diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 713b9a6c074..c041048be28 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -311,11 +311,6 @@ bool QmakeBuildConfiguration::isBuildDirAtSafeLocation() const
                                     buildDirectory().toString());
 }
 
-void QmakeBuildConfiguration::emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged()
-{
-    emit qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
-}
-
 QStringList QmakeBuildConfiguration::configCommandLineArguments() const
 {
     QStringList result;
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
index cc63a56713e..1b23b5e5725 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
@@ -63,12 +63,6 @@ public:
     static QString shadowBuildDirectory(const Utils::FilePath &profilePath, const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k,
                                         const QString &suffix, BuildConfiguration::BuildType type);
 
-    /// \internal for qmakestep
-    // used by qmake step to notify that the qmake args have changed
-    // not really nice, the build configuration should save the arguments
-    // since they are needed for reevaluation
-    void emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
-
     QStringList configCommandLineArguments() const;
 
     // Those functions are used in a few places.
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
index 6aff639a640..29ec985e2ba 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ void QMakeStep::setUserArguments(const QString &arguments)
 
     emit userArgumentsChanged();
 
-    qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
+    emit qmakeBuildConfiguration()->qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
     qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitProFileEvaluateNeeded();
 }
 
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ void QMakeStep::setExtraArguments(const QStringList &args)
     if (m_extraArgs != args) {
         m_extraArgs = args;
         emit extraArgumentsChanged();
-        qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
+        emit qmakeBuildConfiguration()->qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
         qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitProFileEvaluateNeeded();
     }
 }
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ void QMakeStep::setLinkQmlDebuggingLibrary(bool enable)
 
     emit linkQmlDebuggingLibraryChanged();
 
-    qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
+    emit qmakeBuildConfiguration()->qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
     qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitProFileEvaluateNeeded();
 }
 
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ void QMakeStep::setUseQtQuickCompiler(bool enable)
 
     emit useQtQuickCompilerChanged();
 
-    qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
+    emit qmakeBuildConfiguration()->qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
     qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitProFileEvaluateNeeded();
 }
 
@@ -438,7 +438,7 @@ void QMakeStep::setSeparateDebugInfo(bool enable)
 
     emit separateDebugInfoChanged();
 
-    qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitQMakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
+    emit qmakeBuildConfiguration()->qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
     qmakeBuildConfiguration()->emitProFileEvaluateNeeded();
 }