diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/model/provisional/IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/model/provisional/IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
index 812c77ee9e5..ad4837a0dea 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/model/provisional/IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/core/model/provisional/IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
@@ -92,5 +92,12 @@ public interface IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval extends IMemoryBlockRetri
 	 *             if unable to retrieve the specified memory
 	 */
 	public IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlock getMemoryBlock(String expression, Object context, String memorySpaceID) throws DebugException;
-	
+
+	/**
+	 * Return true if creating a memory block with a null memory space ID is NOT
+	 * supported. Some debuggers may not have the ability to infer the memory
+	 * space from an expression, in which case the user should be forced to
+	 * select a memory space when being prompted for a memory location.
+	 */
+	public boolean creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID();
 }
diff --git a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/CMemoryBlockRetrievalExtension.java b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/CMemoryBlockRetrievalExtension.java
index cd38ad9c30c..c0a64fc6127 100644
--- a/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/CMemoryBlockRetrievalExtension.java
+++ b/debug/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/internal/core/CMemoryBlockRetrievalExtension.java
@@ -473,4 +473,13 @@ public class CMemoryBlockRetrievalExtension extends PlatformObject implements IM
 		// Nope; use default decoding
 		return decodeAddressDefault(str);
 	}
+
+	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core.model.provisional.IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval#creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID()
+	 */
+	public boolean creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID() {
+		// A behavioral control we're not extending to CDI clients, but is being
+		// extended to DSF ones.
+		return false;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
index bbcd45a6d1c..485cd0be2cb 100644
--- a/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
+++ b/dsf-gdb/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf.gdb/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/gdb/internal/memory/GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval.java
@@ -362,4 +362,15 @@ public class GdbMemoryBlockRetrieval extends DsfMemoryBlockRetrieval implements
             DebugPlugin.getDefault().getMemoryBlockManager().addMemoryBlocks( blocks.toArray(new IMemoryBlock[blocks.size()]));
 	    }
 	}
+
+	/* (non-Javadoc)
+	 * @see org.eclipse.cdt.debug.core.model.provisional.IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval#creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID()
+	 */
+	public boolean creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID() {
+		IMemorySpaces memoryPageService = (IMemorySpaces)fMemorySpaceServiceTracker.getService();
+        if (memoryPageService != null) {
+        	return memoryPageService.creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID();
+        }
+		return false;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/service/IMemorySpaces.java b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/service/IMemorySpaces.java
index e5396f814ce..79794457d91 100644
--- a/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/service/IMemorySpaces.java
+++ b/dsf/org.eclipse.cdt.dsf/src/org/eclipse/cdt/dsf/debug/service/IMemorySpaces.java
@@ -68,12 +68,23 @@ public interface IMemorySpaces extends IDsfService{
 		String getMemorySpaceId();
 		String getExpression();
 	}
-	
+
 	/**
 	 * Provides the memory spaces available in the given context.
 	 * 
-	 * @param ctx a DM context
-     * @param rm the asynchronous data request monitor
+	 * @param ctx
+	 *            a DM context
+	 * @param rm
+	 *            the asynchronous data request monitor. Returns a collection of
+	 *            memory space IDs.
 	 */
-	void getMemorySpaces(IDMContext context, final DataRequestMonitor<String[]> rm);	
+	void getMemorySpaces(IDMContext context, final DataRequestMonitor<String[]> rm);
+	
+	/**
+	 * Return true if creating a memory block with a null memory space ID is NOT
+	 * supported. Some debuggers may not have the ability to infer the memory
+	 * space from an expression, in which case the user should be forced to
+	 * select a memory space when being prompted for a memory location.
+	 */
+	public boolean creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID();
 }
diff --git a/memory/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui.memory.memorybrowser/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/ui/memory/memorybrowser/MemoryBrowser.java b/memory/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui.memory.memorybrowser/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/ui/memory/memorybrowser/MemoryBrowser.java
index 7a6adf78d48..853890c3958 100644
--- a/memory/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui.memory.memorybrowser/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/ui/memory/memorybrowser/MemoryBrowser.java
+++ b/memory/org.eclipse.cdt.debug.ui.memory.memorybrowser/src/org/eclipse/cdt/debug/ui/memory/memorybrowser/MemoryBrowser.java
@@ -367,11 +367,15 @@ public class MemoryBrowser extends ViewPart implements IDebugContextListener, IM
 	}
 	
 	private void performGo(boolean inNewTab) {
-		// Index zero is the 'auto' (n/a) memory space entry
+		// Index zero is the 'auto' (n/a) memory space entry, unless the backend
+		// said we need to force a memory space selection
 		String memorySpace = null;
-		if (fGotoMemorySpaceControl.isVisible() && (fGotoMemorySpaceControl.getSelectionIndex() != 0)) {
+		if (fGotoMemorySpaceControl.isVisible()) {
 			memorySpace = fGotoMemorySpaceControl.getText();
-			assert (memorySpace != null) && (memorySpace.length() > 0);
+			if (memorySpace.equals(NA_MEMORY_SPACE_ID)) {
+				memorySpace = null;
+			}
+			assert (memorySpace == null) || (memorySpace.length() > 0);
 		}
 		
 		String expression = fGotoAddressBar.getExpressionText();
@@ -855,7 +859,16 @@ public class MemoryBrowser extends ViewPart implements IDebugContextListener, IM
 				// https://bugs.eclipse.org/bugs/show_bug.cgi?id=309032#c50
 				if (memorySpaces.length >= 2) {
 					fGotoMemorySpaceControl.setItems(memorySpaces);
-					fGotoMemorySpaceControl.add(NA_MEMORY_SPACE_ID, 0); //$NON-NLS-1$  the n/a entry; don't think this needs to be translated
+					
+					// Add the '----' (N/A) entry unless the retrieval object
+					// says it requires a memory space ID in all cases
+					boolean addNA = true;	
+					if (retrieval instanceof IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval) {
+						addNA = !((IMemorySpaceAwareMemoryBlockRetrieval)retrieval).creatingBlockRequiresMemorySpaceID();
+					}
+					if (addNA) {
+						fGotoMemorySpaceControl.add(NA_MEMORY_SPACE_ID, 0); 
+					}
 					setMemorySpaceControlVisible(true);
 				}
 				else {