diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
index 92f55eaece8..957e6936486 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
@@ -758,10 +758,7 @@ void BaseQtVersion::ensureMkSpecParsed() const
     ProFileCacheManager::instance()->incRefCount();
     QMakeParser parser(ProFileCacheManager::instance()->cache(), &msgHandler);
     ProFileEvaluator evaluator(&option, &parser, &msgHandler);
-    if (ProFile *pro = parser.parsedProFile(mkspecPath().toString() + QLatin1String("/qmake.conf"))) {
-        evaluator.accept(pro, QMakeEvaluator::LoadProOnly);
-        pro->deref();
-    }
+    evaluator.loadNamedSpec(mkspecPath().toString(), false);
 
     parseMkSpec(&evaluator);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtversionfactory.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtversionfactory.cpp
index 8335c0e7d05..05cd57e87a1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtversionfactory.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtversionfactory.cpp
@@ -69,10 +69,7 @@ BaseQtVersion *QtVersionFactory::createQtVersionFromQMakePath(const Utils::FileN
     ProFileCacheManager::instance()->incRefCount();
     QMakeParser parser(ProFileCacheManager::instance()->cache(), &msgHandler);
     ProFileEvaluator evaluator(&globals, &parser, &msgHandler);
-    if (ProFile *pro = parser.parsedProFile(mkspec.toString() + QLatin1String("/qmake.conf"))) {
-        evaluator.accept(pro, QMakeEvaluator::LoadProOnly);
-        pro->deref();
-    }
+    evaluator.loadNamedSpec(mkspec.toString(), false);
 
     QList<QtVersionFactory *> factories = ExtensionSystem::PluginManager::getObjects<QtVersionFactory>();
     qSort(factories.begin(), factories.end(), &sortByPriority);
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.cpp b/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.cpp
index 2b8e5e46511..6e1ad8af863 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.cpp
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.cpp
@@ -184,6 +184,15 @@ ProFileEvaluator::TemplateType ProFileEvaluator::templateType() const
     return TT_Unknown;
 }
 
+bool ProFileEvaluator::loadNamedSpec(const QString &specDir, bool hostSpec)
+{
+    d->m_qmakespec = specDir;
+    d->m_hostBuild = hostSpec;
+
+    d->updateMkspecPaths();
+    return d->loadSpecInternal();
+}
+
 bool ProFileEvaluator::accept(ProFile *pro, QMakeEvaluator::LoadFlags flags)
 {
     return d->visitProFile(pro, QMakeHandler::EvalProjectFile, flags) == QMakeEvaluator::ReturnTrue;
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.h b/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.h
index 531f85e45a7..3d6f9179113 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.h
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/profileevaluator.h
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ public:
 #endif
     void setOutputDir(const QString &dir); // Default is empty
 
+    bool loadNamedSpec(const QString &specDir, bool hostSpec);
+
     bool accept(ProFile *pro, QMakeEvaluator::LoadFlags flags = QMakeEvaluator::LoadAll);
 
     bool contains(const QString &variableName) const;
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.cpp b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.cpp
index b017dcdcadb..0bc68838dc3 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.cpp
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.cpp
@@ -1032,6 +1032,33 @@ bool QMakeEvaluator::prepareProject(const QString &inDir)
     return true;
 }
 
+bool QMakeEvaluator::loadSpecInternal()
+{
+    if (!evaluateFeatureFile(QLatin1String("spec_pre.prf")))
+        return false;
+    QString spec = m_qmakespec + QLatin1String("/qmake.conf");
+    if (!evaluateFileDirect(spec, QMakeHandler::EvalConfigFile, LoadProOnly)) {
+        evalError(fL1S("Could not read qmake configuration file %1.").arg(spec));
+        return false;
+    }
+#ifdef Q_OS_UNIX
+    m_qmakespecFull = QFileInfo(m_qmakespec).canonicalFilePath();
+#else
+    // We can't resolve symlinks as they do on Unix, so configure.exe puts
+    // the source of the qmake.conf at the end of the default/qmake.conf in
+    // the QMAKESPEC_ORIGINAL variable.
+    const ProString &orig_spec = first(ProKey("QMAKESPEC_ORIGINAL"));
+    m_qmakespecFull = orig_spec.isEmpty() ? m_qmakespec : orig_spec.toQString();
+#endif
+    valuesRef(ProKey("QMAKESPEC")) << ProString(m_qmakespecFull);
+    m_qmakespecName = IoUtils::fileName(m_qmakespecFull).toString();
+    if (!evaluateFeatureFile(QLatin1String("spec_post.prf")))
+        return false;
+    // The MinGW and x-build specs may change the separator; $$shell_{path,quote}() need it
+    m_dirSep = first(ProKey("QMAKE_DIR_SEP"));
+    return true;
+}
+
 bool QMakeEvaluator::loadSpec()
 {
     QString qmakespec = m_option->expandEnvVars(
@@ -1085,29 +1112,9 @@ bool QMakeEvaluator::loadSpec()
         && !evaluateFileDirect(m_superfile, QMakeHandler::EvalConfigFile, LoadProOnly)) {
         return false;
     }
-    if (!evaluateFeatureFile(QLatin1String("spec_pre.prf")))
-        return false;
-    QString spec = m_qmakespec + QLatin1String("/qmake.conf");
-    if (!evaluateFileDirect(spec, QMakeHandler::EvalConfigFile, LoadProOnly)) {
-        evalError(fL1S("Could not read qmake configuration file %1.").arg(spec));
-        return false;
-    }
-#ifdef Q_OS_UNIX
-    m_qmakespecFull = QFileInfo(m_qmakespec).canonicalFilePath();
-#else
-    // We can't resolve symlinks as they do on Unix, so configure.exe puts
-    // the source of the qmake.conf at the end of the default/qmake.conf in
-    // the QMAKESPEC_ORIGINAL variable.
-    const ProString &orig_spec = first(ProKey("QMAKESPEC_ORIGINAL"));
-    m_qmakespecFull = orig_spec.isEmpty() ? m_qmakespec : orig_spec.toQString();
-#endif
-    valuesRef(ProKey("QMAKESPEC")) << ProString(m_qmakespecFull);
-    m_qmakespecName = IoUtils::fileName(m_qmakespecFull).toString();
-    if (!evaluateFeatureFile(QLatin1String("spec_post.prf")))
+    if (!loadSpecInternal())
         return false;
     updateFeaturePaths(); // The spec extends the feature search path, so rebuild the cache.
-    // The MinGW and x-build specs may change the separator; $$shell_{path,quote}() need it
-    m_dirSep = first(ProKey("QMAKE_DIR_SEP"));
     if (!m_conffile.isEmpty()
         && !evaluateFileDirect(m_conffile, QMakeHandler::EvalConfigFile, LoadProOnly)) {
         return false;
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.h b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.h
index 970a18b0115..92d6cc329f0 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.h
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeevaluator.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public:
 
     void loadDefaults();
     bool prepareProject(const QString &inDir);
+    bool loadSpecInternal();
     bool loadSpec();
     void initFrom(const QMakeEvaluator &other);
     void setupProject();