diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
index 909babfe2b1..aa4c6ba2675 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.cpp
@@ -187,19 +187,6 @@ bool QMakeStep::init(QList<const BuildStep *> &earlierSteps)
     m_qmakeExecutable = qtVersion->qmakeCommand().toString();
     m_qmakeArguments = allArguments(qtVersion);
     m_runMakeQmake = (qtVersion->qtVersion() >= QtVersionNumber(5, 0 ,0));
-    if (m_runMakeQmake) {
-        m_makeExecutable = makeCommand();
-        if (m_makeExecutable.isEmpty()) {
-            emit addOutput(tr("Could not determine which \"make\" command to run. "
-                              "Check the \"make\" step in the build configuration."),
-                           BuildStep::OutputFormat::ErrorMessage);
-            return false;
-        }
-        m_makeArguments = makeArguments();
-    } else {
-        m_makeExecutable.clear();
-        m_makeArguments.clear();
-    }
 
     QString makefile = workingDirectory + '/';
 
@@ -215,6 +202,20 @@ bool QMakeStep::init(QList<const BuildStep *> &earlierSteps)
         makefile.append("Makefile");
     }
 
+    if (m_runMakeQmake) {
+        m_makeExecutable = makeCommand();
+        if (m_makeExecutable.isEmpty()) {
+            emit addOutput(tr("Could not determine which \"make\" command to run. "
+                              "Check the \"make\" step in the build configuration."),
+                           BuildStep::OutputFormat::ErrorMessage);
+            return false;
+        }
+        m_makeArguments = makeArguments(makefile);
+    } else {
+        m_makeExecutable.clear();
+        m_makeArguments.clear();
+    }
+
     // Check whether we need to run qmake
     bool makefileOutDated = (qmakeBc->compareToImportFrom(makefile) != QmakeBuildConfiguration::MakefileMatches);
     if (m_forced || makefileOutDated)
@@ -454,15 +455,12 @@ QString QMakeStep::makeCommand() const
     return ms ? ms->effectiveMakeCommand() : QString();
 }
 
-QString QMakeStep::makeArguments() const
+QString QMakeStep::makeArguments(const QString &makefile) const
 {
     QString args;
-    if (QmakeBuildConfiguration *qmakeBc = qmakeBuildConfiguration()) {
-        const QString makefile = qmakeBc->makefile();
-        if (!makefile.isEmpty()) {
-            Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, "-f");
-            Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, makefile);
-        }
+    if (!makefile.isEmpty()) {
+        Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, "-f");
+        Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, makefile);
     }
     Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, "qmake_all");
     return args;
@@ -480,9 +478,11 @@ QString QMakeStep::effectiveQMakeCall() const
 
     QString result = qmake;
     if (qtVersion) {
+        QmakeBuildConfiguration *qmakeBc = qmakeBuildConfiguration();
+        const QString makefile = qmakeBc ? qmakeBc->makefile() : QString();
         result += ' ' + allArguments(qtVersion, ArgumentFlag::Expand);
         if (qtVersion->qtVersion() >= QtVersionNumber(5, 0, 0))
-            result.append(QString::fromLatin1(" && %1 %2").arg(make).arg(makeArguments()));
+            result.append(QString::fromLatin1(" && %1 %2").arg(make).arg(makeArguments(makefile)));
     }
     return result;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.h b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.h
index e98c20db0de..c83f453dae9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakestep.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ public:
     void setSeparateDebugInfo(bool enable);
 
     QString makeCommand() const;
-    QString makeArguments() const;
+    QString makeArguments(const QString &makefile) const;
     QString effectiveQMakeCall() const;
 
     QVariantMap toMap() const override;