diff --git a/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go b/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
index 2f8ec18d..e11bdd12 100644
--- a/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
+++ b/cmd/dlv/cmds/commands.go
@@ -422,6 +422,9 @@ func dapCmd(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 		if continueOnStart {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: continue ignored with dap; specify via launch/attach request instead\n")
 		}
+		if backend != "default" {
+			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: backend ignored with dap; specify via launch/attach request instead\n")
+		}
 		if buildFlags != "" {
 			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Warning: build flags ignored with dap; specify via launch/attach request instead\n")
 		}
diff --git a/service/dap/server.go b/service/dap/server.go
index 761d4dbd..59d27f1b 100644
--- a/service/dap/server.go
+++ b/service/dap/server.go
@@ -843,6 +843,20 @@ func (s *Server) onLaunchRequest(request *dap.LaunchRequest) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	backend, ok := request.Arguments["backend"]
+	if ok {
+		backendParsed, ok := backend.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			s.sendErrorResponse(request.Request,
+				FailedToLaunch, "Failed to launch",
+				fmt.Sprintf("'backend' attribute '%v' in debug configuration is not a string.", backend))
+			return
+		}
+		s.config.Debugger.Backend = backendParsed
+	} else {
+		s.config.Debugger.Backend = "default"
+	}
+
 	s.config.ProcessArgs = append([]string{program}, targetArgs...)
 	s.config.Debugger.WorkingDir = filepath.Dir(program)
 
@@ -1436,6 +1450,20 @@ func (s *Server) onAttachRequest(request *dap.AttachRequest) {
 			s.sendErrorResponse(request.Request, FailedToAttach, "Failed to attach", err.Error())
 			return
 		}
+		backend, ok := request.Arguments["backend"]
+		if ok {
+			backendParsed, ok := backend.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				s.sendErrorResponse(request.Request,
+					FailedToAttach, "Failed to attach",
+					fmt.Sprintf("'backend' attribute '%v' in debug configuration is not a string.", backend))
+				return
+			}
+			s.config.Debugger.Backend = backendParsed
+		} else {
+			s.config.Debugger.Backend = "default"
+		}
+
 		func() {
 			s.mu.Lock()
 			defer s.mu.Unlock() // Make sure to unlock in case of panic that will become internal error
diff --git a/service/dap/server_test.go b/service/dap/server_test.go
index 08872dcb..71ded520 100644
--- a/service/dap/server_test.go
+++ b/service/dap/server_test.go
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import (
 	protest "github.com/go-delve/delve/pkg/proc/test"
 	"github.com/go-delve/delve/service"
 	"github.com/go-delve/delve/service/dap/daptest"
-	"github.com/go-delve/delve/service/debugger"
 	"github.com/google/go-dap"
 )
 
@@ -73,9 +72,6 @@ func startDapServer(t *testing.T) *daptest.Client {
 	server := NewServer(&service.Config{
 		Listener:       listener,
 		DisconnectChan: disconnectChan,
-		Debugger: debugger.Config{
-			Backend: "default",
-		},
 	})
 	server.Run()
 	// Give server time to start listening for clients
@@ -284,7 +280,7 @@ func TestAttachStopOnEntry(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// 2 >> attach, << initialized, << attach
 		client.AttachRequest(
-			map[string]interface{}{"mode": "local", "processId": cmd.Process.Pid, "stopOnEntry": true})
+			map[string]interface{}{"mode": "local", "processId": cmd.Process.Pid, "stopOnEntry": true, "backend": "default"})
 		initEvent := client.ExpectInitializedEvent(t)
 		if initEvent.Seq != 0 {
 			t.Errorf("\ngot %#v\nwant Seq=0", initEvent)
@@ -869,7 +865,7 @@ func TestScopesAndVariablesRequests(t *testing.T) {
 			// Launch
 			func() {
 				client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{
-					"mode": "exec", "program": fixture.Path, "showGlobalVariables": true,
+					"mode": "exec", "program": fixture.Path, "showGlobalVariables": true, "backend": "default",
 				})
 			},
 			// Breakpoints are set within the program
@@ -4683,6 +4679,18 @@ func TestBadLaunchRequests(t *testing.T) {
 		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
 			"Failed to launch: 'buildFlags' attribute '123' in debug configuration is not a string.")
 
+		// Bad "backend"
+		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "backend": 123})
+		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to launch: 'backend' attribute '123' in debug configuration is not a string.")
+		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "backend": "foo"})
+		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to launch: could not launch process: unknown backend \"foo\"")
+		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "backend": ""})
+		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to launch: could not launch process: unknown backend \"\"")
+
+		// Bad "substitutePath"
 		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "substitutePath": 123})
 		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
 			"Failed to launch: 'substitutePath' attribute '123' in debug configuration is not a []{'from': string, 'to': string}")
@@ -4698,6 +4706,8 @@ func TestBadLaunchRequests(t *testing.T) {
 		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "substitutePath": []interface{}{map[string]interface{}{"from": "path1", "to": 123}}})
 		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
 			"Failed to launch: 'substitutePath' attribute '[map[from:path1 to:123]]' in debug configuration is not a []{'from': string, 'to': string}")
+
+		// Bad "cwd"
 		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "cwd": 123})
 		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectErrorResponse(t),
 			"Failed to launch: 'cwd' attribute '123' in debug configuration is not a string.")
@@ -4736,7 +4746,7 @@ func TestBadLaunchRequests(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		checkFailedToLaunchWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t), "Failed to launch: Build error: Check the debug console for details.")
 
-		// Bad "wd".
+		// Bad "cwd"
 		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "noDebug": false, "cwd": "dir/invalid"})
 		checkFailedToLaunch(client.ExpectErrorResponse(t)) // invalid directory, the error message is system-dependent.
 		client.LaunchRequestWithArgs(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "debug", "program": fixture.Source, "noDebug": true, "cwd": "dir/invalid"})
@@ -4838,7 +4848,18 @@ func TestBadAttachRequest(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Id got %d, want 8888", er.Body.Error.Id)
 		}
 
-		// We failed to launch the program. Make sure shutdown still works.
+		// Bad "backend"
+		client.AttachRequest(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "local", "processId": 1, "backend": 123})
+		checkFailedToAttachWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to attach: 'backend' attribute '123' in debug configuration is not a string.")
+		client.AttachRequest(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "local", "processId": 1, "backend": "foo"})
+		checkFailedToAttachWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to attach: could not attach to pid 1: unknown backend \"foo\"")
+		client.AttachRequest(map[string]interface{}{"mode": "local", "processId": 1, "backend": ""})
+		checkFailedToAttachWithMessage(client.ExpectInvisibleErrorResponse(t),
+			"Failed to attach: could not attach to pid 1: unknown backend \"\"")
+
+		// We failed to attach to the program. Make sure shutdown still works.
 		client.DisconnectRequest()
 		dresp := client.ExpectDisconnectResponse(t)
 		if dresp.RequestSeq != seqCnt {