diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/baseenginedebugclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/baseenginedebugclient.h
index e77f658aeab..1f3f2f3dfe9 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/baseenginedebugclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/baseenginedebugclient.h
@@ -72,6 +72,9 @@ public:
     virtual quint32 queryObjectsForLocation(const QString &fileName, int lineNumber,
                                             int columnNumber);
 
+    virtual void stateChanged(State status) override;
+    virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
+
 signals:
     void newState(QmlDebug::QmlDebugClient::State status);
     void newObject(int engineId, int objectId, int parentId);
@@ -80,9 +83,6 @@ signals:
     void result(quint32 queryId, const QVariant &result, const QByteArray &type);
 
 protected:
-    virtual void stateChanged(State status) override;
-    virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
-
     quint32 getId() { return m_nextId++; }
 
     void decode(QDataStream &d, ContextReference &context);
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativeenginedebugclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativeenginedebugclient.h
index 6efda145ece..ccd087726f3 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativeenginedebugclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativeenginedebugclient.h
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ public:
     quint32 setMethodBody(int objectDebugId, const QString &methodName,
                           const QString &methodBody) override;
 
-protected:
     void messageReceived(const QByteArray &data) override;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativetoolsclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativetoolsclient.h
index dcb70672078..a6031e87c3b 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativetoolsclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/declarativetoolsclient.h
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ public:
     // ### Qt 4.8: remove if we can have access to qdeclarativecontextdata or id's
     void setObjectIdList(const QList<ObjectReference> &objectRoots) override;
 
-protected:
     void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/qdebugmessageclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/qdebugmessageclient.h
index cf092cbef90..6862cfd69d5 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/qdebugmessageclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/qdebugmessageclient.h
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ class QMLDEBUG_EXPORT QDebugMessageClient : public QmlDebugClient
 public:
     explicit QDebugMessageClient(QmlDebugConnection *client);
 
-protected:
     virtual void stateChanged(State state) override;
     virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
 
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.cpp b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.cpp
index 597281ab258..5935fee5d25 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.cpp
@@ -33,6 +33,8 @@
 #include <qlocalserver.h>
 #include <qlocalsocket.h>
 
+#include <QPointer>
+
 namespace QmlDebug {
 
 const int protocolVersion = 1;
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ public:
     QmlDebugClientPrivate();
 
     QString name;
-    QmlDebugConnection *connection;
+    QPointer<QmlDebugConnection> connection;
 };
 
 class QmlDebugConnectionPrivate
@@ -263,11 +265,7 @@ QmlDebugConnection::QmlDebugConnection(QObject *parent)
 
 QmlDebugConnection::~QmlDebugConnection()
 {
-    Q_D(QmlDebugConnection);
     socketDisconnected();
-    QHash<QString, QmlDebugClient*>::iterator iter = d->plugins.begin();
-    for (; iter != d->plugins.end(); ++iter)
-        iter.value()->d_func()->connection = 0;
 }
 
 bool QmlDebugConnection::isConnected() const
@@ -435,7 +433,6 @@ QAbstractSocket::SocketState QmlDebugConnection::socketState() const
 }
 
 QmlDebugClientPrivate::QmlDebugClientPrivate()
-    : connection(0)
 {
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.h
index 2e485ecc1ab..8d2f5712753 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmldebugclient.h
@@ -97,13 +97,10 @@ public:
     QmlDebugConnection *connection() const;
 
     virtual void sendMessage(const QByteArray &);
-
-protected:
     virtual void stateChanged(State);
     virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &);
 
 private:
-    friend class QmlDebugConnection;
     QScopedPointer<QmlDebugClientPrivate> d_ptr;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmlenginecontrolclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmlenginecontrolclient.h
index 43d2efdc80d..c947fd72f01 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmlenginecontrolclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmlenginecontrolclient.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public:
     void blockEngine(int engineId);
     void releaseEngine(int engineId);
 
+    void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
+
 signals:
     void engineAboutToBeAdded(int engineId, const QString &name);
     void engineAdded(int engineId, const QString &name);
@@ -59,7 +61,6 @@ signals:
     void engineRemoved(int engineId, const QString &name);
 
 protected:
-    void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
     void sendCommand(CommandType command, int engineId);
 
     struct EngineState {
diff --git a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmltoolsclient.h b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmltoolsclient.h
index d0a19c784f9..0a3aba6bd4b 100644
--- a/src/libs/qmldebug/qmltoolsclient.h
+++ b/src/libs/qmldebug/qmltoolsclient.h
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ public:
     // ### Qt 4.8: remove if we can have access to qdeclarativecontextdata or id's
     void setObjectIdList(const QList<ObjectReference> &objectRoots) override;
 
-protected:
     void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
 
 private:
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilertraceclient.h b/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilertraceclient.h
index 1c5baf10fd5..b0f17c97893 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilertraceclient.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilertraceclient.h
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ public:
     bool isRecording() const;
     void setRecording(bool);
     quint64 recordedFeatures() const;
+    virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
+    virtual void stateChanged(State status) override;
 
     void clearData();
     void sendRecordingStatus(int engineId = -1);
@@ -68,10 +70,6 @@ signals:
 
     void cleared();
 
-protected:
-    virtual void stateChanged(State status) override;
-    virtual void messageReceived(const QByteArray &) override;
-
 private:
     class QmlProfilerTraceClientPrivate *d;
 };