diff --git a/make/debugger.mk b/make/debugger.mk
index abdbef81..202cd343 100644
--- a/make/debugger.mk
+++ b/make/debugger.mk
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
+CORE_IGNORE                 := $(wildcard *.intern-state*)
+CORE_VG                     ?= $(firstword $(filter-out $(CORE_IGNORE),$(wildcard vgcore vgcore.*)))
+CORE_REGULAR                ?= $(firstword $(filter-out $(CORE_IGNORE),$(wildcard core core.*)))
+CORE                        ?= $(firstword $(CORE_VG) $(CORE_REGULAR))
+
 ifneq ($(CORE),)
-  CORE_DUMPER                = $(shell echo -e "quit" | $(DEBUGGER) --core=$(CORE) 2>&1 | \
+  ifneq ($(CORE),$(CORE_VG)) # trick doesn't work on valgrind cores
+    CORE_DUMPER              = $(shell echo -e "quit" | $(DEBUGGER) --core=$(CORE) 2>&1 | \
 	$(SED) '/Core was generated/ !d; s/Core was generated by `//; s/ .*//')
+  else
+    CORE_DUMPER              = $(EXE_PATH)
+  endif
 else ifeq ($(CORE_DUMPER),)
   CORE_DUMPER                = $(EXE_PATH)
 endif
@@ -11,24 +20,24 @@ all:
 
 gdb ddd:
 ifneq ($(CORE),)
-	$@ --core=$(firstword $(CORE)) --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
+	$@ --core=$(CORE) --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
 else
 	$@ --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
 endif
 
 lldb:
 ifneq ($(CORE),)
-	$@ --core $(firstword $(CORE)) -f $(CORE_DUMPER) -- $(EXE_ARGS)
+	$@ --core $(CORE) -f $(CORE_DUMPER) -- $(EXE_ARGS)
 else
 	$@ -f $(CORE_DUMPER) -- $(EXE_ARGS)
 endif
 
 kdbg:
-	$@ $(CORE_DUMPER) $(firstword $(CORE)) -a "$(EXE_ARGS)"
+	$@ $(CORE_DUMPER) $(CORE) -a "$(EXE_ARGS)"
 
 cgdb:
 ifneq ($(CORE),)
-	$@ -- --core=$(firstword $(CORE)) --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
+	$@ -- --core=$(CORE) --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
 else
 	$@ -- --args $(CORE_DUMPER) $(EXE_ARGS)
 endif
diff --git a/make/defs-cpp.mk b/make/defs-cpp.mk
index 91dd3655..d983f7da 100644
--- a/make/defs-cpp.mk
+++ b/make/defs-cpp.mk
@@ -472,8 +472,6 @@ ALL_C                       += $(LOCAL_C) $(PREREQ_CPP)
 ALL_CPP                     += $(LOCAL_CPP) $(PREREQ_CPP)
 ALL_CSRC                    += $(LOCAL_CSRC) $(PREREQ_CSRC)
 
-CORE                        += $(filter-out $(wildcard *.intern-state*),$(wildcard core core.* vgcore vgcore.*))
-
 ifeq ($(USE_QT),true)
   include $(JWBDIR)/make/qtversion.mk
   include $(JWBDIR)/make/qt-defs.mk