diff --git a/src/libs/utils/winutils.cpp b/src/libs/utils/winutils.cpp
index 4e75d1eeeee..dfdb0cadd95 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/winutils.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/winutils.cpp
@@ -172,4 +172,22 @@ QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT bool is64BitWindowsBinary(const QString &binaryIn)
 #endif
 }
 
+WindowsCrashDialogBlocker::WindowsCrashDialogBlocker()
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+    : silenceErrorMode(SEM_NOGPFAULTERRORBOX | SEM_NOOPENFILEERRORBOX | SEM_FAILCRITICALERRORS),
+    originalErrorMode(SetErrorMode(silenceErrorMode))
+#endif
+{
+}
+
+WindowsCrashDialogBlocker::~WindowsCrashDialogBlocker()
+{
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+    unsigned int errorMode = SetErrorMode(originalErrorMode);
+    // someone else messed with the error mode in between? Better not touch ...
+    QTC_ASSERT(errorMode == silenceErrorMode, SetErrorMode(errorMode));
+#endif
+}
+
+
 } // namespace Utils
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/winutils.h b/src/libs/utils/winutils.h
index 9b5358791a4..4fa59c67ab4 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/winutils.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/winutils.h
@@ -49,6 +49,23 @@ QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT bool is64BitWindowsSystem();
 // Check for a 64bit binary.
 QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT bool is64BitWindowsBinary(const QString &binary);
 
+//
+// RAII class to temporarily prevent windows crash messages from popping up using the
+// application-global (!) error mode.
+//
+// Useful primarily for QProcess launching, since the setting will be inherited.
+//
+class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT WindowsCrashDialogBlocker {
+public:
+    WindowsCrashDialogBlocker();
+    ~WindowsCrashDialogBlocker();
+#ifdef Q_OS_WIN
+private:
+    const unsigned int silenceErrorMode;
+    const unsigned int originalErrorMode;
+#endif // Q_OS_WIN
+};
+
 } // namespace Utils
 
 #endif // WINUTILS_H
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
index 7a405484357..3ded2c6b24b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 #include <utils/qtcassert.h>
 #include <utils/runextensions.h>
 #include <utils/synchronousprocess.h>
+#include <utils/winutils.h>
 
 #include <QDir>
 #include <QUrl>
@@ -1206,6 +1207,9 @@ static QByteArray runQmakeQuery(const FileName &binary, const Environment &env,
 
     const int timeOutMS = 30000; // Might be slow on some machines.
 
+    // Prevent e.g. qmake 4.x on MinGW to show annoying errors about missing dll's.
+    WindowsCrashDialogBlocker crashDialogBlocker;
+
     QProcess process;
     process.setEnvironment(env.toStringList());
     process.start(binary.toString(), QStringList(QLatin1String("-query")), QIODevice::ReadOnly);