diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.cpp b/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.cpp
index c0bbbe768a5..552df764c32 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.cpp
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.cpp
@@ -249,6 +249,42 @@ bool IoUtils::touchFile(const QString &targetFileName, const QString &referenceF
 #  endif
     return true;
 }
+
+#if defined(QT_BUILD_QMAKE) && defined(Q_OS_UNIX)
+bool IoUtils::readLinkTarget(const QString &symlinkPath, QString *target)
+{
+    const QByteArray localSymlinkPath = QFile::encodeName(symlinkPath);
+#  if defined(__GLIBC__) && !defined(PATH_MAX)
+#    define PATH_CHUNK_SIZE 256
+    char *s = 0;
+    int len = -1;
+    int size = PATH_CHUNK_SIZE;
+
+    forever {
+        s = (char *)::realloc(s, size);
+        len = ::readlink(localSymlinkPath.constData(), s, size);
+        if (len < 0) {
+            ::free(s);
+            break;
+        }
+        if (len < size)
+            break;
+        size *= 2;
+    }
+#  else
+    char s[PATH_MAX+1];
+    int len = readlink(localSymlinkPath.constData(), s, PATH_MAX);
+#  endif
+    if (len <= 0)
+        return false;
+    *target = QFile::decodeName(QByteArray(s, len));
+#  if defined(__GLIBC__) && !defined(PATH_MAX)
+    ::free(s);
+#  endif
+    return true;
+}
 #endif
 
+#endif  // PROEVALUATOR_FULL
+
 QT_END_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.h b/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.h
index 150c837369a..71a7ffed565 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.h
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/ioutils.h
@@ -62,6 +62,9 @@ public:
 #endif
 #if defined(PROEVALUATOR_FULL)
     static bool touchFile(const QString &targetFileName, const QString &referenceFileName, QString *errorString);
+# if defined(QT_BUILD_QMAKE) && defined(Q_OS_UNIX)
+    static bool readLinkTarget(const QString &symlinkPath, QString *target);
+# endif
 #endif
 };