diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfiguration.cpp
index ac5910a67a1..9e3d3339c7b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runconfiguration.cpp
@@ -1409,10 +1409,15 @@ void SimpleTargetRunner::start()
     m_stopReported = false;
     m_launcher.disconnect(this);
 
-    QString msg = RunControl::tr("Starting %1...").arg(m_runnable.displayName());
+    const bool isDesktop = isSynchronousLauncher(runControl());
+    const QString rawDisplayName = m_runnable.displayName();
+    const QString displayName = isDesktop
+            ? QDir::toNativeSeparators(rawDisplayName)
+            : rawDisplayName;
+    const QString msg = RunControl::tr("Starting %1...").arg(displayName);
     appendMessage(msg, Utils::NormalMessageFormat);
 
-    if (isSynchronousLauncher(runControl())) {
+    if (isDesktop) {
 
         connect(&m_launcher, &ApplicationLauncher::appendMessage,
                 this, &SimpleTargetRunner::appendMessage);
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runnables.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runnables.h
index a893545d23a..d5b27c7e45c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runnables.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runnables.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 
 #include <utils/environment.h>
 
-#include <QDir>
 #include <QUrl>
 
 namespace ProjectExplorer {
@@ -47,7 +46,9 @@ public:
     ApplicationLauncher::Mode runMode = ApplicationLauncher::Gui;
     IDevice::ConstPtr device; // Override the kit's device. Keep unset by default.
 
-    QString displayName() const { return QDir::toNativeSeparators(executable); }
+    // FIXME: Not necessarily a display name
+    QString displayName() const { return executable; }
+
     static void *staticTypeId;
 };