diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
index 34d9eaa825b..cc132e929df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
@@ -332,8 +332,9 @@ void QbsProject::parse(const QVariantMap &config, const QString &dir)
     params.projectFilePath = m_fileName;
     params.ignoreDifferentProjectFilePath = false;
     qbs::Preferences *prefs = QbsManager::preferences();
-    params.searchPaths = prefs->searchPaths(QLatin1String(QBS_BUILD_DIR));
-    params.pluginPaths = prefs->pluginPaths(QLatin1String(QBS_BUILD_DIR));
+    const QString buildDir = qbsBuildDir();
+    params.searchPaths = prefs->searchPaths(buildDir);
+    params.pluginPaths = prefs->pluginPaths(buildDir);
 
     m_qbsSetupProjectJob
             = qbs::Project::setupProject(params, m_manager->settings(), m_manager->logSink(), 0);
@@ -563,5 +564,14 @@ void QbsProject::updateQmlJsCodeModel(const qbs::ProjectData *prj)
     modelManager->updateProjectInfo(projectInfo);
 }
 
+QString QbsProject::qbsBuildDir() const
+{
+    QString buildDir = Utils::Environment::systemEnvironment()
+            .value(QLatin1String("QBS_BUILD_DIR"));
+    if (buildDir.isEmpty())
+        buildDir = QLatin1String(QBS_BUILD_DIR);
+    return buildDir;
+}
+
 } // namespace Internal
 } // namespace QbsProjectManager
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.h b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.h
index b9fbd081295..1c98a04ab3c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ private:
     void updateDocuments(const qbs::ProjectData *prj);
     void updateCppCodeModel(const qbs::ProjectData *prj);
     void updateQmlJsCodeModel(const qbs::ProjectData *prj);
+    QString qbsBuildDir() const;
 
     QbsManager *const m_manager;
     const QString m_projectName;