diff --git a/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.cpp b/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.cpp
index cf9d2139550..46284178750 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.cpp
@@ -187,12 +187,12 @@ DeviceShell::DeviceShell()
 
 DeviceShell::~DeviceShell()
 {
-    m_shellProcess->deleteLater();
-
     if (m_thread.isRunning()) {
         m_thread.quit();
         m_thread.wait();
     }
+
+    QTC_CHECK(!m_shellProcess);
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ DeviceShell::RunResult DeviceShell::run(const CommandLine &cmd, const QByteArray
     const int id = ++m_currentId;
     const auto it = m_commandOutput.insert(id, CommandRun{{-1, {}, {}}, &waiter});
 
-    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(m_shellProcess, [this, id, cmd, stdInData]() {
+    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(m_shellProcess.get(), [this, id, cmd, stdInData]() {
         const QString command = QString("%1 \"%2\" %3\n")
                                     .arg(id)
                                     .arg(QString::fromLatin1(stdInData.toBase64()))
@@ -302,13 +302,12 @@ void DeviceShell::startupFailed(const CommandLine &cmdLine)
  */
 bool DeviceShell::start()
 {
-    m_shellProcess = new QtcProcess();
-    connect(m_shellProcess, &QtcProcess::done, m_shellProcess,
+    m_shellProcess = std::make_unique<QtcProcess>();
+    connect(m_shellProcess.get(), &QtcProcess::done, m_shellProcess.get(),
             [this] { emit done(m_shellProcess->resultData()); });
-    connect(m_shellProcess, &QObject::destroyed, this, [this] { m_shellProcess = nullptr; });
-    connect(&m_thread, &QThread::finished, m_shellProcess, [this] { closeShellProcess(); });
+    connect(&m_thread, &QThread::finished, m_shellProcess.get(), [this] { closeShellProcess(); }, Qt::DirectConnection);
 
-    setupShellProcess(m_shellProcess);
+    setupShellProcess(m_shellProcess.get());
 
     m_shellProcess->setProcessMode(ProcessMode::Writer);
 
@@ -317,7 +316,7 @@ bool DeviceShell::start()
 
     bool result = false;
     QMetaObject::invokeMethod(
-        m_shellProcess,
+        m_shellProcess.get(),
         [this] {
             m_shellProcess->start();
 
@@ -326,10 +325,10 @@ bool DeviceShell::start()
                 return false;
             }
 
-            connect(m_shellProcess, &QtcProcess::readyReadStandardOutput, m_shellProcess, [this] {
+            connect(m_shellProcess.get(), &QtcProcess::readyReadStandardOutput, m_shellProcess.get(), [this] {
                 onReadyRead();
             });
-            connect(m_shellProcess, &QtcProcess::readyReadStandardError, m_shellProcess, [this] {
+            connect(m_shellProcess.get(), &QtcProcess::readyReadStandardError, m_shellProcess.get(), [this] {
                 const QByteArray stdErr = m_shellProcess->readAllStandardError();
 
                 if (m_shellScriptState == State::Unknown) {
@@ -347,7 +346,7 @@ bool DeviceShell::start()
                 qCWarning(deviceShellLog) << "Received unexpected output on stderr:" << stdErr;
             });
 
-            connect(m_shellProcess, &QtcProcess::done, m_shellProcess, [this]() {
+            connect(m_shellProcess.get(), &QtcProcess::done, m_shellProcess.get(), [this] {
                 if (m_shellProcess->resultData().m_exitCode != EXIT_SUCCESS
                     || m_shellProcess->resultData().m_exitStatus != QProcess::NormalExit) {
                     qCWarning(deviceShellLog) << "Shell exited with error code:"
@@ -400,6 +399,7 @@ void DeviceShell::closeShellProcess()
             if (!m_shellProcess->waitForFinished(2000))
                 m_shellProcess->terminate();
         }
+        m_shellProcess.reset();
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.h b/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.h
index 48a20c4e4b2..31577ed8187 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/deviceshell.h
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ private:
         QWaitCondition *waiter;
     };
 
-    QtcProcess *m_shellProcess = nullptr;
+    std::unique_ptr<QtcProcess> m_shellProcess;
     QThread m_thread;
     int m_currentId{0};
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/qtcprocess.cpp b/src/libs/utils/qtcprocess.cpp
index 62a2435cd1b..45362d1ed71 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/qtcprocess.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/qtcprocess.cpp
@@ -1027,6 +1027,7 @@ QtcProcess::QtcProcess(QObject *parent)
     : QObject(parent),
     d(new QtcProcessPrivate(this))
 {
+    qRegisterMetaType<ProcessResultData>("ProcessResultData");
     static int qProcessExitStatusMeta = qRegisterMetaType<QProcess::ExitStatus>();
     static int qProcessProcessErrorMeta = qRegisterMetaType<QProcess::ProcessError>();
     Q_UNUSED(qProcessExitStatusMeta)
diff --git a/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp b/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
index 2b7b671ef09..7c6092eaa9f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ void DockerDevicePrivate::startContainer()
             return;
 
         qCWarning(dockerDeviceLog) << "Container shell encountered error:" << resultData.m_error;
-        m_shell.reset();
+        m_shell.release()->deleteLater();
 
         DockerApi::recheckDockerDaemon();
         MessageManager::writeFlashing(tr("Docker daemon appears to be not running. "
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ void DockerDevicePrivate::updateContainerAccess()
     if (m_shell)
         return;
 
-     startContainer();
+    startContainer();
 }
 
 void DockerDevice::setMounts(const QStringList &mounts) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/remotelinux/linuxdevice.cpp b/src/plugins/remotelinux/linuxdevice.cpp
index b41a1f19b82..ad591122505 100644
--- a/src/plugins/remotelinux/linuxdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/remotelinux/linuxdevice.cpp
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ public:
         cmd.addArg("/bin/sh");
 
         m_shell.reset(new LinuxDeviceShell(cmd));
-        connect(m_shell.get(), &DeviceShell::done, this, [this] { m_shell.reset(); });
+        connect(m_shell.get(), &DeviceShell::done, this, [this] { m_shell.release()->deleteLater(); });
         return m_shell->start();
     }