diff --git a/src/plugins/android/androidmanifestdocument.cpp b/src/plugins/android/androidmanifestdocument.cpp
index 27a0c4799e6..0abb2502928 100644
--- a/src/plugins/android/androidmanifestdocument.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/android/androidmanifestdocument.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ using namespace Android::Internal;
 AndroidManifestDocument::AndroidManifestDocument(AndroidManifestEditorWidget *editorWidget)
     : m_editorWidget(editorWidget)
 {
-    setupAsPlainTextDocument();
     setId(Constants::ANDROID_MANIFEST_EDITOR_ID);
     setMimeType(QLatin1String(Constants::ANDROID_MANIFEST_MIME_TYPE));
     connect(editorWidget, SIGNAL(guiChanged()),
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cpppointerdeclarationformatter_test.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/cpppointerdeclarationformatter_test.cpp
index ffaa7c6679f..03619884bcc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cpppointerdeclarationformatter_test.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cpppointerdeclarationformatter_test.cpp
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ public:
 
         // Open file
         auto textDocument = new TextEditor::BaseTextDocument;
-        textDocument->setupAsPlainTextDocument();
         textDocument->setId(Core::Constants::K_DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_ID);
         TextEditor::BaseTextEditorWidget editorWidget(textDocument);
         editorWidget.setupAsPlainEditor();
diff --git a/src/plugins/designer/formwindowfile.cpp b/src/plugins/designer/formwindowfile.cpp
index ae28fbce8c6..24d2da9b458 100644
--- a/src/plugins/designer/formwindowfile.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/designer/formwindowfile.cpp
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@ FormWindowFile::FormWindowFile(QDesignerFormWindowInterface *form, QObject *pare
     m_formWindow(form),
     m_isModified(false)
 {
-    setupAsPlainTextDocument();
     setMimeType(QLatin1String(Designer::Constants::FORM_MIMETYPE));
     setParent(parent);
     setId(Core::Id(Designer::Constants::K_DESIGNER_XML_EDITOR_ID));
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/bardescriptoreditorwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/qnx/bardescriptoreditorwidget.cpp
index 2692f297f61..f1edfdfc57a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/bardescriptoreditorwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/bardescriptoreditorwidget.cpp
@@ -169,7 +169,6 @@ void BarDescriptorEditorWidget::initAssetsPage()
 void BarDescriptorEditorWidget::initSourcePage()
 {
     auto doc = new TextEditor::BaseTextDocument;
-    doc->setupAsPlainTextDocument();
     doc->setId(Core::Constants::K_DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_ID); // FIXME: This looks odd.
     doc->setIndenter(new TextEditor::NormalIndenter);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.cpp
index adf51216dc1..48d70f0fd54 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ public:
 
 public slots:
     void onModificationChanged(bool modified);
-    void updateTabSettings();
 
 public:
     QString m_defaultPath;
@@ -200,13 +199,6 @@ void BaseTextDocumentPrivate::onModificationChanged(bool modified)
         updateRevisions();
 }
 
-void BaseTextDocumentPrivate::updateTabSettings()
-{
-    if (Highlighter *highlighter = qobject_cast<Highlighter *>(m_highlighter))
-        highlighter->setTabSettings(m_tabSettings);
-}
-
-
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //
 // BaseTextDocument
@@ -304,6 +296,10 @@ void BaseTextDocument::setTabSettings(const TextEditor::TabSettings &tabSettings
     if (tabSettings == d->m_tabSettings)
         return;
     d->m_tabSettings = tabSettings;
+
+    if (Highlighter *highlighter = qobject_cast<Highlighter *>(d->m_highlighter))
+        highlighter->setTabSettings(tabSettings);
+
     emit tabSettingsChanged();
 }
 
@@ -327,11 +323,6 @@ void BaseTextDocument::triggerPendingUpdates()
         applyFontSettings();
 }
 
-void BaseTextDocument::setupAsPlainTextDocument()
-{
-    connect(this, SIGNAL(tabSettingsChanged()), d, SLOT(updateTabSettings()));
-}
-
 void BaseTextDocument::applyFontSettings()
 {
     d->m_fontSettingsNeedsApply = false;
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.h b/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.h
index 038491525f1..437c8432708 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.h
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/basetextdocument.h
@@ -128,8 +128,6 @@ public:
 
     virtual void triggerPendingUpdates();
 
-    void setupAsPlainTextDocument();
-
 public slots:
     void setTabSettings(const TextEditor::TabSettings &tabSettings);
     void setFontSettings(const TextEditor::FontSettings &fontSettings);
diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/plaintexteditorfactory.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/plaintexteditorfactory.cpp
index 66b989269d4..2bcbc2a0fcf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/plaintexteditorfactory.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/plaintexteditorfactory.cpp
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ PlainTextEditorFactory::PlainTextEditorFactory(QObject *parent)
 Core::IEditor *PlainTextEditorFactory::createEditor()
 {
     auto doc = new BaseTextDocument;
-    doc->setupAsPlainTextDocument();
     doc->setId(Core::Constants::K_DEFAULT_TEXT_EDITOR_ID);
     doc->setIndenter(new NormalIndenter);
     auto widget = new BaseTextEditorWidget(doc);