Abstract The strength and post-peak performance of reinforced concrete corbels, strengthened with epoxy bonded glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) overlays, were experimentally investigated. The test variables were the corbel shear span to depth ratio, corbel main reinforcement ratio, and the number and orientation of the GFRP fibers. In total, 24 normal strength concrete, one-third scale, corbel specimens, without hoop reinforcement, were tested to failure under quasi-static gravity loading. Test results revealed that GFRP overlays can easily be used for the enhancement of corbel load bearing capacity, depending on the fiber orientation. The main reinforcement ratio and the number of GFRP plies were found to be the two main variables affecting the level of strength gain in the corbel specimens.