diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeparser.cpp b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeparser.cpp
index 429ef3b500d..00f67e675b1 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/qmakeparser.cpp
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/qmakeparser.cpp
@@ -242,8 +242,9 @@ bool QMakeParser::read(ProFile *pro, ParseFlags flags)
 {
     QString content;
     QString errStr;
-    if (!m_vfs->readFile(pro->fileName(), &content, &errStr)) {
-        if (m_handler && ((flags & ParseReportMissing) || m_vfs->exists(pro->fileName())))
+    QMakeVfs::ReadResult result = m_vfs->readFile(pro->fileName(), &content, &errStr);
+    if (result != QMakeVfs::ReadOk) {
+        if (m_handler && ((flags & ParseReportMissing) || result != QMakeVfs::ReadNotFound))
             m_handler->message(QMakeParserHandler::ParserIoError,
                                fL1S("Cannot read %1: %2").arg(pro->fileName(), errStr));
         return false;
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.cpp b/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.cpp
index 4d993ca2c14..81759fa8160 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.cpp
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.cpp
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ bool QMakeVfs::readVirtualFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents)
 }
 #endif
 
-bool QMakeVfs::readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr)
+QMakeVfs::ReadResult QMakeVfs::readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr)
 {
 #ifndef PROEVALUATOR_FULL
 # ifdef PROEVALUATOR_THREAD_SAFE
@@ -124,25 +124,26 @@ bool QMakeVfs::readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr)
     if (it != m_files.constEnd()) {
         if (it->constData() == m_magicMissing.constData()) {
             *errStr = fL1S("No such file or directory");
-            return false;
+            return ReadNotFound;
         }
         if (it->constData() != m_magicExisting.constData()) {
             *contents = *it;
-            return true;
+            return ReadOk;
         }
     }
 #endif
 
     QFile file(fn);
     if (!file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly)) {
+        if (!file.exists()) {
 #ifndef PROEVALUATOR_FULL
-        if (!IoUtils::exists(fn)) {
             m_files[fn] = m_magicMissing;
-            *errStr = fL1S("No such file or directory");
-        } else
 #endif
-            *errStr = file.errorString();
-        return false;
+            *errStr = fL1S("No such file or directory");
+            return ReadNotFound;
+        }
+        *errStr = file.errorString();
+        return ReadOtherError;
     }
 #ifndef PROEVALUATOR_FULL
     m_files[fn] = m_magicExisting;
@@ -152,10 +153,10 @@ bool QMakeVfs::readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr)
     if (bcont.startsWith("\xef\xbb\xbf")) {
         // UTF-8 BOM will cause subtle errors
         *errStr = fL1S("Unexpected UTF-8 BOM");
-        return false;
+        return ReadOtherError;
     }
     *contents = QString::fromLocal8Bit(bcont);
-    return true;
+    return ReadOk;
 }
 
 bool QMakeVfs::exists(const QString &fn)
diff --git a/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.h b/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.h
index 43f9e8c20c5..801658c62ff 100644
--- a/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.h
+++ b/src/shared/proparser/qmakevfs.h
@@ -41,10 +41,16 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 class QMAKE_EXPORT QMakeVfs
 {
 public:
+    enum ReadResult {
+        ReadOk,
+        ReadNotFound,
+        ReadOtherError
+    };
+
     QMakeVfs();
 
     bool writeFile(const QString &fn, QIODevice::OpenMode mode, bool exe, const QString &contents, QString *errStr);
-    bool readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr);
+    ReadResult readFile(const QString &fn, QString *contents, QString *errStr);
     bool exists(const QString &fn);
 
 #ifndef PROEVALUATOR_FULL