diff --git a/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.cpp b/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.cpp
index 43ed665524f..924a9ad56ea 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.cpp
@@ -250,12 +250,14 @@ QByteArray DeviceFileAccess::fileId(const FilePath &filePath) const
     return {};
 }
 
-bool DeviceFileAccess::refersToExecutableFile(
+std::optional<FilePath> DeviceFileAccess::refersToExecutableFile(
         const FilePath &filePath,
         FilePath::MatchScope matchScope) const
 {
     Q_UNUSED(matchScope)
-    return isExecutableFile(filePath);
+    if (isExecutableFile(filePath))
+        return filePath;
+    return {};
 }
 
 void DeviceFileAccess::asyncFileContents(
@@ -301,38 +303,42 @@ bool DesktopDeviceFileAccess::isExecutableFile(const FilePath &filePath) const
     return fi.isExecutable() && !fi.isDir();
 }
 
-static bool isWindowsExecutableHelper(const FilePath &filePath, const QStringView suffix)
+static std::optional<FilePath> isWindowsExecutableHelper
+    (const FilePath &filePath, const QStringView suffix)
 {
     const QFileInfo fi(filePath.path().append(suffix));
-    return fi.isExecutable() && !fi.isDir();
+    if (!fi.isExecutable() || fi.isDir())
+        return {};
+
+    return filePath.withNewPath(FileUtils::normalizedPathName(fi.filePath()));
 }
 
-bool DesktopDeviceFileAccess::refersToExecutableFile(
+std::optional<FilePath> DesktopDeviceFileAccess::refersToExecutableFile(
         const FilePath &filePath,
         FilePath::MatchScope matchScope) const
 {
     if (isExecutableFile(filePath))
-        return true;
+        return filePath;
 
     if (HostOsInfo::isWindowsHost()) {
         if (matchScope == FilePath::WithExeSuffix || matchScope == FilePath::WithExeOrBatSuffix) {
-            if (isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, u".exe"))
-                return true;
+            if (auto res = isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, u".exe"))
+                return res;
         }
         if (matchScope == FilePath::WithBatSuffix || matchScope == FilePath::WithExeOrBatSuffix) {
-            if (isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, u".bat"))
-                return true;
+            if (auto res = isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, u".bat"))
+                return res;
         }
         if (matchScope == FilePath::WithAnySuffix) {
             // That's usually  .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH,
-            static const QStringList exts = qtcEnvironmentVariable("PATHEXT").split(';');
+            static const QStringList exts = qtcEnvironmentVariable("PATHEXT").toLower().split(';');
             for (const QString &ext : exts) {
-                if (isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, ext))
-                    return true;
+                if (auto res = isWindowsExecutableHelper(filePath, ext))
+                    return res;
             }
         }
     }
-    return false;
+    return {};
 }
 
 bool DesktopDeviceFileAccess::isReadableFile(const FilePath &filePath) const
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.h b/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.h
index 8e5633aa34a..91390c4d53b 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/devicefileaccess.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ protected:
     virtual qint64 bytesAvailable(const FilePath &filePath) const;
     virtual QByteArray fileId(const FilePath &filePath) const;
 
-    virtual bool refersToExecutableFile(
+    virtual std::optional<FilePath> refersToExecutableFile(
             const FilePath &filePath,
             FilePath::MatchScope matchScope) const;
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ protected:
     qint64 bytesAvailable(const FilePath &filePath) const override;
     QByteArray fileId(const FilePath &filePath) const override;
 
-    bool refersToExecutableFile(
+    std::optional<FilePath> refersToExecutableFile(
             const FilePath &filePath,
             FilePath::MatchScope matchScope) const override;
 
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/filepath.cpp b/src/libs/utils/filepath.cpp
index b6cef68bdee..6df30ffd825 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/filepath.cpp
+++ b/src/libs/utils/filepath.cpp
@@ -419,7 +419,7 @@ bool FilePath::isExecutableFile() const
 ///
 /// This is equivalent to \c isExecutableFile() in general.
 /// On Windows, it will check appending various suffixes, too.
-bool FilePath::refersToExecutableFile(MatchScope matchScope) const
+std::optional<FilePath> FilePath::refersToExecutableFile(MatchScope matchScope) const
 {
     return fileAccess()->refersToExecutableFile(*this,  matchScope);
 }
diff --git a/src/libs/utils/filepath.h b/src/libs/utils/filepath.h
index 2e0f45b29d7..c91403b5f74 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/filepath.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/filepath.h
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public:
 
     enum MatchScope { ExactMatchOnly, WithExeSuffix, WithBatSuffix,
                       WithExeOrBatSuffix, WithAnySuffix };
-    bool refersToExecutableFile(MatchScope considerScript) const;
+    std::optional<FilePath> refersToExecutableFile(MatchScope considerScript) const;
 
     // makes sure that capitalization of directories is canonical
     // on Windows and macOS. This is rarely needed.
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmaketoolsettingsaccessor.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmaketoolsettingsaccessor.cpp
index a92454e169c..ea3e78dcec3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmaketoolsettingsaccessor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmaketoolsettingsaccessor.cpp
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ static std::vector<std::unique_ptr<CMakeTool>> autoDetectCMakeTools()
         if (base.isEmpty())
             continue;
         const FilePath suspect = base / "cmake";
-        if (suspect.refersToExecutableFile(FilePath::WithAnySuffix))
-            suspects << suspect;
+        if (std::optional<FilePath> foundExe = suspect.refersToExecutableFile(FilePath::WithAnySuffix))
+            suspects << *foundExe;
     }
 
     std::vector<std::unique_ptr<CMakeTool>> found;