diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
index d2e4e458fee..161d48c424a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbengine.cpp
@@ -2542,7 +2542,7 @@ QByteArray GdbEngine::breakpointLocation(BreakpointModelId id)
         ? data.fileName : breakLocation(data.fileName);
     // The argument is simply a C-quoted version of the argument to the
     // non-MI "break" command, including the "original" quoting it wants.
-    return "\"\\\"" + GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName).toLocal8Bit() + "\\\":"
+    return "\"\\\"" + GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName.toLocal8Bit()) + "\\\":"
         + QByteArray::number(data.lineNumber) + '"';
 }
 
@@ -2552,7 +2552,7 @@ QByteArray GdbEngine::breakpointLocation2(BreakpointModelId id)
     const BreakpointParameters &data = handler->breakpointData(id);
     const QString fileName = data.pathUsage == BreakpointUseFullPath
         ? data.fileName : breakLocation(data.fileName);
-    return  GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName).toLocal8Bit() + ':'
+    return  GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName.toLocal8Bit()) + ':'
         + QByteArray::number(data.lineNumber);
 }
 
@@ -2685,7 +2685,7 @@ void GdbEngine::handleBreakInsert1(const GdbResponse &response)
         const QString fileName = handler->fileName(id);
         const int lineNumber = handler->lineNumber(id);
         QByteArray cmd = "trace "
-            "\"" + GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName).toLocal8Bit() + "\":"
+            "\"" + GdbMi::escapeCString(fileName.toLocal8Bit()) + "\":"
             + QByteArray::number(lineNumber);
         QVariant vid = QVariant::fromValue(id);
         postCommand(cmd, NeedsStop | RebuildBreakpointModel,
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.cpp
index 42e06e5bff6..a6c24629863 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.cpp
@@ -246,69 +246,36 @@ void GdbMi::dumpChildren(QByteArray * str, bool multiline, int indent) const
     }
 }
 
-template <class String, typename CharType>
-struct EscapeTraits
+QByteArray GdbMi::escapeCString(const QByteArray &ba)
 {
-    static CharType at(const String &s, int  i)
-        { return s.at(i); }
-    static void appendChar(CharType c, String *s)
-        { s->append(c); }
-    static void appendString(const char *c, String *s)
-        { s->append(c); }
-};
-
-template <>
-struct EscapeTraits<QString, ushort>
-{
-    static ushort at(const QString &s, int  i)
-        { return s.at(i).unicode(); }
-    static void appendChar(ushort c, QString *s)
-        { s->append(QLatin1Char(c)); }
-    static void appendString(const char *c, QString *s)
-        { s->append(QLatin1String(c)); }
-};
-
-template<class ST, typename CT>
-inline ST escapeCStringTpl(const ST &ba)
-{
-    ST ret;
+    QByteArray ret;
     ret.reserve(ba.length() * 2);
     for (int i = 0; i < ba.length(); ++i) {
-        const CT c = EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::at(ba, i);
+        const uchar c = ba.at(i);
         switch (c) {
-            case '\\': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\\\", &ret); break;
-            case '\a': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\a", &ret); break;
-            case '\b': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\b", &ret); break;
-            case '\f': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\f", &ret); break;
-            case '\n': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\n", &ret); break;
-            case '\r': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\r", &ret); break;
-            case '\t': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\t", &ret); break;
-            case '\v': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\v", &ret); break;
-            case '"': EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendString("\\\"", &ret); break;
+            case '\\': ret += "\\\\"; break;
+            case '\a': ret += "\\a"; break;
+            case '\b': ret += "\\b"; break;
+            case '\f': ret += "\\f"; break;
+            case '\n': ret += "\\n"; break;
+            case '\r': ret += "\\r"; break;
+            case '\t': ret += "\\t"; break;
+            case '\v': ret += "\\v"; break;
+            case '"': ret += "\\\""; break;
             default:
                 if (c < 32 || c == 127) {
-                    EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendChar('\\', &ret);
-                    EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendChar('0' + (c >> 6), &ret);
-                    EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendChar('0' + ((c >> 3) & 7), &ret);
-                    EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendChar('0' + (c & 7), &ret);
+                    ret += '\\';
+                    ret += ('0' + (c >> 6));
+                    ret += ('0' + ((c >> 3) & 7));
+                    ret += ('0' + (c & 7));
                 } else {
-                    EscapeTraits<ST, CT>::appendChar(c, &ret);
+                    ret += c;
                 }
         }
     }
     return ret;
 }
 
-QString GdbMi::escapeCString(const QString &ba)
-{
-    return escapeCStringTpl<QString, ushort>(ba);
-}
-
-QByteArray GdbMi::escapeCString(const QByteArray &ba)
-{
-    return escapeCStringTpl<QByteArray, uchar>(ba);
-}
-
 QByteArray GdbMi::toString(bool multiline, int indent) const
 {
     QByteArray result;
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.h b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.h
index fe36eafb75c..26df7fb1c9a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/gdb/gdbmi.h
@@ -135,7 +135,6 @@ private:
 
     static QByteArray parseCString(const char *&from, const char *to);
     static QByteArray escapeCString(const QByteArray &ba);
-    static QString escapeCString(const QString &ba);
     void parseResultOrValue(const char *&from, const char *to);
     void parseValue(const char *&from, const char *to);
     void parseTuple(const char *&from, const char *to);