diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
index d1a9f2af869..a26dc987490 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.cpp
@@ -1084,15 +1084,6 @@ void Project::configureAsExampleProject(Kit * /*kit*/)
 {
 }
 
-void Project::buildTarget(const QString &target)
-{
-    if (!activeTarget() || !activeTarget()->activeBuildConfiguration()
-        || !activeTarget()->activeBuildConfiguration()->buildSystem()) {
-        return;
-    }
-    activeTarget()->activeBuildConfiguration()->buildSystem()->buildNamedTarget(target);
-}
-
 bool Project::hasMakeInstallEquivalent() const
 {
     return d->m_hasMakeInstallEquivalent;
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.h
index fc67acf0a81..9c60aa3ed6c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/project.h
@@ -131,8 +131,6 @@ public:
     bool needsBuildConfigurations() const;
     virtual void configureAsExampleProject(ProjectExplorer::Kit *kit);
 
-    void buildTarget(const QString &target);
-
     virtual ProjectImporter *projectImporter() const;
 
     virtual DeploymentKnowledge deploymentKnowledge() const { return DeploymentKnowledge::Bad; }
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmljseditor/qmltaskmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/qmljseditor/qmltaskmanager.cpp
index 87cf9efb269..9260e0069ee 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmljseditor/qmltaskmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmljseditor/qmltaskmanager.cpp
@@ -113,30 +113,20 @@ void QmlTaskManager::updateMessages()
     m_updateDelay.start();
 }
 
-static void triggerQmllintCMakeTarget()
-{
-    if (ProjectManager::startupProject())
-        ProjectManager::startupProject()->buildTarget(Constants::QMLLINT_BUILD_TARGET);
-}
-
 void QmlTaskManager::updateSemanticMessagesNow()
 {
     // note: this can only be called for the startup project
-    Project *project = ProjectManager::startupProject();
-    if (!project)
-        return;
-
     BuildSystem *buildSystem = ProjectManager::startupBuildSystem();
     if (!buildSystem)
         return;
 
     const bool isCMake = buildSystem->name() == "cmake";
     // heuristic: qmllint will output meaningful warnings if qmlls is enabled
-    if (isCMake && QmllsSettingsManager::instance()->useQmlls(project)) {
+    if (isCMake && QmllsSettingsManager::instance()->useQmlls(buildSystem->project())) {
         // abort any update that's going on already, and remove old codemodel warnings
         m_messageCollector.cancel();
         removeAllTasks(true);
-        triggerQmllintCMakeTarget();
+        buildSystem->buildTarget(Constants::QMLLINT_BUILD_TARGET);
         return;
     }