diff --git a/src/libs/utils/launchersocket.cpp b/src/libs/utils/launchersocket.cpp
index c27346f6582..1a1a4a92ef1 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/launchersocket.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/launchersocket.cpp
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ bool CallerHandle::shouldFlushFor(SignalType signalType) const
 void CallerHandle::handleError(const ErrorSignal *launcherSignal)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(isCalledFromCallersThread(), return);
+    m_processState = QProcess::NotRunning;
     m_error = launcherSignal->error();
     m_errorString = launcherSignal->errorString();
     emit errorOccurred(m_error);
diff --git a/src/tools/processlauncher/launchersockethandler.cpp b/src/tools/processlauncher/launchersockethandler.cpp
index 73234347346..c83b86a0dbf 100644
--- a/src/tools/processlauncher/launchersockethandler.cpp
+++ b/src/tools/processlauncher/launchersockethandler.cpp
@@ -71,12 +71,6 @@ public:
         }
     }
 
-    void stopStopProcedure()
-    {
-        m_stopState = StopState::Inactive;
-        m_stopTimer->stop();
-    }
-
     quintptr token() const { return m_token; }
     ProcessStartHandler *processStartHandler() { return &m_processStartHandler; }
 
@@ -176,13 +170,11 @@ void LauncherSocketHandler::handleSocketClosed()
 void LauncherSocketHandler::handleProcessError()
 {
     Process * proc = senderProcess();
-    if (proc->error() != QProcess::FailedToStart)
-        return;
-    proc->stopStopProcedure();
     ProcessErrorPacket packet(proc->token());
     packet.error = proc->error();
     packet.errorString = proc->errorString();
     sendPacket(packet);
+    removeProcess(proc->token());
 }
 
 void LauncherSocketHandler::handleProcessStarted()
@@ -213,7 +205,6 @@ void LauncherSocketHandler::handleReadyReadStandardError()
 void LauncherSocketHandler::handleProcessFinished()
 {
     Process * proc = senderProcess();
-    proc->stopStopProcedure();
     ProcessFinishedPacket packet(proc->token());
     packet.error = proc->error();
     packet.errorString = proc->errorString();
@@ -342,7 +333,7 @@ void LauncherSocketHandler::removeProcess(quintptr token)
     if (process->state() != QProcess::NotRunning)
         process->cancel();
     else
-        delete process;
+        process->deleteLater();
 }
 
 Process *LauncherSocketHandler::senderProcess() const
diff --git a/tests/auto/utils/qtcprocess/tst_qtcprocess.cpp b/tests/auto/utils/qtcprocess/tst_qtcprocess.cpp
index 0a23a293ca9..57230ffe5c0 100644
--- a/tests/auto/utils/qtcprocess/tst_qtcprocess.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/utils/qtcprocess/tst_qtcprocess.cpp
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include <utils/qtcprocess.h>
 #include <utils/stringutils.h>
 
+#include <QElapsedTimer>
 #include <QRegularExpression>
 #include <QtTest>
 
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ private slots:
     void lineCallback();
     void lineCallbackIntern();
     void waitForStartedAndFinished();
+    void notRunningAfterStartingNonExistingProgram();
 
     void cleanupTestCase();
 
@@ -976,6 +978,35 @@ void tst_QtcProcess::waitForStartedAndFinished()
     QCOMPARE(process.exitCode(), 0);
 }
 
+void tst_QtcProcess::notRunningAfterStartingNonExistingProgram()
+{
+    QtcProcess process;
+    process.setCommand({ FilePath::fromString(
+              "there_is_a_big_chance_that_executable_with_that_name_does_not_exists"), {} });
+
+    int errorCount = 0;
+    QObject::connect(&process, &QtcProcess::errorOccurred,
+                     [&errorCount](QProcess::ProcessError error) {
+        ++errorCount;
+        QCOMPARE(error, QProcess::FailedToStart);
+    });
+
+    const int loopCount = 2;
+    for (int i = 0; i < loopCount; ++i) {
+        // Work on the same process instance on every iteration
+        process.start();
+
+        QElapsedTimer timer;
+        timer.start();
+        const int maxWaitTimeMs = 1000;
+
+        QVERIFY(!process.waitForStarted(maxWaitTimeMs));
+        QVERIFY(timer.elapsed() < maxWaitTimeMs); // shouldn't wait, should finish immediately
+        QCOMPARE(process.state(), QProcess::NotRunning);
+        QVERIFY(process.exitCode() != 0);
+    }
+}
+
 QTEST_MAIN(tst_QtcProcess)
 
 #include "tst_qtcprocess.moc"