diff --git a/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.cpp b/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.cpp
index 80829bdcd7b..a3bc33f0c1a 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.cpp
@@ -47,8 +47,6 @@ const char ColumnKey[] = "Columns";
 
 class BaseTreeViewPrivate : public QObject
 {
-    Q_OBJECT
-
 public:
     explicit BaseTreeViewPrivate(BaseTreeView *parent)
         : q(parent), m_settings(0), m_expectUserChanges(false), m_progressIndicator(0)
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@ public:
         return minimum;
     }
 
-    Q_SLOT void resizeColumns() // Needs moc, see BaseTreeView::setModel
+    void resizeColumns()
     {
         QHeaderView *h = q->header();
         QTC_ASSERT(h, return);
@@ -281,7 +279,6 @@ void BaseTreeView::setModel(QAbstractItemModel *m)
     };
 #define DESC(sign, receiver, slot) { #sign, SIGNAL(sign), receiver, SLOT(slot) }
     const ExtraConnection c[] = {
-        DESC(columnAdjustmentRequested(), d, resizeColumns()),
         DESC(requestExpansion(QModelIndex), this, expand(QModelIndex))
     };
 #undef DESC
@@ -406,6 +403,11 @@ void BaseTreeView::rowClicked(const QModelIndex &index)
     model()->setData(index, QVariant(), ItemClickedRole);
 }
 
+void BaseTreeView::resizeColumns()
+{
+    d->resizeColumns();
+}
+
 void BaseTreeView::setSettings(QSettings *settings, const QByteArray &key)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(!d->m_settings, qDebug() << "DUPLICATED setSettings" << key);
@@ -454,5 +456,3 @@ QModelIndexList ItemViewEvent::currentOrSelectedRows() const
 }
 
 } // namespace Utils
-
-#include "basetreeview.moc"
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.h b/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.h
index a5612045f69..72a664c19ad 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/basetreeview.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ public:
 
     void showProgressIndicator();
     void hideProgressIndicator();
+    void resizeColumns();
 
 signals:
     void aboutToShow();
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
index f9b9eb02613..c168ba2bda9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerplugin.cpp
@@ -3154,6 +3154,7 @@ void updateWatchersWindow(bool showWatch, bool showReturn)
 {
     dd->m_watchersWindow->setVisible(showWatch);
     dd->m_returnWindow->setVisible(showReturn);
+    dd->m_localsView->resizeColumns();
 }
 
 bool hasSnapshots()
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index 7b6db901214..fd2ce5bd8d7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -1126,7 +1126,7 @@ bool WatchModel::setData(const QModelIndex &idx, const QVariant &value, int role
                 m_expandedINames.remove(item->iname);
             }
             if (item->iname.contains('.'))
-                emit columnAdjustmentRequested();
+                m_handler->updateWatchersWindow();
             return true;
 
         case LocalsTypeFormatRole:
@@ -2347,8 +2347,6 @@ void WatchModel::clearWatches()
 
 void WatchHandler::updateWatchersWindow()
 {
-    emit m_model->columnAdjustmentRequested();
-
     // Force show/hide of watchers and return view.
     int showWatch = !theWatcherNames.isEmpty();
     int showReturn = m_model->m_returnRoot->childCount() != 0;
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
index 16846719db9..9fb8034d8a8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@ signals:
     void currentIndexRequested(const QModelIndex &idx);
     void itemIsExpanded(const QModelIndex &idx);
     void inameIsExpanded(const QString &iname);
-    void columnAdjustmentRequested();
     void updateStarted();
     void updateFinished();
 };