diff --git a/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake b/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
index 5d39157b020..6e3ff0e1661 100644
--- a/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
+++ b/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
@@ -129,6 +129,9 @@ function(add_qtc_library name)
     "CONDITION;DEPENDS;PUBLIC_DEPENDS;DEFINES;PUBLIC_DEFINES;INCLUDES;SYSTEM_INCLUDES;PUBLIC_INCLUDES;PUBLIC_SYSTEM_INCLUDES;SOURCES;EXPLICIT_MOC;SKIP_AUTOMOC;EXTRA_TRANSLATIONS;PROPERTIES;PRIVATE_COMPILE_OPTIONS;PUBLIC_COMPILE_OPTIONS" ${ARGN}
   )
 
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_DEPENDS})
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_PUBLIC_DEPENDS})
+
   get_default_defines(default_defines_copy ${_arg_ALLOW_ASCII_CASTS})
 
   if (${_arg_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS})
@@ -336,6 +339,9 @@ function(add_qtc_plugin target_name)
     ${ARGN}
   )
 
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_DEPENDS})
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_PUBLIC_DEPENDS})
+
   if (${_arg_UNPARSED_ARGUMENTS})
     message(FATAL_ERROR "add_qtc_plugin had unparsed arguments")
   endif()
@@ -560,6 +566,8 @@ function(add_qtc_plugin target_name)
     ${_arg_PROPERTIES}
   )
 
+  set_property(TARGET ${target_name} APPEND PROPERTY EXPORT_PROPERTIES "QTC_PLUGIN_CLASS_NAME")
+
   if (NOT _arg_SKIP_PCH)
     enable_pch(${target_name})
   endif()
@@ -615,6 +623,9 @@ function(extend_qtc_plugin target_name)
     return()
   endif()
 
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_DEPENDS})
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_PUBLIC_DEPENDS})
+
   extend_qtc_target(${target_name} ${ARGN})
 endfunction()
 
@@ -624,6 +635,9 @@ function(extend_qtc_library target_name)
     return()
   endif()
 
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_DEPENDS})
+  check_library_dependencies(${_arg_PUBLIC_DEPENDS})
+
   extend_qtc_target(${target_name} ${ARGN})
 endfunction()
 
diff --git a/cmake/QtCreatorAPIInternal.cmake b/cmake/QtCreatorAPIInternal.cmake
index 06d53a992c8..928c7fc22e8 100644
--- a/cmake/QtCreatorAPIInternal.cmake
+++ b/cmake/QtCreatorAPIInternal.cmake
@@ -361,6 +361,10 @@ function(find_dependent_plugins varName)
     if(NOT TARGET ${i})
       continue()
     endif()
+    get_property(_class_name TARGET "${i}" PROPERTY QTC_PLUGIN_CLASS_NAME)
+    if (NOT _class_name)
+      message(SEND_ERROR "${i} is a library, not a plugin!")
+    endif()
     set(_dep)
     get_property(_dep TARGET "${i}" PROPERTY _arg_DEPENDS)
     if (_dep)
@@ -377,6 +381,18 @@ function(find_dependent_plugins varName)
   set("${varName}" ${_RESULT} PARENT_SCOPE)
 endfunction()
 
+function(check_library_dependencies)
+  foreach(i ${ARGN})
+    if (NOT TARGET ${i})
+      continue()
+    endif()
+    get_property(_class_name TARGET "${i}" PROPERTY QTC_PLUGIN_CLASS_NAME)
+    if (_class_name)
+       message(SEND_ERROR "${i} is a plugin, not a library!")
+    endif()
+  endforeach()
+endfunction()
+
 function(enable_pch target)
   if (BUILD_WITH_PCH)
     # Skip PCH for targets that do not use the expected visibility settings: