diff --git a/meta-selftest/recipes-test/cpp/files/cpp-example.init b/meta-selftest/recipes-test/cpp/files/cpp-example.init
index c154fd1126..30b8486eeb 100644
--- a/meta-selftest/recipes-test/cpp/files/cpp-example.init
+++ b/meta-selftest/recipes-test/cpp/files/cpp-example.init
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ PIDFILE="/var/run/$DAEMON.pid"
 LOCK_FILE="/var/lock/subsys/$DAEMON"
 
 start() {
+    # A debugger which kills the process it debugs leaves the PID file behind
+    if [ -f $PIDFILE ] && ! kill -0 $(cat $PIDFILE) 2>/dev/null; then
+        rm -f $PIDFILE $LOCK_FILE
+    fi
+
     if [ -f $PIDFILE ]; then
         echo "$DAEMON is already running."
         return 1