diff --git a/scylla-gdb.py b/scylla-gdb.py
index 9c3a2e9c3c..96d6c3e62a 100755
--- a/scylla-gdb.py
+++ b/scylla-gdb.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import gdb.printing
 import uuid
 import argparse
 import datetime
+import functools
 import re
 from operator import attrgetter
 from collections import defaultdict
@@ -118,7 +119,11 @@ def downcast_vptr(ptr):
 
 
 class intrusive_list:
-    size_t = gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def size_t(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
 
     def __init__(self, list_ref, link=None):
         list_type = list_ref.type.strip_typedefs()
@@ -160,7 +165,11 @@ class intrusive_list:
 
 
 class intrusive_slist:
-    size_t = gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def size_t(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
 
     def __init__(self, list_ref, link=None):
         list_type = list_ref.type.strip_typedefs()
@@ -240,7 +249,11 @@ class std_tuple:
 
 
 class intrusive_set:
-    size_t = gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def size_t(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
 
     def __init__(self, ref, link=None):
         container_type = ref.type.strip_typedefs()
@@ -428,7 +441,11 @@ class std_variant:
 
 
 class std_map:
-    size_t = gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def size_t(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('size_t')
 
     def __init__(self, ref):
         container_type = ref.type.strip_typedefs()
@@ -3890,9 +3907,14 @@ class scylla_fiber(gdb.Command):
     Invoke `scylla fiber --help` for more information on usage.
     """
 
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def _vptr_type(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('uintptr_t').pointer()
+
     def __init__(self):
         gdb.Command.__init__(self, 'scylla fiber', gdb.COMMAND_USER, gdb.COMPLETE_NONE, True)
-        self._vptr_type = gdb.lookup_type('uintptr_t').pointer()
         self._task_symbol_matcher = task_symbol_matcher()
         self._thread_map = None
 
@@ -4174,7 +4196,12 @@ class scylla_find(gdb.Command):
       thread 1, small (size <= 512), live (0x6000000f3800 +48)
       thread 1, small (size <= 56), live (0x6000008a1230 +32)
     """
-    _vptr_type = gdb.lookup_type('uintptr_t').pointer()
+    @classmethod
+    @property
+    @functools.cache
+    def _vptr_type(cls):
+        return gdb.lookup_type('uintptr_t').pointer()
+
     _size_char_to_size = {
         'b': 8,
         'h': 16,
diff --git a/test/scylla_gdb/conftest.py b/test/scylla_gdb/conftest.py
index 3eda3510b6..a2570365cf 100644
--- a/test/scylla_gdb/conftest.py
+++ b/test/scylla_gdb/conftest.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 
 import pytest
 import os
+import sys
 
 try:
     import gdb as gdb_library
@@ -18,12 +19,6 @@ except:
     print('This test must be run inside gdb. Run ./run instead.')
     exit(1)
 
-try:
-    gdb_library.lookup_type('size_t')
-except:
-    print(f'ERROR: Scylla executable was compiled without debugging information (-g)')
-    print(f'so cannot be used to test gdb. Please set SCYLLA environment variable.')
-    exit(1)
 
 def pytest_addoption(parser):
     parser.addoption('--scylla-pid', action='store', default=None,
@@ -40,7 +35,6 @@ def pytest_addoption(parser):
 # object.
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def scylla_gdb(request):
-    import sys
     save_sys_path = sys.path
     sys.path.insert(1, sys.path[0] + '/../..')
     # Unfortunately, the file's name includes a dash which requires some
@@ -59,6 +53,13 @@ def scylla_gdb(request):
 # subcommands are loaded into gdb.
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
 def gdb(request, scylla_gdb):
+    try:
+        gdb_library.lookup_type('size_t')
+    except:
+        print('ERROR: Scylla executable was compiled without debugging information (-g)')
+        print('so cannot be used to test gdb. Please set SCYLLA environment variable.')
+        sys.exit(1)
+
     # The gdb tests are known to be broken on aarch64 (see
     # https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=27886) and untested
     # on anything else. So skip them.
diff --git a/test/scylla_gdb/pytest.ini b/test/scylla_gdb/pytest.ini
index a979c80785..e391932780 100644
--- a/test/scylla_gdb/pytest.ini
+++ b/test/scylla_gdb/pytest.ini
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@
 # pytest will look for one in our ancestor directories, and may find
 # something irrelevant. So we should have one here, even if empty.
 [pytest]
+markers =
+    without_scylla: run without attaching to a scylla process
diff --git a/test/scylla_gdb/run b/test/scylla_gdb/run
index d0d5ca65ba..a2d986c55b 100755
--- a/test/scylla_gdb/run
+++ b/test/scylla_gdb/run
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ run.wait_for_services(pid, [lambda: run.check_cql(ip)])
 # run pytest inside gdb - and instead run gdb as a separate process and
 # pytest just sends commands to it.
 # TODO: think if we can avoid code duplication with run.run_ptest().
-def run_pytest_in_gdb(pytest_dir, additional_parameters):
+def run_pytest_in_gdb(pytest_dir, executable, additional_parameters):
     sys.stdout.flush()
     sys.stderr.flush()
     pid = os.fork()
@@ -43,13 +43,16 @@ def run_pytest_in_gdb(pytest_dir, additional_parameters):
         os.chdir(pytest_dir)
         pytest_args = ['-o', 'junit_family=xunit2'] + additional_parameters
         pytest_cmd = f'print("Starting pytest {" ".join(pytest_args)}"); import pytest; sys.argv[0]="pytest"; sys.exit(pytest.main({str(pytest_args)}))'
-        print(f'Starting gdb {run.scylla}')
+        print(f'Starting gdb {executable}')
         sys.stdout.flush()
-        os.execvp('gdb', ['gdb',
-            '-batch', '-n', '-se', run.scylla,
-            '-ex', 'set python print-stack full',
-            '-ex', 'python ' + pytest_cmd,
-            ])
+        args = ['gdb',
+                '-batch', '-n',
+                '-ex', 'set python print-stack full',
+                '-ex', 'python ' + pytest_cmd,
+                ]
+        if executable:
+            args += ['-se', executable]
+        os.execvp('gdb', args)
         exit(1)
     # parent:
     run.run_pytest_pids.add(pid)
@@ -65,7 +68,18 @@ def run_pytest_in_gdb(pytest_dir, additional_parameters):
 # command line, saves it as "initialpaths", and uses it to print what it
 # thinks are nice (but are really incorrect) relative paths for "nodes" (test
 # source files).
-success = run_pytest_in_gdb(sys.path[0], ['--scylla-pid='+str(pid), '--scylla-tmp-dir='+run.pid_to_dir(pid)] + sys.argv[1:])
+success = True
+for with_scylla in [True, False]:
+    if with_scylla:
+        args = ['--scylla-pid='+str(pid),
+                '--scylla-tmp-dir='+run.pid_to_dir(pid),
+                '-m', 'not without_scylla']
+        executable = run.scylla
+    else:
+        args = ['-m', 'without_scylla']
+        executable = ''
+    if not run_pytest_in_gdb(sys.path[0], executable, args + sys.argv[1:]):
+        success = False
 
 run.summary = 'Scylla GDB tests pass' if success else 'Scylla GDB tests failure'
 
diff --git a/test/scylla_gdb/test_misc.py b/test/scylla_gdb/test_misc.py
index 0b397ca70f..c673a7eeb0 100644
--- a/test/scylla_gdb/test_misc.py
+++ b/test/scylla_gdb/test_misc.py
@@ -190,4 +190,18 @@ def test_read_stats(gdb, sstable):
 def test_get_config_value(gdb):
     scylla(gdb, f'get-config-value compaction_static_shares')
 
+@pytest.mark.without_scylla
+def test_run_without_scylla(scylla_gdb):
+    # just try to load the scylla-gdb module without attaching to scylla.
+    #
+    # please note, if this test fails, there are good chances that scylla-gdb.py
+    # is unable to load without debug symbols. Calls to "gdb.lookup_type()" and
+    # similar functions that rely on debug symbols should be made within GDB
+    # commands themselves when they get exuecuted. To address potential
+    # failures, consider moving code that references debug symbols into a code
+    # path executed only when debug symbols is loaded. If the value of the
+    # symbol is a constant, consider caching it. using functools.cache
+    # decorator.
+    _ = scylla_gdb
+
 # FIXME: need a simple test for lsa-segment