diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
index a1b04f33fe2..6d3a2b99f48 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.cpp
@@ -348,6 +348,12 @@ bool QuickTestTreeItem::isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const
     return TestTreeItem::isGroupNodeFor(other);
 }
 
+bool QuickTestTreeItem::removeOnSweepIfEmpty() const
+{
+    return TestTreeItem::removeOnSweepIfEmpty()
+            || (type() == TestCase && name().isEmpty()); // remove pseudo item '<unnamed>'
+}
+
 TestTreeItem *QuickTestTreeItem::createParentGroupNode() const
 {
     if (filePath().isEmpty() || name().isEmpty())
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
index b7116125e30..30b5efd317b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/quick/quicktesttreeitem.h
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ public:
     bool modify(const TestParseResult *result) override;
     bool lessThan(const TestTreeItem *other, SortMode mode) const override;
     bool isGroupNodeFor(const TestTreeItem *other) const override;
+    bool removeOnSweepIfEmpty() const override;
     TestTreeItem *createParentGroupNode() const override;
     QSet<QString> internalTargets() const override;
 private:
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
index 8234321bc03..012104f91f9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreeitem.h
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ public:
     void markForRemoval(bool mark);
     void markForRemovalRecursively(bool mark);
     virtual void markForRemovalRecursively(const QString &filePath);
+    virtual bool removeOnSweepIfEmpty() const { return m_type == GroupNode; }
     bool markedForRemoval() const { return m_status == MarkedForRemoval; }
     bool newlyAdded() const { return m_status == NewlyAdded; }
     TestTreeItem *parentItem() const;
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
index a4dea3c8e00..f189c6472d6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotest/testtreemodel.cpp
@@ -255,6 +255,10 @@ bool TestTreeModel::sweepChildren(TestTreeItem *item)
             hasChanged = true;
         } else if (child->hasChildren()) {
             hasChanged |= sweepChildren(child);
+            if (!child->hasChildren() && child->removeOnSweepIfEmpty()) {
+                destroyItem(child);
+                revalidateCheckState(item);
+            }
         } else {
             hasChanged |= child->newlyAdded();
         }
@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ void TestTreeModel::insertItemInParent(TestTreeItem *item, TestTreeItem *root, b
 void TestTreeModel::revalidateCheckState(TestTreeItem *item)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(item, return);
-    QTC_ASSERT(item->hasChildren(), return);
+
     const TestTreeItem::Type type = item->type();
     if (type == TestTreeItem::TestSpecialFunction || type == TestTreeItem::TestDataFunction
             || type == TestTreeItem::TestDataTag) {