diff --git a/src/target/target.c b/src/target/target.c
index ea130ce3a..dd16c2bdf 100644
--- a/src/target/target.c
+++ b/src/target/target.c
@@ -266,9 +266,6 @@ int target_halt(struct target_s *target)
 int target_resume(struct target_s *target, int current, u32 address, int handle_breakpoints, int debug_execution)
 {
 	int retval;
-	int timeout_ms = 5000;
-	
-	enum target_state resume_state = debug_execution ? TARGET_DEBUG_RUNNING : TARGET_RUNNING;
 	
 	/* We can't poll until after examine */
 	if (!target->type->examined)
@@ -277,24 +274,13 @@ int target_resume(struct target_s *target, int current, u32 address, int handle_
 		return ERROR_FAIL;
 	}
 	
+	/* note that resume *must* be asynchronous. The CPU can halt before we poll. The CPU can
+	 * even halt at the current PC as a result of a software breakpoint being inserted by (a bug?)
+	 * the application.
+	 */
 	if ((retval = target->type->resume(target, current, address, handle_breakpoints, debug_execution)) != ERROR_OK)
 		return retval;
 	
-	/* wait for target to exit halted mode */
-	target_poll(target);
-	
-	while (target->state != resume_state)
-	{
-		target_call_timer_callbacks();
-		usleep(10000);
-		target_poll(target);
-		if ((timeout_ms -= 10) <= 0)
-		{
-			LOG_ERROR("timeout waiting for target resume");
-			return ERROR_TARGET_TIMEOUT;
-		}
-	}
-
 	return retval;
 }