diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
index 86072b81235..93d8a412f58 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
@@ -382,10 +382,11 @@ FileType FileNode::fileType() const
     return m_fileType;
 }
 
-static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesRecursively(const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-                                                 const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &)> factory,
-                                                 QSet<QString> &visited, QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode*>> *future,
+static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesRecursively(QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode*>> &future,
                                                  double progressStart, double progressRange,
+                                                 const Utils::FilePath &directory,
+                                                 const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &)> factory,
+                                                 QSet<QString> &visited,
                                                  const QList<Core::IVersionControl*> &versionControls)
 {
     QList<FileNode *> result;
@@ -403,7 +404,7 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesRecursively(const Utils::FilePath &director
     const double progressIncrement = progressRange / static_cast<double>(entries.count());
     int lastIntProgress = 0;
     for (const QFileInfo &entry : entries) {
-        if (future && future->isCanceled())
+        if (future.isCanceled())
             return result;
 
         const Utils::FilePath entryName = Utils::FilePath::fromString(entry.absoluteFilePath());
@@ -411,33 +412,29 @@ static QList<FileNode *> scanForFilesRecursively(const Utils::FilePath &director
                              return vc->isVcsFileOrDirectory(entryName);
             })) {
             if (entry.isDir())
-                result.append(scanForFilesRecursively(entryName, factory, visited, future, progress, progressIncrement, versionControls));
+                result.append(scanForFilesRecursively(future, progress, progressIncrement, entryName, factory, visited, versionControls));
             else if (FileNode *node = factory(entryName))
                 result.append(node);
         }
-        if (future) {
-            progress += progressIncrement;
-            const int intProgress = std::min(static_cast<int>(progressStart + progress), future->progressMaximum());
-            if (lastIntProgress < intProgress) {
-                future->setProgressValue(intProgress);
-                lastIntProgress = intProgress;
-            }
+        progress += progressIncrement;
+        const int intProgress = std::min(static_cast<int>(progressStart + progress), future.progressMaximum());
+        if (lastIntProgress < intProgress) {
+            future.setProgressValue(intProgress);
+            lastIntProgress = intProgress;
         }
     }
-    if (future)
-        future->setProgressValue(std::min(static_cast<int>(progressStart + progressRange), future->progressMaximum()));
+    future.setProgressValue(std::min(static_cast<int>(progressStart + progressRange), future.progressMaximum()));
     return result;
 }
 
 QList<FileNode *>
-FileNode::scanForFiles(const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-                       const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &)> factory,
-                       QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode *>> *future)
+FileNode::scanForFiles(QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode *>> &future,
+                       const Utils::FilePath &directory,
+                       const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &)> factory)
 {
     QSet<QString> visited;
-    if (future)
-        future->setProgressRange(0, 1000000);
-    return scanForFilesRecursively(directory, factory, visited, future, 0.0, 1000000.0,
+    future.setProgressRange(0, 1000000);
+    return scanForFilesRecursively(future, 0.0, 1000000.0, directory, factory, visited,
                                    Core::VcsManager::versionControls());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
index c5eea633749..0fd53414d1b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
@@ -201,9 +201,9 @@ public:
     const FileNode *asFileNode() const final { return this; }
 
     static QList<FileNode *>
-    scanForFiles(const Utils::FilePath &directory,
-                 const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &fileName)> factory,
-                 QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode *>> *future = nullptr);
+    scanForFiles(QFutureInterface<QList<FileNode *>> &future,
+                 const Utils::FilePath &directory,
+                 const std::function<FileNode *(const Utils::FilePath &fileName)> factory);
     bool supportsAction(ProjectAction action, const Node *node) const override;
     QString displayName() const override;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
index 14f10c66db1..870ec538179 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.cpp
@@ -64,12 +64,11 @@ bool TreeScanner::asyncScanForFiles(const Utils::FilePath &directory)
     if (!m_futureWatcher.isFinished())
         return false;
 
-    auto fi = new FutureInterface();
-    m_scanFuture = fi->future();
+    m_scanFuture = Utils::runAsync([this, directory](FutureInterface &fi) {
+        TreeScanner::scanForFiles(fi, directory, m_filter, m_factory);
+    });
     m_futureWatcher.setFuture(m_scanFuture);
 
-    Utils::runAsync([this, fi, directory]() { TreeScanner::scanForFiles(fi, directory, m_filter, m_factory); });
-
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -145,14 +144,10 @@ FileType TreeScanner::genericFileType(const Utils::MimeType &mimeType, const Uti
     return Node::fileTypeForMimeType(mimeType);
 }
 
-void TreeScanner::scanForFiles(FutureInterface *fi, const Utils::FilePath& directory,
+void TreeScanner::scanForFiles(FutureInterface &fi, const Utils::FilePath& directory,
                                const FileFilter &filter, const FileTypeFactory &factory)
 {
-    std::unique_ptr<FutureInterface> fip(fi);
-    fip->reportStarted();
-
-    Result nodes = FileNode::scanForFiles(
-                directory,
+    Result nodes = FileNode::scanForFiles(fi, directory,
                 [&filter, &factory](const Utils::FilePath &fn) -> FileNode * {
         const Utils::MimeType mimeType = Utils::mimeTypeForFile(fn.toString());
 
@@ -166,13 +161,12 @@ void TreeScanner::scanForFiles(FutureInterface *fi, const Utils::FilePath& direc
             type = factory(mimeType, fn);
 
         return new FileNode(fn, type);
-    }, fip.get());
+    });
 
     Utils::sort(nodes, ProjectExplorer::Node::sortByPath);
 
-    fip->setProgressValue(fip->progressMaximum());
-    fip->reportResult(nodes);
-    fip->reportFinished();
+    fi.setProgressValue(fi.progressMaximum());
+    fi.reportResult(nodes);
 }
 
 } // namespace ProjectExplorer
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
index e2ad544bde0..28fe47ba5b2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/treescanner.h
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ signals:
     void finished();
 
 private:
-    static void scanForFiles(FutureInterface *fi, const Utils::FilePath &directory,
+    static void scanForFiles(FutureInterface &fi, const Utils::FilePath &directory,
                              const FileFilter &filter, const FileTypeFactory &factory);
 
 private: