--- a/gdb/config/i386/linux64.mh
+++ b/gdb/config/i386/linux64.mh
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 NATDEPFILES= inf-ptrace.o fork-child.o \
 	i386-nat.o amd64-nat.o amd64-linux-nat.o linux-nat.o \
 	proc-service.o linux-thread-db.o linux-fork.o
-NAT_FILE= config/nm-linux.h
+NAT_FILE= nm-linux64.h
 
 # The dynamically loaded libthread_db needs access to symbols in the
 # gdb executable.
--- a/gdb/config/i386/nm-linux.h
+++ b/gdb/config/i386/nm-linux.h
@@ -29,4 +29,7 @@
 #define FILL_FPXREGSET
 #endif
 
+/* Red Hat backward compatibility with gdb-6.8.  */
+#define target_can_use_hardware_watchpoint(type, cnt, ot) 1
+
 #endif /* nm-linux.h */
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdb/config/i386/nm-linux64.h
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+/* Native support for GNU/Linux amd64.
+
+   Copyright 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+   This file is part of GDB.
+
+   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+   it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+   the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+   (at your option) any later version.
+
+   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+   but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+   MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+   GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+   along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.  */
+
+#ifndef NM_LINUX64_H
+#define NM_LINUX64_H
+
+#include "config/nm-linux.h"
+
+/* Red Hat backward compatibility with gdb-6.8.  */
+#define target_can_use_hardware_watchpoint(type, cnt, ot) 1
+
+#endif /* NM_LINUX64_H */
--- a/gdb/target.h
+++ b/gdb/target.h
@@ -1257,8 +1257,10 @@ extern char *normal_pid_to_str (ptid_t ptid);
    bp_hardware_breakpoint.  CNT is the number of such watchpoints used so far
    (including this one?).  OTHERTYPE is who knows what...  */
 
+#ifndef target_can_use_hardware_watchpoint
 #define target_can_use_hardware_watchpoint(TYPE,CNT,OTHERTYPE) \
  (*current_target.to_can_use_hw_breakpoint) (TYPE, CNT, OTHERTYPE);
+#endif
 
 #define target_region_ok_for_hw_watchpoint(addr, len) \
     (*current_target.to_region_ok_for_hw_watchpoint) (addr, len)
--- /dev/null
+++ b/gdb/testsuite/gdb.base/watchpoint-hw-before-run.exp
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+# Copyright 2009, 2010 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+# the Free Software Foundation; either version 3 of the License, or
+# (at your option) any later version.
+#
+# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+# GNU General Public License for more details.
+#
+# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+# Arch not supporting hw watchpoints does not imply no_hardware_watchpoints set.
+if {(![istarget "i?86-*-*"] && ![istarget "x86_64-*-*"]
+     && ![istarget "ia64-*-*"])
+    || [target_info exists gdb,no_hardware_watchpoints]} then {
+    verbose "Skipping watchpoint-hw-before-run test."
+    return
+}
+
+set test watchpoint-hw-before-run
+set srcfile watchpoint-hw-hit-once.c
+if { [prepare_for_testing ${test}.exp ${test} ${srcfile}] } {
+    return -1
+}
+
+gdb_test "rwatch watchee" "ardware read watchpoint 1: watchee"
+
+# `runto_main' or `runto main' would delete the watchpoint created above.
+
+if { [gdb_start_cmd] < 0 } {
+    untested start
+    return -1
+}
+gdb_test "" "main .* at .*" "start"
+
+gdb_test "continue" "Continuing.\r\nHardware read watchpoint \[0-9\]+: watchee\r\n\r\nValue = 0\r\n.*"