diff --git a/src/libs/utils/persistentsettings.cpp b/src/libs/utils/persistentsettings.cpp
index 4cebb43c7ca..c1cf7da86ea 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/persistentsettings.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/persistentsettings.cpp
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ void ParseValueStackEntry::addChild(const QString &key, const QVariant &v)
 class ParseContext : public Context
 {
 public:
-    QVariantMap parse(QFile &file);
+    QVariantMap parse(const FilePath &file);
 
 private:
     enum Element { QtCreatorElement, DataElement, VariableElement,
@@ -204,9 +204,9 @@ private:
     QString m_currentVariableName;
 };
 
-QVariantMap ParseContext::parse(QFile &file)
+QVariantMap ParseContext::parse(const FilePath &file)
 {
-    QXmlStreamReader r(&file);
+    QXmlStreamReader r(file.fileContents());
 
     m_result.clear();
     m_currentVariableName.clear();
@@ -354,15 +354,11 @@ bool PersistentSettingsReader::load(const FilePath &fileName)
 {
     m_valueMap.clear();
 
-    QFile file(fileName.toString());
-    if (file.size() == 0) // skip empty files
+    if (fileName.fileSize() == 0) // skip empty files
         return false;
 
-    if (!file.open(QIODevice::ReadOnly|QIODevice::Text))
-        return false;
     ParseContext ctx;
-    m_valueMap = ctx.parse(file);
-    file.close();
+    m_valueMap = ctx.parse(fileName);
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/settingsaccessor.cpp b/src/libs/utils/settingsaccessor.cpp
index 4d954d08674..43bb69402a1 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/settingsaccessor.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/settingsaccessor.cpp
@@ -218,12 +218,10 @@ QVariantMap SettingsAccessor::prepareToWriteSettings(const QVariantMap &data) co
 
 FilePaths BackUpStrategy::readFileCandidates(const FilePath &baseFileName) const
 {
+    const QStringList filter(baseFileName.fileName() + '*');
+    const FilePath baseFileDir = baseFileName.parentDir();
 
-    const QFileInfo pfi = baseFileName.toFileInfo();
-    const QStringList filter(pfi.fileName() + '*');
-    const QFileInfoList list = QDir(pfi.dir()).entryInfoList(filter, QDir::Files | QDir::Hidden | QDir::System);
-
-    return Utils::transform(list, [](const QFileInfo &fi) { return FilePath::fromString(fi.absoluteFilePath()); });
+    return baseFileDir.dirEntries(filter, QDir::Files | QDir::Hidden | QDir::System);
 }
 
 int BackUpStrategy::compare(const SettingsAccessor::RestoreData &data1,