diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
index 3b6b99983db..68330b9dcdd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ namespace {
 const char ID_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.Id";
 const char DISPLAYNAME_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.Name";
 const char AUTODETECTED_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.AutoDetected";
+const char SDK_PROVIDED_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.SDK";
 const char DATA_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.Data";
 const char ICON_KEY[] = "PE.Profile.Icon";
 
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ public:
     KitPrivate(Id id) :
         m_id(id),
         m_autodetected(false),
+        m_sdkProvided(false),
         m_isValid(true),
         m_hasWarning(false),
         m_nestedBlockingLevel(0),
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ public:
     QString m_displayName;
     Id m_id;
     bool m_autodetected;
+    bool m_sdkProvided;
     bool m_isValid;
     bool m_hasWarning;
     QIcon m_icon;
@@ -306,6 +309,11 @@ bool Kit::isAutoDetected() const
     return d->m_autodetected;
 }
 
+bool Kit::isSdkProvided() const
+{
+    return d->m_sdkProvided;
+}
+
 Id Kit::id() const
 {
     return d->m_id;
@@ -379,6 +387,7 @@ QVariantMap Kit::toMap() const
     data.insert(QLatin1String(ID_KEY), QString::fromLatin1(d->m_id.name()));
     data.insert(QLatin1String(DISPLAYNAME_KEY), d->m_displayName);
     data.insert(QLatin1String(AUTODETECTED_KEY), d->m_autodetected);
+    data.insert(QLatin1String(SDK_PROVIDED_KEY), d->m_sdkProvided);
     data.insert(QLatin1String(ICON_KEY), d->m_iconPath);
 
     QVariantMap extra;
@@ -457,6 +466,12 @@ bool Kit::fromMap(const QVariantMap &data)
         return false;
     d->m_id = id;
     d->m_autodetected = data.value(QLatin1String(AUTODETECTED_KEY)).toBool();
+    // if we don't have that setting assume that autodetected implies sdk
+    QVariant value = data.value(QLatin1String(SDK_PROVIDED_KEY));
+    if (value.isValid())
+        d->m_sdkProvided = value.toBool();
+    else
+        d->m_sdkProvided = d->m_autodetected;
     setDisplayName(data.value(QLatin1String(DISPLAYNAME_KEY)).toString());
     setIconPath(data.value(QLatin1String(ICON_KEY)).toString());
 
@@ -472,6 +487,11 @@ void Kit::setAutoDetected(bool detected)
     d->m_autodetected = detected;
 }
 
+void Kit::setSdkProvided(bool sdkProvided)
+{
+    d->m_sdkProvided = sdkProvided;
+}
+
 void Kit::kitUpdated()
 {
     if (d->m_nestedBlockingLevel > 0) {
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
index c4b9a2dcb75..634f490a27d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ public:
     void copyFrom(const Kit *k);
 
 private:
+    void setSdkProvided(bool sdkProvided);
     ~Kit();
 
     // Unimplemented.
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
index 11890291319..cab0927994e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
@@ -150,6 +150,7 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
         // make sure we mark these as autodetected and run additional setup logic
         foreach (Kit *k, system.kits) {
             k->setAutoDetected(true);
+            k->setSdkProvided(true);
             k->setup();
         }
 
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
     // read all kits from user file
     KitList userKits = restoreKits(settingsFileName());
     foreach (Kit *k, userKits.kits) {
-        if (k->isAutoDetected())
+        if (k->isSdkProvided())
             kitsToCheck.append(k);
         else
             kitsToRegister.append(k);
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
     if (kits().isEmpty()) {
         Kit *defaultKit = new Kit; // One kit using default values
         defaultKit->setDisplayName(tr("Desktop"));
+        defaultKit->setSdkProvided(false);
         defaultKit->setAutoDetected(false);
         defaultKit->setIconPath(QLatin1String(":///DESKTOP///"));
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
index 061ae49869c..04f34d07310 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
@@ -332,6 +332,7 @@ Kit *KitModel::markForAddition(Kit *baseKit)
     if (baseKit) {
         k->copyFrom(baseKit);
         k->setAutoDetected(false); // Make sure we have a manual kit!
+        k->setSdkProvided(false);
         k->setDisplayName(tr("Clone of %1").arg(k->displayName()));
     } else {
         k->setup();