diff --git a/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py b/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
index 2f142d679..e117816cf 100644
--- a/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
+++ b/python-packages/gdbrunner/__init__.py
@@ -79,17 +79,6 @@ class ArgumentParser(argparse.ArgumentParser):
         return result
 
 
-def get_run_as_cmd(user, cmd):
-    """Generate a run-as or su command depending on user."""
-
-    if user is None:
-        return cmd
-    elif user == "root":
-        return ["su", "0"] + cmd
-    else:
-        return ["run-as", user] + cmd
-
-
 def get_processes(device):
     """Return a dict from process name to list of running PIDs on the device."""
 
@@ -146,7 +135,7 @@ def get_pids(device, process_name):
 
 
 def start_gdbserver(device, gdbserver_local_path, gdbserver_remote_path,
-                    target_pid, run_cmd, debug_socket, port, user=None):
+                    target_pid, run_cmd, debug_socket, port, run_as_cmd=None):
     """Start gdbserver in the background and forward necessary ports.
 
     Args:
@@ -157,7 +146,7 @@ def start_gdbserver(device, gdbserver_local_path, gdbserver_remote_path,
         run_cmd: Command to run on the device.
         debug_socket: Device path to place gdbserver unix domain socket.
         port: Host port to forward the debug_socket to.
-        user: Device user to run gdbserver as.
+        run_as_cmd: run-as or su command to prepend to commands.
 
     Returns:
         Popen handle to the `adb shell` process gdbserver was started with.
@@ -181,7 +170,9 @@ def start_gdbserver(device, gdbserver_local_path, gdbserver_remote_path,
     device.forward("tcp:{}".format(port),
                    "localfilesystem:{}".format(debug_socket))
     atexit.register(lambda: device.forward_remove("tcp:{}".format(port)))
-    gdbserver_cmd = get_run_as_cmd(user, gdbserver_cmd)
+
+    if run_as_cmd:
+        gdbserver_cmd = run_as_cmd + gdbserver_cmd
 
     gdbserver_output_path = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(),
                                          "gdbclient.log")
@@ -191,7 +182,7 @@ def start_gdbserver(device, gdbserver_local_path, gdbserver_remote_path,
                               stderr=gdbserver_output)
 
 
-def find_file(device, executable_path, sysroot, user=None):
+def find_file(device, executable_path, sysroot, run_as_cmd=None):
     """Finds a device executable file.
 
     This function first attempts to find the local file which will
@@ -202,7 +193,7 @@ def find_file(device, executable_path, sysroot, user=None):
       device: the AndroidDevice object to use.
       executable_path: absolute path to the executable or symlink.
       sysroot: absolute path to the built symbol sysroot.
-      user: if necessary, the user to download the file as.
+      run_as_cmd: if necessary, run-as or su command to prepend
 
     Returns:
       A tuple containing (<open file object>, <was found locally>).
@@ -231,8 +222,11 @@ def find_file(device, executable_path, sysroot, user=None):
         file_name = "gdbclient-binary-{}".format(os.getppid())
         remote_temp_path = "/data/local/tmp/{}".format(file_name)
         local_path = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), file_name)
-        cmd = get_run_as_cmd(user,
-                             ["cat", executable_path, ">", remote_temp_path])
+
+        cmd = ["cat", executable_path, ">", remote_temp_path]
+        if run_as_cmd:
+            cmd = run_as_cmd + cmd
+
         try:
             device.shell(cmd)
         except adb.ShellError:
diff --git a/scripts/gdbclient.py b/scripts/gdbclient.py
index 4fb6c7e71..d9334ca91 100755
--- a/scripts/gdbclient.py
+++ b/scripts/gdbclient.py
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ def handle_switches(args, sysroot):
     pid = None
     run_cmd = None
 
+    args.su_cmd = ["su", args.user] if args.user else []
+
     if args.target_pid:
         # Fetch the binary using the PID later.
         pid = args.target_pid
@@ -136,12 +138,12 @@ def handle_switches(args, sysroot):
             sys.exit("commands passed to -r must use absolute paths")
         run_cmd = args.run_cmd
         binary_file, local = gdbrunner.find_file(device, run_cmd[0], sysroot,
-                                                 user=args.user)
+                                                 run_as_cmd=args.su_cmd)
     if binary_file is None:
         assert pid is not None
         try:
             binary_file, local = gdbrunner.find_binary(device, pid, sysroot,
-                                                       user=args.user)
+                                                       run_as_cmd=args.su_cmd)
         except adb.ShellError:
             sys.exit("failed to pull binary for PID {}".format(pid))
 
@@ -242,7 +244,7 @@ def main():
         gdbrunner.start_gdbserver(
             device, gdbserver_local_path, gdbserver_remote_path,
             target_pid=pid, run_cmd=run_cmd, debug_socket=debug_socket,
-            port=args.port, user=args.user)
+            port=args.port, run_as_cmd=args.su_cmd)
 
         # Generate a gdb script.
         gdb_commands = generate_gdb_script(sysroot=sysroot,