diff --git a/src/DebugServer/Gdb/GdbRspDebugServer.hpp b/src/DebugServer/Gdb/GdbRspDebugServer.hpp
index d002fa6a..c9e144b4 100644
--- a/src/DebugServer/Gdb/GdbRspDebugServer.hpp
+++ b/src/DebugServer/Gdb/GdbRspDebugServer.hpp
@@ -217,7 +217,6 @@ namespace DebugServer::Gdb
                     );
 
                     this->targetControllerService.stopTargetExecution();
-                    this->targetControllerService.resetTarget();
                 }
 
                 const auto commandPacketVariant = this->waitForCommandPacket();
diff --git a/src/DebugToolDrivers/Microchip/Protocols/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp b/src/DebugToolDrivers/Microchip/Protocols/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
index 458ab1f6..5f2ebfd8 100644
--- a/src/DebugToolDrivers/Microchip/Protocols/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
+++ b/src/DebugToolDrivers/Microchip/Protocols/EDBG/AVR/EdbgAvr8Interface.cpp
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ namespace DebugToolDrivers::Microchip::Protocols::Edbg::Avr
             this->setParameter(Avr8EdbgParameters::JTAG_DAISY_CHAIN_SETTINGS, std::uint32_t{0});
         }
 
+        this->setParameter(
+            Avr8EdbgParameters::RUN_TIMERS_WHILST_STOPPED,
+            static_cast<std::uint8_t>(this->session.targetConfig.stopAllTimers ? 0 : 1)
+        );
+
         this->setParameter(
             Avr8EdbgParameters::CONFIG_VARIANT,
             static_cast<std::uint8_t>(this->session.configVariant)
diff --git a/src/ProjectConfig.cpp b/src/ProjectConfig.cpp
index 1d67af77..f3ded5e5 100644
--- a/src/ProjectConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/ProjectConfig.cpp
@@ -194,6 +194,10 @@ TargetConfig::TargetConfig(const YAML::Node& targetNode) {
 
     this->physicalInterface = physicalInterfaceIt->second;
 
+    if (targetNode["resume_on_startup"]) {
+        this->resumeOnStartup = targetNode["resume_on_startup"].as<bool>(this->resumeOnStartup);
+    }
+
     if (targetNode["variantName"]) {
         Logger::warning(
             "The 'variantName' target configuration parameter was removed in v2.0.0. Please use the "
diff --git a/src/ProjectConfig.hpp b/src/ProjectConfig.hpp
index d825416d..5c497bff 100644
--- a/src/ProjectConfig.hpp
+++ b/src/ProjectConfig.hpp
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ struct TargetConfig
      */
     Targets::TargetPhysicalInterface physicalInterface;
 
+    /**
+     * Determines whether Bloom will resume target execution after activation.
+     */
+    bool resumeOnStartup = false;
+
     /**
      * Determines whether Bloom will make use of the target's hardware breakpoint resources (if available).
      */
diff --git a/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.cpp b/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.cpp
index 4f20c686..2303b0f2 100644
--- a/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.cpp
+++ b/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
 #include "src/Services/StringService.hpp"
 #include "src/Logger/Logger.hpp"
 
+#include "Exceptions/TargetOperationFailure.hpp"
+
 #include "src/Exceptions/FatalErrorException.hpp"
 #include "src/Exceptions/InvalidConfig.hpp"
 
@@ -584,6 +586,18 @@ namespace TargetController
         } else {
             Logger::warning("Hardware breakpoints have been disabled");
         }
+
+        if (
+            this->targetState->executionState == TargetExecutionState::STOPPED
+            && this->environmentConfig.targetConfig.resumeOnStartup
+        ) {
+            try {
+                this->resumeTarget();
+
+            } catch (const Exceptions::TargetOperationFailure& exception) {
+                Logger::error("Failed to resume target execution on startup - error: " + exception.getMessage());
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     void TargetControllerComponent::releaseHardware() {
@@ -628,11 +642,11 @@ namespace TargetController
         TargetControllerComponent::notifier.notify();
     }
 
-    void TargetControllerComponent::refreshExecutionState(bool forceRefresh) {
+    void TargetControllerComponent::refreshExecutionState(bool forceUpdate) {
         auto newState = *(this->targetState);
         newState.executionState = this->target->getExecutionState();
 
-        if (!forceRefresh && newState.executionState == this->targetState->executionState) {
+        if (!forceUpdate && newState.executionState == this->targetState->executionState) {
             return;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.hpp b/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.hpp
index 66610b9f..30996c74 100644
--- a/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.hpp
+++ b/src/TargetController/TargetControllerComponent.hpp
@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ namespace TargetController
         void startAtomicSession();
         void endActiveAtomicSession();
 
-        void refreshExecutionState(bool forceRefresh = false);
+        void refreshExecutionState(bool forceUpdate = false);
         void updateTargetState(const Targets::TargetState& newState);
 
         void stopTarget();
diff --git a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8.cpp b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8.cpp
index 8f32c9e5..55704797 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8.cpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8.cpp
@@ -209,20 +209,23 @@ namespace Targets::Microchip::Avr8
 
         this->activated = true;
 
-        /*
-         * Validate the target signature.
-         *
-         * The signature obtained from the device should match what we loaded from the target description file.
-         */
-        const auto targetSignature = this->avr8DebugInterface->getDeviceId();
+        if (this->targetConfig.signatureValidation) {
+            /*
+             * Validate the target signature.
+             *
+             * The signature obtained from the device should match what we loaded from the target description file.
+             */
+            const auto targetSignature = this->avr8DebugInterface->getDeviceId();
 
-        if (targetSignature != this->signature) {
-            throw Exception{
-                "Failed to validate connected target - target signature mismatch.\nThe target signature"
-                    " (\"" + targetSignature.toHex() + "\") does not match the AVR8 target description signature (\""
-                    + this->signature.toHex() + "\"). This will likely be due to an incorrect target name in the "
-                    + "configuration file (bloom.yaml)."
-            };
+            if (targetSignature != this->signature) {
+                throw Exception{
+                    "Failed to validate connected target - target signature mismatch.\nThe target signature"
+                        " (\"" + targetSignature.toHex() +
+                        "\") does not match the AVR8 target description signature (\""
+                        + this->signature.toHex() + "\"). This will likely be due to an incorrect target name in the "
+                        + "configuration file (bloom.yaml)."
+                };
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
index 52d25c9d..f4441fe9 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.cpp
@@ -38,5 +38,13 @@ namespace Targets::Microchip::Avr8
         if (targetNode["preserve_eeprom"]) {
             this->preserveEeprom = targetNode["preserve_eeprom"].as<bool>(this->preserveEeprom);
         }
+
+        if (targetNode["signature_validation"]) {
+            this->signatureValidation = targetNode["signature_validation"].as<bool>(this->signatureValidation);
+        }
+
+        if (targetNode["stop_all_timers"]) {
+            this->stopAllTimers = targetNode["stop_all_timers"].as<bool>(this->stopAllTimers);
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
index d3f99b3d..364cf662 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Microchip/AVR8/Avr8TargetConfig.hpp
@@ -79,6 +79,17 @@ namespace Targets::Microchip::Avr8
          */
         bool preserveEeprom = true;
 
+        /**
+         * Determines whether Bloom will check for an AVR signature mismatch between the signature in the TDF and the
+         * connected target signature.
+         */
+        bool signatureValidation = true;
+
+        /**
+         * Determines whether Bloom will stop all timer peripherals on the target, when target execution is stopped.
+         */
+        bool stopAllTimers = true;
+
         explicit Avr8TargetConfig(const TargetConfig& targetConfig);
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/Targets/RiscV/RiscV.cpp b/src/Targets/RiscV/RiscV.cpp
index 9c9754fb..9f33e46a 100644
--- a/src/Targets/RiscV/RiscV.cpp
+++ b/src/Targets/RiscV/RiscV.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ namespace Targets::RiscV
 
     void RiscV::activate() {
         this->riscVDebugInterface->activate();
+        this->stop();
+        this->reset();
     }
 
     void RiscV::deactivate() {
diff --git a/src/Targets/Target.hpp b/src/Targets/Target.hpp
index 10287868..620655fa 100644
--- a/src/Targets/Target.hpp
+++ b/src/Targets/Target.hpp
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ namespace Targets
         virtual void setDebugTool(DebugTool* debugTool) = 0;
 
         /**
-         * This function should attempt to establish a connection with the target, and put it in a state where
-         * debugging can be performed.
+         * This function should attempt to establish a connection with the target, halt execution, and put it in a
+         * state where debugging can be performed.
          *
          * If an exception is thrown from this function, the TargetController will treat it as a fatal error, and thus
          * will shutdown, along with the rest of Bloom.