diff --git a/share/share.pro b/share/share.pro
index 0ea55635f06..3fe6c8b32c1 100644
--- a/share/share.pro
+++ b/share/share.pro
@@ -1,5 +1,20 @@
 TEMPLATE = subdirs
-SUBDIRS = qtcreator/static.pro \
-          qtcreator/translations
+SUBDIRS = qtcreator/static.pro
+
+defineTest(hasLupdate) {
+    cmd = $$eval(QT_TOOL.lupdate.binary)
+    isEmpty(cmd) {
+        cmd = $$[QT_HOST_BINS]/lupdate
+        contains(QMAKE_HOST.os, Windows):exists($${cmd}.exe): return(true)
+        contains(QMAKE_HOST.os, Darwin):exists($${cmd}.app/Contents/MacOS/lupdate): return(true)
+        exists($$cmd): return(true)
+    } else {
+        exists($$last(cmd)): return(true)
+    }
+    return(false)
+}
+
+hasLupdate(): SUBDIRS += qtcreator/translations
+
 DISTFILES += share.qbs \
     ../src/share/share.qbs
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.pro b/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.pro
index 035316e5d0f..c3aa5581e8a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.pro
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/coreplugin.pro
@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 DEFINES += CORE_LIBRARY
 QT += \
-    help \
     network \
     printsupport \
     qml \
     sql
 
+qtHaveModule(help): QT += help
+
 # embedding build time information prevents repeatedly binary exact versions from same source code
 isEmpty(QTC_SHOW_BUILD_DATE): QTC_SHOW_BUILD_DATE = $$(QTC_SHOW_BUILD_DATE)
 !isEmpty(QTC_SHOW_BUILD_DATE): DEFINES += QTC_SHOW_BUILD_DATE
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/helpmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/helpmanager.cpp
index 4cb07ed2bdb..f5d457fbf5a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/helpmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/helpmanager.cpp
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@
 #include <QDir>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QStringList>
+#include <QUrl>
+
+#ifdef QT_HELP_LIB
 
 #include <QHelpEngineCore>
 
@@ -452,3 +455,50 @@ void HelpManagerPrivate::writeSettings()
 }
 
 }   // Core
+
+#else // QT_HELP_LIB
+
+namespace Core {
+
+HelpManager *HelpManager::instance() { return 0; }
+
+QString HelpManager::collectionFilePath() { return QString(); }
+
+void HelpManager::registerDocumentation(const QStringList &) {}
+void HelpManager::unregisterDocumentation(const QStringList &) {}
+
+void HelpManager::registerUserDocumentation(const QStringList &) {}
+QSet<QString> HelpManager::userDocumentationPaths() { return {}; }
+
+QMap<QString, QUrl> HelpManager::linksForKeyword(const QString &) { return {}; }
+QMap<QString, QUrl> HelpManager::linksForIdentifier(const QString &) { return {}; }
+
+QUrl HelpManager::findFile(const QUrl &) { return QUrl();}
+QByteArray HelpManager::fileData(const QUrl &) { return QByteArray();}
+
+QStringList HelpManager::registeredNamespaces() { return {}; }
+QString HelpManager::namespaceFromFile(const QString &) { return QString(); }
+QString HelpManager::fileFromNamespace(const QString &) { return QString(); }
+
+void HelpManager::setCustomValue(const QString &, const QVariant &) {}
+QVariant HelpManager::customValue(const QString &, const QVariant &) { return QVariant(); }
+
+HelpManager::Filters filters() { return {}; }
+HelpManager::Filters fixedFilters() { return {}; }
+
+HelpManager::Filters userDefinedFilters() { return {}; }
+
+void HelpManager::removeUserDefinedFilter(const QString &) {}
+void HelpManager::addUserDefinedFilter(const QString &, const QStringList &) {}
+
+void HelpManager::handleHelpRequest(const QUrl &, HelpManager::HelpViewerLocation) {}
+void HelpManager::handleHelpRequest(const QString &, HelpViewerLocation) {}
+
+HelpManager::HelpManager(QObject *) {}
+HelpManager::~HelpManager() {}
+
+void HelpManager::setupHelpManager() {}
+
+} // namespace Core
+
+#endif // QT_HELP_LIB
diff --git a/src/plugins/plugins.pro b/src/plugins/plugins.pro
index 2826ea3e2ed..e995bd0442c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/plugins.pro
+++ b/src/plugins/plugins.pro
@@ -22,13 +22,11 @@ SUBDIRS   = \
     qtsupport \
     qmakeprojectmanager \
     debugger \
-    help \
     cpaster \
     cmakeprojectmanager \
     autotoolsprojectmanager \
     fakevim \
     emacskeys \
-    designer \
     resourceeditor \
     genericprojectmanager \
     qmljseditor \
@@ -59,6 +57,18 @@ SUBDIRS   = \
     scxmleditor \
     welcome
 
+qtHaveModule(help) {
+    SUBDIRS += help
+} else {
+    warning("Help plugin has been disabled.")
+}
+
+qtHaveModule(designercomponents_private) {
+    SUBDIRS += designer
+} else {
+    warning("Qt Widget Designer plugin has been disabled.")
+}
+
 DO_NOT_BUILD_QMLDESIGNER = $$(DO_NOT_BUILD_QMLDESIGNER)
 isEmpty(DO_NOT_BUILD_QMLDESIGNER) {
     SUBDIRS += qmldesigner
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/exampleslistmodel.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/exampleslistmodel.cpp
index a87b7c39878..24fb034746f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/exampleslistmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/exampleslistmodel.cpp
@@ -104,8 +104,11 @@ ExampleSetModel::ExampleSetModel()
 
     connect(QtVersionManager::instance(), &QtVersionManager::qtVersionsLoaded,
             this, &ExampleSetModel::qtVersionManagerLoaded);
-    connect(Core::HelpManager::instance(), &Core::HelpManager::setupFinished,
-            this, &ExampleSetModel::helpManagerInitialized);
+
+    if (auto helpManager = Core::HelpManager::instance()) {
+        connect(helpManager, &Core::HelpManager::setupFinished,
+                this, &ExampleSetModel::helpManagerInitialized);
+    }
 }
 
 void ExampleSetModel::recreateModel()