diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
index c0e642e7950..af0a011fad3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
@@ -3734,10 +3734,9 @@ bool GdbEngine::showToolTip()
         return true;
     }
 
-    const QModelIndex index = watchHandler()->itemIndex(iname);
-    if (!index.isValid()) {
+    if (!watchHandler()->isValidToolTip(iname)) {
         watchHandler()->removeData(iname);
-        return false;
+        return true;
     }
     DebuggerToolTipWidget *tw = new DebuggerToolTipWidget;
     tw->setExpression(expression);
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index b925766366f..542b7d2469a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -1893,5 +1893,11 @@ void WatchHandler::resetLocation()
     }
 }
 
+bool WatchHandler::isValidToolTip(const QByteArray &iname) const
+{
+    WatchItem *item = m_tooltips->findItem(iname, m_tooltips->m_root);
+    return item && !item->type.trimmed().isEmpty();
+}
+
 } // namespace Internal
 } // namespace Debugger
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
index 8127c424bd9..3922d6866e9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.h
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ public:
 
     void scheduleResetLocation();
     void resetLocation();
+    bool isValidToolTip(const QByteArray &iname) const;
 
 private:
     friend class WatchModel;