diff --git a/tool/run/boot_dir/hw b/tool/run/boot_dir/hw
index f17625332..76626c584 100644
--- a/tool/run/boot_dir/hw
+++ b/tool/run/boot_dir/hw
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ proc run_boot_dir {binaries} {
 	set bootstrap_obj bootstrap-hw.o
 
 	# create core and bootstrap binary without modules for debugging
-	build_core [run_dir]/genode/$core_obj      {} [run_dir].core      [core_link_address]
+	build_core debug/$core_obj                 {} [run_dir].core      [core_link_address]
 	build_core [run_dir]/genode/$bootstrap_obj {} [run_dir].bootstrap [bootstrap_link_address]
 
 	# determine modules to be incorporated into the core image
diff --git a/tool/run/run b/tool/run/run
index b90989d93..0cde1b8f8 100755
--- a/tool/run/run
+++ b/tool/run/run
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ proc build_core_image { modules } {
 	copy_genode_binaries_to_run_dir $modules
 
 	# create core binary without modules for debugging
-	build_core [run_dir]/genode/$core_obj {} [run_dir].core [core_link_address]
+	build_core debug/$core_obj {} [run_dir].core [core_link_address]
 
 	# determine modules to be incorporated into the core image
 	set modules [glob -nocomplain -tails -directory [run_dir]/genode/ *]