diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.cpp
index 4d16599a12f..fcc0c886bf9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.cpp
@@ -223,7 +223,10 @@ DeployConfiguration *DeployConfigurationFactory::restore(Target *parent, const Q
     if (!dc->fromMap(map)) {
         delete dc;
         dc = nullptr;
+    } else if (factory->postRestore()) {
+        factory->postRestore()(dc, map);
     }
+
     return dc;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.h
index 1d9ff883383..66d387291c9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/deployconfiguration.h
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ public:
     void setConfigWidgetCreator(const std::function<NamedWidget *(Target *)> &configWidgetCreator);
     void setUseDeploymentDataView();
 
+    using PostRestore = std::function<void(DeployConfiguration *dc, const QVariantMap &)>;
+    void setPostRestore(const PostRestore &postRestore) {  m_postRestore = postRestore; }
+    PostRestore postRestore() const { return m_postRestore; }
+
 protected:
     using DeployConfigurationCreator = std::function<DeployConfiguration *(Target *)>;
     void setConfigBaseId(Core::Id deployConfigBaseId);
@@ -109,6 +113,7 @@ private:
     QList<BuildStepList::StepCreationInfo> m_initialSteps;
     QString m_defaultDisplayName;
     std::function<NamedWidget *(Target *)> m_configWidgetCreator;
+    PostRestore m_postRestore;
 };
 
 class DefaultDeployConfigurationFactory : public DeployConfigurationFactory
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/userfileaccessor.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/userfileaccessor.cpp
index 838507e544d..f166425a1de 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/userfileaccessor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/userfileaccessor.cpp
@@ -155,6 +155,18 @@ public:
     static QVariant process(const QVariant &entry);
 };
 
+// Version 21 adds a "make install" step to an existing RemoteLinux deploy configuration
+// if and only if such a step would be added when creating a new one.
+// See QTCREATORBUG-22689.
+class UserFileVersion21Upgrader : public VersionUpgrader
+{
+public:
+    UserFileVersion21Upgrader() : VersionUpgrader(21, "4.10-pre1") { }
+    QVariantMap upgrade(const QVariantMap &map) final;
+
+    static QVariant process(const QVariant &entry);
+};
+
 } // namespace
 
 //
@@ -315,6 +327,7 @@ UserFileAccessor::UserFileAccessor(Project *project) :
     addVersionUpgrader(std::make_unique<UserFileVersion18Upgrader>());
     addVersionUpgrader(std::make_unique<UserFileVersion19Upgrader>());
     addVersionUpgrader(std::make_unique<UserFileVersion20Upgrader>());
+    addVersionUpgrader(std::make_unique<UserFileVersion21Upgrader>());
 }
 
 Project *UserFileAccessor::project() const
@@ -855,6 +868,33 @@ QVariant UserFileVersion20Upgrader::process(const QVariant &entry)
     }
 }
 
+QVariantMap UserFileVersion21Upgrader::upgrade(const QVariantMap &map)
+{
+    return process(map).toMap();
+}
+
+QVariant UserFileVersion21Upgrader::process(const QVariant &entry)
+{
+    switch (entry.type()) {
+    case QVariant::List:
+        return Utils::transform(entry.toList(), &UserFileVersion21Upgrader::process);
+    case QVariant::Map: {
+        QVariantMap entryMap = entry.toMap();
+        if (entryMap.value("ProjectExplorer.ProjectConfiguration.Id").toString()
+                == "DeployToGenericLinux") {
+            entryMap.insert("_checkMakeInstall", true);
+            return entryMap;
+        }
+        return Utils::transform<QVariantMap>(
+            entryMap.toStdMap(), [](const std::pair<const QString, QVariant> &item) {
+                return qMakePair(item.first, UserFileVersion21Upgrader::process(item.second));
+            });
+    }
+    default:
+        return entry;
+    }
+}
+
 #if defined(WITH_TESTS)
 
 #include <QTest>
diff --git a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdeployconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdeployconfiguration.cpp
index 88cd76f66d4..6bdef06dab9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdeployconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxdeployconfiguration.cpp
@@ -61,11 +61,19 @@ RemoteLinuxDeployConfigurationFactory::RemoteLinuxDeployConfigurationFactory()
                                                       "Deploy to Remote Linux Host"));
     setUseDeploymentDataView();
 
-    addInitialStep(MakeInstallStep::stepId(), [](Target *target) {
+    const auto needsMakeInstall = [](Target *target)
+    {
         const Project * const prj = target->project();
         return prj->deploymentKnowledge() == DeploymentKnowledge::Bad
                 && prj->hasMakeInstallEquivalent();
+    };
+    setPostRestore([needsMakeInstall](DeployConfiguration *dc, const QVariantMap &map) {
+        // 4.9 -> 4.10. See QTCREATORBUG-22689.
+        if (map.value("_checkMakeInstall").toBool() && needsMakeInstall(dc->target()))
+                dc->stepList()->insertStep(0, new MakeInstallStep(dc->stepList()));
     });
+
+    addInitialStep(MakeInstallStep::stepId(), needsMakeInstall);
     addInitialStep(RemoteLinuxCheckForFreeDiskSpaceStep::stepId());
     addInitialStep(RemoteLinuxKillAppStep::stepId());
     addInitialStep(RsyncDeployStep::stepId(), [](Target *target) {