/* Avoid fn call and building parameter list if we're not outputting the information.
  * Matters on feeble CPUs for DEBUG/INFO statements that are involved frequently */
 
+#define LOG_LEVEL_IS( FOO )  ((debug_level) >= (FOO))
 
 #define LOG_DEBUG(expr ...) \
                ((debug_level >= LOG_LVL_DEBUG) ? log_printf_lf (LOG_LVL_DEBUG, __FILE__, __LINE__, __FUNCTION__, expr) , 0 : 0)
 
                        break;
                if ((retval = gdb_get_char(connection, &reply)) != ERROR_OK)
                        return retval;
+        if( reply == '$' ){
+                       // fix a problem with some IAR tools
+                       gdb_putback_char( connection, reply );
+                       LOG_DEBUG("Unexpected start of new packet");
+                       break;
+               }
+
                LOG_WARNING("Discard unexpected char %c", reply);
        }
 #endif
                                log_remove_callback(gdb_log_callback, connection);
                                LOG_WARNING("negative reply, retrying");
                        }
-                       else
-                       {
-                               LOG_ERROR("unknown character 0x%2.2x in reply, dropping connection", reply);
+                       else if( reply == '$' ){
+                               LOG_ERROR("GDB missing ack(1) - assumed good");
+                               gdb_putback_char( connection, reply );
+                               return ERROR_OK;
+                       } else {
+                                       
+                               LOG_ERROR("unknown character(1) 0x%2.2x in reply, dropping connection", reply);
                                gdb_con->closed=1;
                                return ERROR_SERVER_REMOTE_CLOSED;
                        }
-               }
+               } 
+               else if( reply == '$' ){
+                       LOG_ERROR("GDB missing ack(2) - assumed good");
+                       gdb_putback_char( connection, reply );
+                       return ERROR_OK;
+               } 
                else
                {
-                       LOG_ERROR("unknown character 0x%2.2x in reply, dropping connection", reply);
+                       LOG_ERROR("unknown character(2) 0x%2.2x in reply, dropping connection", reply);
                        gdb_con->closed=1;
                        return ERROR_SERVER_REMOTE_CLOSED;
                }
                /* terminate with zero */
                packet[packet_size] = 0;
 
-               LOG_DEBUG("received packet: '%s'", packet);
+               if( LOG_LEVEL_IS( LOG_LVL_DEBUG ) ){
+                       if( packet[0] == 'X' ){
+                               // binary packets spew junk into the debug log stream 
+                               char buf[ 50 ];
+                               int x;
+                               for( x = 0 ; (x < 49) && (packet[x] != ':') ; x++ ){
+                                       buf[x] = packet[x];
+                               }
+                               buf[x] = 0;
+                               LOG_DEBUG("received packet: '%s:<binary-data>'", buf );
+                       } else {
+                               LOG_DEBUG("received packet: '%s'", packet );
+                       }
+               }
 
                if (packet_size > 0)
                {