diff --git a/src/flash/flash.c b/src/flash/flash.c
index 46606d2de28fe57f871d6a58be9006bb52616b30..12f844181a5a0fe03c02fab1a98f4b0ca0cec2d8 100644
--- a/src/flash/flash.c
+++ b/src/flash/flash.c
@@ -88,7 +88,8 @@ flash_driver_t *flash_drivers[] =
 
 flash_bank_t *flash_banks;
 static 	command_t *flash_cmd;
-static int auto_erase = 0;
+/* enabled by default*/
+static int auto_erase = 1;
 
 /* wafer thin wrapper for invoking the flash driver */
 static int flash_driver_write(struct flash_bank_s *bank, u8 *buffer, u32 offset, u32 count)
diff --git a/src/server/gdb_server.c b/src/server/gdb_server.c
index bd247b01cfbdb02012c8ae57ac5dbe65081d0910..6018cd44e3e9c2f9b8f27a4be566523354ca55be 100644
--- a/src/server/gdb_server.c
+++ b/src/server/gdb_server.c
@@ -63,8 +63,10 @@ enum gdb_detach_mode detach_mode = GDB_DETACH_RESUME;
 
 /* set if we are sending a memory map to gdb
  * via qXfer:memory-map:read packet */
-int gdb_use_memory_map = 0;
-int gdb_flash_program = 0;
+/* enabled by default*/
+int gdb_use_memory_map = 1;
+/* enabled by default*/
+int gdb_flash_program = 1;
 
 /* if set, data aborts cause an error to be reported in memory read packets
  * see the code in gdb_read_memory_packet() for further explanations */