diff --git a/src/libs/utils/fileutils.cpp b/src/libs/utils/fileutils.cpp
index 417f74eb370..8d3efae79de 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/fileutils.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/fileutils.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "savefile.h"
 
 #include "algorithm.h"
+#include "commandline.h"
 #include "qtcassert.h"
 #include "hostosinfo.h"
 
@@ -583,6 +584,8 @@ FilePath FileUtils::getOpenFilePathFromDevice(QWidget *parent,
     return {};
 }
 
+#endif // QT_WIDGETS_LIB
+
 // Used on 'ls' output on unix-like systems.
 void FileUtils::iterateLsOutput(const FilePath &base,
                                 const QStringList &entries,
@@ -619,7 +622,53 @@ void FileUtils::iterateLsOutput(const FilePath &base,
     }
 }
 
-#endif // QT_WIDGETS_LIB
+// returns whether 'find' could be used.
+static bool iterateWithFind(const FilePath &filePath,
+                            const FileFilter &filter,
+                            const std::function<QByteArray(const CommandLine &)> &runInShell,
+                            const std::function<bool(const Utils::FilePath &)> &callBack)
+{
+    QTC_CHECK(filePath.isAbsolutePath());
+    QStringList arguments{filePath.path()};
+    arguments << filter.asFindArguments();
+
+    const QByteArray output = runInShell({"find", arguments});
+    const QString out = QString::fromUtf8(output.data(), output.size());
+    if (!output.isEmpty() && !out.startsWith(filePath.path())) // missing find, unknown option
+        return false;
+
+    const QStringList entries = out.split("\n", Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+    for (const QString &entry : entries) {
+        if (entry.startsWith("find: ")) {
+            const FilePath fp = FilePath::fromString(entry);
+            if (!callBack(fp.onDevice(filePath)))
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+    return true;
+}
+
+void FileUtils::iterateUnixDirectory(const FilePath &filePath,
+                                     const FileFilter &filter,
+                                     bool *useFind,
+                                     const std::function<QByteArray(const CommandLine &)> &runInShell,
+                                     const std::function<bool(const FilePath &)> &callBack)
+{
+    QTC_ASSERT(callBack, return);
+
+    // We try to use 'find' first, because that can filter better directly.
+    // Unfortunately, it's not installed on all devices by default.
+    if (useFind && *useFind) {
+        if (iterateWithFind(filePath, filter, runInShell, callBack))
+            return;
+        *useFind = false; // remember the failure for the next time and use the 'ls' fallback below.
+    }
+
+    // if we do not have find - use ls as fallback
+    const QByteArray output = runInShell({"ls", {"-1", "-b", "--", filePath.path()}});
+    const QStringList entries = QString::fromUtf8(output).split('\n', Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
+    FileUtils::iterateLsOutput(filePath, entries, filter, callBack);
+}
 
 /*!
   Copies the directory specified by \a srcFilePath recursively to \a tgtFilePath. \a tgtFilePath will contain
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/fileutils.h b/src/libs/utils/fileutils.h
index 8f4544a0fd1..09ba6ece639 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/fileutils.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/fileutils.h
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ QT_END_NAMESPACE
 
 namespace Utils {
 
+class CommandLine;
+
 class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT FileUtils
 {
 public:
@@ -77,10 +79,18 @@ public:
 
     static FilePaths toFilePathList(const QStringList &paths);
 
-    static void iterateLsOutput(const FilePath &base,
-                                const QStringList &entries,
-                                const FileFilter &filter,
-                                const std::function<bool(const FilePath &)> &callBack);
+    static void iterateLsOutput(
+            const FilePath &base,
+            const QStringList &entries,
+            const FileFilter &filter,
+            const std::function<bool(const FilePath &)> &callBack);
+
+    static void iterateUnixDirectory(
+            const FilePath &base,
+            const FileFilter &filter,
+            bool *useFind,
+            const std::function<QByteArray(const CommandLine &)> &runInShell,
+            const std::function<bool(const FilePath &)> &callBack);
 
     static qint64 bytesAvailableFromDFOutput(const QByteArray &dfOutput);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp b/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
index 260b857815b..d50e81ccbe6 100644
--- a/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/docker/dockerdevice.cpp
@@ -143,16 +143,12 @@ public:
     QString repoAndTag() const { return m_data.repoAndTag(); }
     QString dockerImageId() const { return m_data.imageId; }
 
-    bool useFind() const { return m_useFind; }
-    void setUseFind(bool useFind) { m_useFind = useFind; }
-
     Environment environment();
 
     CommandLine withDockerExecCmd(const CommandLine &cmd, bool interactive = false);
 
     bool prepareForBuild(const Target *target);
 
-private:
     bool createContainer();
     void startContainer();
     void stopCurrentContainer();
@@ -895,52 +891,13 @@ bool DockerDevice::ensureReachable(const FilePath &other) const
     return d->ensureReachable(other.parentDir());
 }
 
-void DockerDevice::iterateWithFind(const FilePath &filePath,
-                                   const std::function<bool(const Utils::FilePath &)> &callBack,
-                                   const FileFilter &filter) const
-{
-    QTC_ASSERT(callBack, return);
-    QTC_CHECK(filePath.isAbsolutePath());
-    QStringList arguments{filePath.path()};
-    arguments << filter.asFindArguments();
-
-    const QByteArray output = d->outputForRunInShell({"find", arguments});
-    const QString out = QString::fromUtf8(output.data(), output.size());
-    if (!output.isEmpty() && !out.startsWith(filePath.path())) { // missing find, unknown option
-        qCDebug(dockerDeviceLog) << "Setting 'do not use find'" << out.left(out.indexOf('\n'));
-        d->setUseFind(false);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    const QStringList entries = out.split("\n", Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
-    for (const QString &entry : entries) {
-        if (entry.startsWith("find: "))
-            continue;
-        const FilePath fp = FilePath::fromString(entry);
-
-        if (!callBack(fp.onDevice(filePath)))
-            break;
-    }
-}
-
 void DockerDevice::iterateDirectory(const FilePath &filePath,
                                     const std::function<bool(const FilePath &)> &callBack,
                                     const FileFilter &filter) const
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(handlesFile(filePath), return);
-
-    if (d->useFind()) {
-        iterateWithFind(filePath, callBack, filter);
-        // d->m_useFind will be set to false if 'find' is not found. In this
-        // case fall back to 'ls' below.
-        if (d->useFind())
-            return;
-    }
-
-    // if we do not have find - use ls as fallback
-    const QByteArray output = d->outputForRunInShell({"ls", {"-1", "-b", "--", filePath.path()}});
-    const QStringList entries = QString::fromUtf8(output).split('\n', Qt::SkipEmptyParts);
-    FileUtils::iterateLsOutput(filePath, entries, filter, callBack);
+    auto runInShell = [this](const CommandLine &cmd) { return d->outputForRunInShell(cmd); };
+    FileUtils::iterateUnixDirectory(filePath, filter, &d->m_useFind, runInShell, callBack);
 }
 
 std::optional<QByteArray> DockerDevice::fileContents(const FilePath &filePath,