diff --git a/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.cpp b/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.cpp
index 98d8d748c1e..be0a20ca8a6 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.cpp
@@ -102,16 +102,12 @@ void FileInProjectFinder::setProjectFiles(const FileNameList &projectFiles)
     m_cache.clear();
 }
 
-void FileInProjectFinder::setSysroot(const QString &sysroot)
+void FileInProjectFinder::setSysroot(const FileName &sysroot)
 {
-    QString newsys = sysroot;
-    while (newsys.endsWith(QLatin1Char('/')))
-        newsys.remove(newsys.length() - 1, 1);
-
-    if (m_sysroot == newsys)
+    if (m_sysroot == sysroot)
         return;
 
-    m_sysroot = newsys;
+    m_sysroot = sysroot;
     m_cache.clear();
 }
 
@@ -274,9 +270,10 @@ bool FileInProjectFinder::findFileOrDirectory(const QString &originalPath, FileH
 
     // check if absolute path is found in sysroot
     if (!m_sysroot.isEmpty()) {
-        const QString sysrootPath = m_sysroot + originalPath;
-        if (checkPath(sysrootPath, fileHandler, directoryHandler))
-            return handleSuccess(originalPath, sysrootPath, "in sysroot");
+        FileName sysrootPath = m_sysroot;
+        sysrootPath.appendPath(originalPath);
+        if (checkPath(sysrootPath.toString(), fileHandler, directoryHandler))
+            return handleSuccess(originalPath, sysrootPath.toString(), "in sysroot");
     }
 
     qCDebug(finderLog) << "FileInProjectFinder: couldn't find file!";
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.h b/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.h
index 409a353601f..d35f509c622 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/fileinprojectfinder.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ public:
     FileName projectDirectory() const;
 
     void setProjectFiles(const FileNameList &projectFiles);
-    void setSysroot(const QString &sysroot);
+    void setSysroot(const FileName &sysroot);
 
     void addMappedPath(const FileName &localFilePath, const QString &remoteFilePath);
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ private:
     static QString bestMatch(const QStringList &filePaths, const QString &filePathToFind);
 
     FileName m_projectDir;
-    QString m_sysroot;
+    FileName m_sysroot;
     FileNameList m_projectFiles;
     FileNameList m_searchDirectories;
     PathMappingNode m_pathMapRoot;
diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androiddebugsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androiddebugsupport.cpp
index d23fc797d22..9636c68ac7a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androiddebugsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androiddebugsupport.cpp
@@ -147,9 +147,10 @@ void AndroidDebugSupport::start()
         gdbServer.setPort(m_runner->gdbServerPort().number());
         setRemoteChannel(gdbServer);
 
-        QString sysRoot = AndroidConfigurations::currentConfig().ndkLocation().appendPath("platforms")
+        Utils::FileName sysRoot = AndroidConfigurations::currentConfig().ndkLocation()
+                .appendPath("platforms")
                 .appendPath(QString("android-%1").arg(AndroidManager::minimumSDK(target)))
-                .appendPath(toNdkArch(AndroidManager::targetArch(target))).toString();
+                .appendPath(toNdkArch(AndroidManager::targetArch(target)));
         setSysRoot(sysRoot);
         qCDebug(androidDebugSupportLog) << "Sysroot: " << sysRoot;
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
index b04b7bd794f..c2d860bd21b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerengine.h
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ public:
     QString platform;
     QString deviceSymbolsRoot;
     bool continueAfterAttach = false;
-    QString sysRoot;
+    Utils::FileName sysRoot;
 
     // Used by general core file debugging. Public access requested in QTCREATORBUG-17158.
     QString coreFile;
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
index 062bb93cc81..e9902f0b3a4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ void DebuggerRunTool::setAttachPid(qint64 pid)
     m_runParameters.attachPID = ProcessHandle(pid);
 }
 
-void DebuggerRunTool::setSysRoot(const QString &sysRoot)
+void DebuggerRunTool::setSysRoot(const Utils::FileName &sysRoot)
 {
     m_runParameters.sysRoot = sysRoot;
 }
@@ -811,7 +811,7 @@ bool DebuggerRunTool::fixupParameters()
     }
 
     if (!boolSetting(AutoEnrichParameters)) {
-        const QString sysroot = rp.sysRoot;
+        const QString sysroot = rp.sysRoot.toString();
         if (rp.debugInfoLocation.isEmpty())
             rp.debugInfoLocation = sysroot + "/usr/lib/debug";
         if (rp.debugSourceLocation.isEmpty()) {
@@ -905,7 +905,7 @@ DebuggerRunTool::DebuggerRunTool(RunControl *runControl, Kit *kit, bool allowTer
         kit = runConfig->target()->kit();
     QTC_ASSERT(kit, return);
 
-    m_runParameters.sysRoot = SysRootKitInformation::sysRoot(kit).toString();
+    m_runParameters.sysRoot = SysRootKitInformation::sysRoot(kit);
     m_runParameters.macroExpander = kit->macroExpander();
     m_runParameters.debugger = DebuggerKitInformation::runnable(kit);
     m_runParameters.cppEngineType = DebuggerKitInformation::engineType(kit);
@@ -976,7 +976,7 @@ void DebuggerRunTool::startRunControl()
 void DebuggerRunTool::addSolibSearchDir(const QString &str)
 {
     QString path = str;
-    path.replace("%{sysroot}", m_runParameters.sysRoot);
+    path.replace("%{sysroot}", m_runParameters.sysRoot.toString());
     m_runParameters.solibSearchPath.append(path);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.h b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.h
index abf45225cb0..23d2a5e0305 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public:
     void setAttachPid(Utils::ProcessHandle pid);
     void setAttachPid(qint64 pid);
 
-    void setSysRoot(const QString &sysRoot);
+    void setSysRoot(const Utils::FileName &sysRoot);
     void setSymbolFile(const QString &symbolFile);
     void setRemoteChannel(const QString &channel);
     void setRemoteChannel(const QString &host, int port);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
index fe64936e929..52a6f9a4b3a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
@@ -1615,7 +1615,7 @@ QString GdbEngine::cleanupFullName(const QString &fileName)
     if (!boolSetting(AutoEnrichParameters))
         return cleanFilePath;
 
-    const QString sysroot = runParameters().sysRoot;
+    const QString sysroot = runParameters().sysRoot.toString();
     if (QFileInfo(cleanFilePath).isReadable())
         return cleanFilePath;
     if (!sysroot.isEmpty() && fileName.startsWith('/')) {
@@ -3701,10 +3701,10 @@ void GdbEngine::setupEngine()
     }
 
     if (!rp.sysRoot.isEmpty()) {
-        runCommand({"set sysroot " + rp.sysRoot});
+        runCommand({"set sysroot " + rp.sysRoot.toString()});
         // sysroot is not enough to correctly locate the sources, so explicitly
         // relocate the most likely place for the debug source
-        runCommand({"set substitute-path /usr/src " + rp.sysRoot + "/usr/src"});
+        runCommand({"set substitute-path /usr/src " + rp.sysRoot.toString() + "/usr/src"});
     }
 
     //QByteArray ba = QFileInfo(sp.dumperLibrary).path().toLocal8Bit();
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
index 3e5b88d5187..a01c25559fb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/lldb/lldbengine.cpp
@@ -284,7 +284,8 @@ void LldbEngine::setupEngine()
         QTC_CHECK(!rp.attachPID.isValid() || (rp.startMode == AttachCrashedExternal
                                               || rp.startMode == AttachExternal));
         cmd2.arg("attachpid", rp.attachPID.pid());
-        cmd2.arg("sysroot", rp.deviceSymbolsRoot.isEmpty() ? rp.sysRoot : rp.deviceSymbolsRoot);
+        cmd2.arg("sysroot", rp.deviceSymbolsRoot.isEmpty() ? rp.sysRoot.toString()
+                                                           : rp.deviceSymbolsRoot);
         cmd2.arg("remotechannel", ((rp.startMode == AttachToRemoteProcess
                                    || rp.startMode == AttachToRemoteServer)
                                   ? rp.remoteChannel : QString()));
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
index 30f569b8265..bb69ba46472 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
@@ -85,8 +85,10 @@ static QStringList searchPaths(Kit *kit)
         searchPaths << qtVersion->qmakeProperty("QT_INSTALL_PLUGINS") + '/' + dir;
 
     searchPaths << qtVersion->qmakeProperty("QT_INSTALL_LIBS");
-    searchPaths << qtVersion->qnxTarget() + '/' + qtVersion->cpuDir() + "/lib";
-    searchPaths << qtVersion->qnxTarget() + '/' + qtVersion->cpuDir() + "/usr/lib";
+    searchPaths << qtVersion->qnxTarget().appendPath(qtVersion->cpuDir()).appendPath("lib")
+                   .toString();
+    searchPaths << qtVersion->qnxTarget().appendPath(qtVersion->cpuDir()).appendPath("usr/lib")
+                   .toString();
 
     return searchPaths;
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.cpp b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.cpp
index 950cd9b1e54..3a49afa765b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.cpp
@@ -98,17 +98,17 @@ QString QnxQtVersion::qnxHost() const
     return QString();
 }
 
-QString QnxQtVersion::qnxTarget() const
+Utils::FileName QnxQtVersion::qnxTarget() const
 {
     if (!m_environmentUpToDate)
         updateEnvironment();
 
     foreach (const Utils::EnvironmentItem &item, m_qnxEnv) {
         if (item.name == QLatin1String(Constants::QNX_TARGET_KEY))
-            return item.value;
+            return Utils::FileName::fromUserInput(item.value);
     }
 
-    return QString();
+    return Utils::FileName();
 }
 
 QString QnxQtVersion::cpuDir() const
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.h b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.h
index e67bc6bfb20..6bea0ed4b1d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxqtversion.h
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public:
     QSet<Core::Id> targetDeviceTypes() const override;
 
     QString qnxHost() const;
-    QString qnxTarget() const;
+    Utils::FileName qnxTarget() const;
 
     QString cpuDir() const;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
index ae3bf0c93d3..398ba3bf135 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/baseqtversion.cpp
@@ -1354,7 +1354,7 @@ void BaseQtVersion::populateQmlFileFinder(FileInProjectFinder *finder, const Tar
 
     // ... and find the sysroot and qml directory if we have any target at all.
     const ProjectExplorer::Kit *kit = target ? target->kit() : nullptr;
-    QString activeSysroot = ProjectExplorer::SysRootKitInformation::sysRoot(kit).toString();
+    const Utils::FileName activeSysroot = ProjectExplorer::SysRootKitInformation::sysRoot(kit);
     const QtSupport::BaseQtVersion *qtVersion = QtVersionManager::isLoaded()
             ? QtSupport::QtKitInformation::qtVersion(kit) : nullptr;
     Utils::FileNameList additionalSearchDirectories = qtVersion