diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.cpp
index 0b9665532d6..da65b0f42d8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.cpp
@@ -25,15 +25,13 @@
 #include <utils/temporarydirectory.h>
 
 #include <QApplication>
-#include <QDir>
 #include <QLoggingCategory>
 
 using namespace ProjectExplorer;
 using namespace QtSupport;
 using namespace Utils;
 
-namespace CMakeProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace CMakeProjectManager::Internal {
 
 static Q_LOGGING_CATEGORY(cmInputLog, "qtc.cmake.import", QtWarningMsg);
 
@@ -104,7 +102,7 @@ CMakeProjectImporter::CMakeProjectImporter(const FilePath &path, const PresetsDa
 
 }
 
-QStringList CMakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
+FilePaths CMakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
 {
     FilePaths candidates;
 
@@ -131,7 +129,7 @@ QStringList CMakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
 
     const FilePaths finalists = Utils::filteredUnique(candidates);
     qCInfo(cmInputLog) << "import candidates:" << finalists;
-    return finalists;
+    return Utils::transform(finalists, &FilePath::fromString);
 }
 
 static CMakeConfig configurationFromPresetProbe(
@@ -685,8 +683,7 @@ void CMakeProjectImporter::persistTemporaryCMake(Kit *k, const QVariantList &vl)
     qCDebug(cmInputLog) << "Temporary CMake tool made persistent.";
 }
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace CMakeProjectManager
+} // CMakeProjectManager::Internal
 
 #ifdef WITH_TESTS
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.h b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.h
index d4cedd6a727..52f3c1dc0df 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectimporter.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ class CMakeProjectImporter : public QtSupport::QtProjectImporter
 public:
     CMakeProjectImporter(const Utils::FilePath &path, const Internal::PresetsData &presetsData);
 
-    QStringList importCandidates() final;
+    Utils::FilePaths importCandidates() final;
 
 private:
     QList<void *> examineDirectory(const Utils::FilePath &importPath,
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.cpp b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.cpp
index dc9f7f749d6..3fbf32abe25 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ MesonProjectImporter::MesonProjectImporter(const Utils::FilePath &path)
     : QtSupport::QtProjectImporter{path}
 {}
 
-QStringList MesonProjectImporter::importCandidates()
+Utils::FilePaths MesonProjectImporter::importCandidates()
 {
     //TODO, this can be done later
     return {};
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.h b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.h
index ad4f0858472..730837d6bd9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/project/mesonprojectimporter.h
@@ -3,21 +3,18 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
-#include "exewrappers/mesonwrapper.h"
-
 #include <projectexplorer/buildinfo.h>
 #include <projectexplorer/kit.h>
 
 #include <qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.h>
 
-namespace MesonProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace MesonProjectManager::Internal {
 
 class MesonProjectImporter final : public QtSupport::QtProjectImporter
 {
 public:
     MesonProjectImporter(const Utils::FilePath &path);
-    QStringList importCandidates() final;
+    Utils::FilePaths importCandidates() final;
 
 private:
     // importPath is an existing directory at this point!
@@ -32,5 +29,4 @@ private:
     void deleteDirectoryData(void *directoryData) const final;
 };
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace MesonProjectManager
+} // MesonProjectManager::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectimporter.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectimporter.h
index 52c2e976223..de3e15647d1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectimporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectimporter.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public:
     const Utils::FilePath projectDirectory() const { return m_projectPath.parentDir(); }
 
     virtual const QList<BuildInfo> import(const Utils::FilePath &importPath, bool silent = false);
-    virtual QStringList importCandidates() = 0;
+    virtual Utils::FilePaths importCandidates() = 0;
     virtual Target *preferredTarget(const QList<Target *> &possibleTargets);
 
     bool isUpdating() const { return m_isUpdating; }
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/targetsetuppage.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/targetsetuppage.cpp
index 5fa5f6ee4ae..eeb57e6602c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/targetsetuppage.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/targetsetuppage.cpp
@@ -334,9 +334,9 @@ void TargetSetupPage::setupImports()
     if (!m_importer || m_projectPath.isEmpty())
         return;
 
-    const QStringList toImport = m_importer->importCandidates();
-    for (const QString &path : toImport)
-        import(FilePath::fromString(path), true);
+    const FilePaths toImport = m_importer->importCandidates();
+    for (const FilePath &path : toImport)
+        import(path, true);
 }
 
 void TargetSetupPage::handleKitAddition(Kit *k)
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.cpp b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.cpp
index b475bbac8df..4c88d52b821 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,7 @@
 using namespace ProjectExplorer;
 using namespace Utils;
 
-namespace QbsProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace QbsProjectManager::Internal {
 
 struct BuildGraphData
 {
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ static QStringList candidatesForDirectory(const QString &dir)
     return candidates;
 }
 
-QStringList QbsProjectImporter::importCandidates()
+FilePaths QbsProjectImporter::importCandidates()
 {
     const QString projectDir = projectFilePath().toFileInfo().absolutePath();
     QStringList candidates = candidatesForDirectory(projectDir);
@@ -105,7 +104,7 @@ QStringList QbsProjectImporter::importCandidates()
         }
     }
     qCDebug(qbsPmLog) << "build directory candidates:" << candidates;
-    return candidates;
+    return Utils::transform(candidates, &FilePath::fromString);
 }
 
 QList<void *> QbsProjectImporter::examineDirectory(const FilePath &importPath,
@@ -212,5 +211,4 @@ void QbsProjectImporter::deleteDirectoryData(void *directoryData) const
     delete static_cast<BuildGraphData *>(directoryData);
 }
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace QbsProjectManager
+} // QbsProjectManager::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.h b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.h
index 9d197a41472..5f5895614d5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsprojectimporter.h
@@ -5,8 +5,7 @@
 
 #include <qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.h>
 
-namespace QbsProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace QbsProjectManager::Internal {
 
 class QbsProjectImporter final : public QtSupport::QtProjectImporter
 {
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ public:
     QbsProjectImporter(const Utils::FilePath &path);
 
 private:
-    QStringList importCandidates() override;
+    Utils::FilePaths importCandidates() override;
     QList<void *> examineDirectory(const Utils::FilePath &importPath, QString *warningMessage) const override;
     bool matchKit(void *directoryData, const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
     ProjectExplorer::Kit *createKit(void *directoryData) const override;
@@ -24,5 +23,4 @@ private:
     void deleteDirectoryData(void *directoryData) const override;
 };
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace QbsProjectManager
+} // QbsProjectManager::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.cpp
index 1b26bbb7627..6b0308fc7b3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.cpp
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ struct DirectoryData
 
 } // namespace
 
-namespace QmakeProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace QmakeProjectManager::Internal {
 
 const Utils::Id QT_IS_TEMPORARY("Qmake.TempQt");
 const char IOSQT[] = "Qt4ProjectManager.QtVersion.Ios"; // ugly
@@ -64,7 +63,7 @@ QmakeProjectImporter::QmakeProjectImporter(const FilePath &path) :
     QtProjectImporter(path)
 { }
 
-QStringList QmakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
+FilePaths QmakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
 {
     QStringList candidates;
 
@@ -84,7 +83,7 @@ QStringList QmakeProjectImporter::importCandidates()
                 candidates << path;
         }
     }
-    return candidates;
+    return Utils::transform(candidates, &FilePath::fromString);
 }
 
 QList<void *> QmakeProjectImporter::examineDirectory(const FilePath &importPath,
@@ -255,5 +254,4 @@ Kit *QmakeProjectImporter::createTemporaryKit(const QtProjectImporter::QtVersion
     });
 }
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace QmakeProjectManager
+} // QmakeProjectManager::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.h b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.h
index 4557a60aba3..12a9f69953b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeprojectimporter.h
@@ -7,8 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.h>
 
-namespace QmakeProjectManager {
-namespace Internal {
+namespace QmakeProjectManager::Internal {
 
 // Documentation inside.
 class QmakeProjectImporter : public QtSupport::QtProjectImporter
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ class QmakeProjectImporter : public QtSupport::QtProjectImporter
 public:
     QmakeProjectImporter(const Utils::FilePath &path);
 
-    QStringList importCandidates() final;
+    Utils::FilePaths importCandidates() final;
 
 private:
     QList<void *> examineDirectory(const Utils::FilePath &importPath, QString *warningMessage) const final;
@@ -31,5 +30,4 @@ private:
                                              const QMakeStepConfig::OsType &osType) const;
 };
 
-} // namespace Internal
-} // namespace QmakeProjectManager
+} // QmakeProjectManager::Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.cpp
index 07042b33e83..6cf04265f73 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtprojectimporter.cpp
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 #include <utils/qtcassert.h>
 #include <utils/temporarydirectory.h>
 
-#include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QList>
 
 using namespace ProjectExplorer;
@@ -153,7 +152,7 @@ public:
         m_testData(testData)
     { }
 
-    QStringList importCandidates() override;
+    FilePaths importCandidates() override { return {}; }
 
     bool allDeleted() const { return m_deletedTestData.count() == m_testData.count();}
 
@@ -173,11 +172,6 @@ private:
     QList<Kit *> m_deletedKits;
 };
 
-QStringList TestQtProjectImporter::importCandidates()
-{
-    return QStringList();
-}
-
 QList<void *> TestQtProjectImporter::examineDirectory(const Utils::FilePath &importPath,
                                                       QString *warningMessage) const
 {