.
+
+    Args:
+      device: the AndroidDevice object to use.
+      executable_name: the name of the executable to find.
+      run_as_cmd: if necessary, run-as or su command to prepend
+
+    Returns:
+      The absolute path of the executable.
+
+    Raises:
+      RuntimeError: could not find the executable.
+    """
+    cmd = ["which", executable_name]
+    if run_as_cmd:
+        cmd = run_as_cmd + cmd
+
+    try:
+        output, _ = device.shell(cmd)
+        return output
+    except adb.ShellError:
+        raise  RuntimeError("Could not find executable '{}' on "
+                            "device".format(executable_name))
 
 def find_binary(device, pid, sysroot, run_as_cmd=None):
     """Finds a device executable file corresponding to |pid|."""
diff --git a/scripts/gdbclient.py b/scripts/gdbclient.py
index 2e37e0b1b..ff593b3e8 100755
--- a/scripts/gdbclient.py
+++ b/scripts/gdbclient.py
@@ -144,9 +144,15 @@ def handle_switches(args, sysroot):
     elif args.run_cmd:
         if not args.run_cmd[0]:
             sys.exit("empty command passed to -r")
-        if not args.run_cmd[0].startswith("/"):
-            sys.exit("commands passed to -r must use absolute paths")
         run_cmd = args.run_cmd
+        if not run_cmd[0].startswith("/"):
+            try:
+                run_cmd[0] = gdbrunner.find_executable_path(device, args.run_cmd[0],
+                                                            run_as_cmd=args.su_cmd)
+            except RuntimeError:
+              sys.exit("Could not find executable '{}' passed to -r, "
+                       "please provide an absolute path.".format(args.run_cmd[0]))
+
         binary_file, local = gdbrunner.find_file(device, run_cmd[0], sysroot,
                                                  run_as_cmd=args.su_cmd)
     if binary_file is None: