diff --git a/.github/workflows/protocol.yml b/.github/workflows/protocol.yml
index b2889aab1..4225bd934 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/protocol.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/protocol.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ['2.6', '2.7', '3.0', '3.1', 'head', 'debug']
+        ruby-version: ["2.7", "3.0", "3.1", "head", "debug"]
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
index a41da836a..8f8685665 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ruby.yml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        ruby-version: ['2.6', '2.7', '3.0', '3.1', '3.2', 'head', 'debug']
+        ruby-version: ["2.7", "3.0", "3.1", "3.2", "head", "debug"]
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f47914053..ddc085cd5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # debug.rb
 
-This library provides debugging functionality to Ruby (MRI) 2.6 and later.
+This library provides debugging functionality to Ruby (MRI) 2.7 and later.
 
 This debug.rb is replacement of traditional lib/debug.rb standard library which is implemented by `set_trace_func`.
 New debug.rb has several advantages:
@@ -477,6 +477,7 @@ config set no_color true
   * `RUBY_DEBUG_NO_RELINE` (`no_reline`): Do not use Reline library (default: false)
   * `RUBY_DEBUG_NO_HINT` (`no_hint`): Do not show the hint on the REPL (default: false)
   * `RUBY_DEBUG_NO_LINENO` (`no_lineno`): Do not show line numbers (default: false)
+  * `RUBY_DEBUG_IRB_CONSOLE` (`irb_console`): Use IRB as the console (default: false)
 
 * CONTROL
   * `RUBY_DEBUG_SKIP_PATH` (`skip_path`): Skip showing/entering frames for given paths
diff --git a/debug.gemspec b/debug.gemspec
index a07018a77..2a5891f32 100644
--- a/debug.gemspec
+++ b/debug.gemspec
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.description   = %q{Debugging functionality for Ruby. This is completely rewritten debug.rb which was contained by the ancient Ruby versions.}
   spec.homepage      = "https://github.com/ruby/debug"
   spec.licenses      = ["Ruby", "BSD-2-Clause"]
-  spec.required_ruby_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 2.6.0")
+  spec.required_ruby_version = Gem::Requirement.new(">= 2.7.0")
 
   spec.metadata["homepage_uri"] = spec.homepage
   spec.metadata["source_code_uri"] = spec.homepage
@@ -27,6 +27,6 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |spec|
   spec.require_paths = ["lib"]
   spec.extensions    = ['ext/debug/extconf.rb']
 
-  spec.add_dependency "irb", ">= 1.5.0" # for binding.irb(show_code: false)
+  spec.add_dependency "irb", "~> 1.10" # for irb:debug integration
   spec.add_dependency "reline", ">= 0.3.8"
 end
diff --git a/lib/debug/config.rb b/lib/debug/config.rb
index e954b56bf..66383c88c 100644
--- a/lib/debug/config.rb
+++ b/lib/debug/config.rb
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ module DEBUGGER__
     no_reline:      ['RUBY_DEBUG_NO_RELINE',      "UI: Do not use Reline library",              :bool, "false"],
     no_hint:        ['RUBY_DEBUG_NO_HINT',        "UI: Do not show the hint on the REPL",       :bool, "false"],
     no_lineno:      ['RUBY_DEBUG_NO_LINENO',      "UI: Do not show line numbers",               :bool, "false"],
+    irb_console:    ["RUBY_DEBUG_IRB_CONSOLE",    "UI: Use IRB as the console",                 :bool, "false"],
 
     # control setting
     skip_path:      ['RUBY_DEBUG_SKIP_PATH',      "CONTROL: Skip showing/entering frames for given paths", :path],
diff --git a/lib/debug/irb_integration.rb b/lib/debug/irb_integration.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a2ea34b65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/debug/irb_integration.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require 'irb'
+
+module DEBUGGER__
+  module IrbPatch
+    def evaluate(line, line_no)
+      SESSION.send(:restart_all_threads)
+      super
+      # This is to communicate with the test framework so it can feed the next input
+      puts "INTERNAL_INFO: {}" if ENV['RUBY_DEBUG_TEST_UI'] == 'terminal'
+    ensure
+      SESSION.send(:stop_all_threads)
+    end
+  end
+
+  class ThreadClient
+    def activate_irb_integration
+      IRB.setup(location, argv: [])
+      workspace = IRB::WorkSpace.new(current_frame&.binding || TOPLEVEL_BINDING)
+      irb = IRB::Irb.new(workspace)
+      IRB.conf[:MAIN_CONTEXT] = irb.context
+      IRB::Debug.setup(irb)
+      IRB::Context.prepend(IrbPatch)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/debug/session.rb b/lib/debug/session.rb
index 321ba8231..3d51af192 100644
--- a/lib/debug/session.rb
+++ b/lib/debug/session.rb
@@ -202,6 +202,11 @@ def activate ui = nil, on_fork: false
         end
         @tp_thread_end.enable
 
+        if CONFIG[:irb_console] && !CONFIG[:open]
+          require_relative "irb_integration"
+          thc.activate_irb_integration
+        end
+
         # session start
         q << true
         session_server_main
@@ -936,10 +941,11 @@ def register_default_command
       #   * Invoke `irb` on the current frame.
       register_command 'irb' do |arg|
         if @ui.remote?
-          @ui.puts "not supported on the remote console."
+          @ui.puts "\nIRB is not supported on the remote console."
           :retry
+        else
+          request_eval :irb, nil
         end
-        request_eval :irb, nil
       end
 
       ### Trace
diff --git a/lib/debug/thread_client.rb b/lib/debug/thread_client.rb
index 3ec53fb81..6f9da4af1 100644
--- a/lib/debug/thread_client.rb
+++ b/lib/debug/thread_client.rb
@@ -1048,13 +1048,8 @@ def wait_next_action_
           when :call
             result = frame_eval(eval_src)
           when :irb
-            require 'irb' # prelude's binding.irb doesn't have show_code option
-            begin
-              result = frame_eval('binding.irb(show_code: false)', binding_location: true)
-            ensure
-              # workaround: https://github.com/ruby/debug/issues/308
-              Reline.prompt_proc = nil if defined? Reline
-            end
+            require_relative "irb_integration"
+            activate_irb_integration
           when :display, :try_display
             failed_results = []
             eval_src.each_with_index{|src, i|
diff --git a/misc/README.md.erb b/misc/README.md.erb
index 5778e5a90..ff800fabf 100644
--- a/misc/README.md.erb
+++ b/misc/README.md.erb
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 # debug.rb
 
-This library provides debugging functionality to Ruby (MRI) 2.6 and later.
+This library provides debugging functionality to Ruby (MRI) 2.7 and later.
 
 This debug.rb is replacement of traditional lib/debug.rb standard library which is implemented by `set_trace_func`.
 New debug.rb has several advantages:
diff --git a/test/console/irb_test.rb b/test/console/irb_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..478a37036
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/console/irb_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require_relative '../support/console_test_case'
+
+module DEBUGGER__
+  class IrbTest < ConsoleTestCase
+    def setup
+      @original_pager = ENV["PAGER"]
+      ENV["PAGER"] = "cat"
+    end
+
+    def teardown
+      ENV["PAGER"] = @original_pager
+    end
+
+    def program
+      <<~RUBY
+      1| a = 1
+      2| b = 2
+      RUBY
+    end
+
+    def test_irb_command_is_disabled_in_remote_mode
+      debug_code(program, remote: :remote_only) do
+        type 'irb'
+        assert_line_text 'IRB is not supported on the remote console.'
+        type 'q!'
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_irb_command_switches_console_to_irb
+      debug_code(program, remote: false) do
+        type 'irb'
+        type '123'
+        assert_line_text 'irb:rdbg(main):002> 123'
+        type 'irb_info'
+        assert_line_text('IRB version:')
+        type 'next'
+        type 'info'
+        assert_line_text([/a = 1/, /b = nil/])
+        type 'q!'
+      end
+    end
+
+    def test_irb_console_config_activates_irb
+      ENV["RUBY_DEBUG_IRB_CONSOLE"] = "true"
+
+      debug_code(program, remote: false) do
+        type '123'
+        assert_line_text 'irb:rdbg(main):002> 123'
+        type 'irb_info'
+        assert_line_text('IRB version:')
+        type 'next'
+        type 'info'
+        assert_line_text([/a = 1/, /b = nil/])
+        type 'q!'
+      end
+    ensure
+      ENV["RUBY_DEBUG_IRB_CONSOLE"] = nil
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/support/console_test_case.rb b/test/support/console_test_case.rb
index 49e0bb87f..efdc1bafe 100644
--- a/test/support/console_test_case.rb
+++ b/test/support/console_test_case.rb
@@ -217,6 +217,7 @@ def prepare_test_environment(program, test_steps, &block)
       ENV['RUBY_DEBUG_TEST_UI'] = 'terminal'
       ENV['RUBY_DEBUG_NO_RELINE'] = 'true'
       ENV['RUBY_DEBUG_HISTORY_FILE'] = ''
+      ENV['TERM'] = 'dumb'
 
       write_temp_file(strip_line_num(program))
       @scenario = []