diff --git a/sys-devel/gdb/gdb-12.1.ebuild b/sys-devel/gdb/gdb-12.1.ebuild
index b7ca1edd19372..4c59318f5d813 100644
--- a/sys-devel/gdb/gdb-12.1.ebuild
+++ b/sys-devel/gdb/gdb-12.1.ebuild
@@ -53,6 +53,9 @@ fi
 IUSE="cet guile lzma multitarget nls +python +server source-highlight test vanilla xml xxhash"
 REQUIRED_USE="python? ( ${PYTHON_REQUIRED_USE} )"
 
+# In fact, gdb's test suite needs some work to get passing.
+# See e.g. https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/TestingGDB.
+# As of 11.2, on amd64: "# of unexpected failures    8600"
 # ia64 kernel crashes when gdb testsuite is running
 # in fact, gdb's test suite needs some work to get passing.
 # See e.g. https://sourceware.org/gdb/wiki/TestingGDB.
@@ -104,9 +107,8 @@ src_prepare() {
 	default
 
 	strip-linguas -u bfd/po opcodes/po
-	export CC_FOR_BUILD="$(tc-getBUILD_CC)"
 
-	# avoid using ancient termcap from host on Prefix systems
+	# Avoid using ancient termcap from host on Prefix systems
 	sed -i -e 's/termcap tinfow/tinfow/g' \
 		gdb/configure{.ac,} || die
 }
@@ -135,13 +137,15 @@ src_configure() {
 		--with-pkgversion="$(gdb_branding)"
 		--with-bugurl='https://bugs.gentoo.org/'
 		--disable-werror
-		# Disable modules that are in a combined binutils/gdb tree. #490566
+		# Disable modules that are in a combined binutils/gdb tree. bug #490566
 		--disable-{binutils,etc,gas,gold,gprof,ld}
 
 		# avoid automagic dependency on (currently prefix) systems
 		# systems with debuginfod library, bug #754753
 		--without-debuginfod
 
+		$(use_enable test unit-tests)
+
 		# Allow user to opt into CET for host libraries.
 		# Ideally we would like automagic-or-disabled here.
 		# But the check does not quite work on i686: bug #760926.
@@ -198,6 +202,8 @@ src_configure() {
 	# source-highlight is detected with pkg-config: bug #716558
 	export ac_cv_path_pkg_config_prog_path="$(tc-getPKG_CONFIG)"
 
+	export CC_FOR_BUILD="$(tc-getBUILD_CC)"
+
 	# ensure proper compiler is detected for Clang builds: bug #831202
 	export GCC_FOR_TARGET="${CC_FOR_TARGET:-$(tc-getCC)}"
 
@@ -209,7 +215,7 @@ src_install() {
 
 	find "${ED}"/usr -name libiberty.a -delete || die
 
-	# Delete translations that conflict with binutils-libs. #528088
+	# Delete translations that conflict with binutils-libs. bug #528088
 	# Note: Should figure out how to store these in an internal gdb dir.
 	if use nls ; then
 		find "${ED}" \
@@ -253,7 +259,7 @@ src_install() {
 	# Remove shared info pages
 	rm -f "${ED}"/usr/share/info/{annotate,bfd,configure,ctf-spec,standards}.info*
 
-	if use python; then
+	if use python ; then
 		python_optimize "${ED}"/usr/share/gdb/python/gdb
 	fi
 }