diff --git a/odoo/addons/base/models/ir_qweb.py b/odoo/addons/base/models/ir_qweb.py
index cb8794a910f..0343ac3bc47 100644
--- a/odoo/addons/base/models/ir_qweb.py
+++ b/odoo/addons/base/models/ir_qweb.py
@@ -123,15 +123,21 @@ Directives
 
 ``t-debug``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~
-**Values**: ``pdb``, ``ipdb``, ``pudb``, ``wdb``
+**Values**: `''` (empty string), ``pdb``, ``ipdb``, ``pudb``, ``wdb``
 
-Activate the choosed debugger.
+Triggers a debugger breakpoint at that location. With an empty value, calls the
+``breakpoint`` builtin invoking whichever breakpoint hook has been set up,
+otherwise triggers a breakpoint uses the corresponding debugger.
 
 When dev mode is enabled this allows python developers to have access to the
 state of variables being rendered. The code generated by the QWeb engine is
 not accessible, only the variables (values, self) can be analyzed or the
 methods that called the QWeb rendering.
 
+.. warning:: using a non-empty string is deprecated since 17.0, configure your
+             preferred debugger via ``PYTHONBREAKPOINT`` or
+             ``sys.setbreakpointhook``.
+
 ``t-if``
 ~~~~~~~~
 **Values**: python expression
@@ -370,6 +376,7 @@ import time
 import token
 import tokenize
 import traceback
+import warnings
 import werkzeug
 
 from markupsafe import Markup, escape
@@ -2354,7 +2361,16 @@ class IrQWeb(models.AbstractModel):
 
     def _debug_trace(self, debugger, values):
         """Method called at running time to load debugger."""
-        if debugger in SUPPORTED_DEBUGGER:
+        if not debugger:
+            breakpoint()
+        elif debugger in SUPPORTED_DEBUGGER:
+            warnings.warn(
+                "Using t-debug with an explicit debugger is deprecated "
+                "since Odoo 17.0, keep the value empty and configure the "
+                "``breakpoint`` builtin instead.",
+                category=DeprecationWarning,
+                stacklevel=2,
+            )
             __import__(debugger).set_trace()
         else:
             raise ValueError(f"unsupported t-debug value: {debugger}")