diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunconfigurationaspect.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunconfigurationaspect.cpp
index 8cf92fe1da8..8811934aee4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunconfigurationaspect.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerrunconfigurationaspect.cpp
@@ -155,7 +155,8 @@ bool DebuggerRunConfigurationAspect::useCppDebugger() const
 static bool projectHasQmlDefines(ProjectExplorer::Project *project)
 {
     auto projectInfo = CppEditor::CppModelManager::instance()->projectInfo(project);
-    QTC_ASSERT(projectInfo, return false);
+    if (!projectInfo) // we may have e.g. a Python project
+        return false;
     return Utils::anyOf(projectInfo->projectParts(),
                         [](const CppEditor::ProjectPart::ConstPtr &part){
                             return Utils::anyOf(part->projectMacros, [](const Macro &macro){