diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.cpp b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.cpp
index d2c8b6571ef..096350fbf73 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ using namespace Utils;
 namespace MesonProjectManager {
 namespace Internal {
 
-MesonTools::Tool_t tool(const Utils::Id &id,
+MesonTools::Tool_t tool(const Id &id,
                         const std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> &tools,
                         ToolType toolType)
 {
@@ -65,6 +65,22 @@ bool MesonTools::isNinjaWrapper(const MesonTools::Tool_t &tool)
     return tool->toolType() == ToolType::Ninja;
 }
 
+void MesonTools::addTool(const Id &itemId, const QString &name, const FilePath &exe)
+{
+    // TODO improve this
+    if (exe.fileName().contains("ninja"))
+        addTool(std::make_shared<ToolWrapper>(ToolType::Ninja, name, exe, itemId));
+    else
+        addTool(std::make_shared<ToolWrapper>(ToolType::Meson, name, exe, itemId));
+}
+
+void MesonTools::addTool(Tool_t meson)
+{
+    auto self = instance();
+    self->m_tools.emplace_back(std::move(meson));
+    emit self->toolAdded(self->m_tools.back());
+}
+
 void MesonTools::setTools(std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> &&tools)
 {
     auto self = instance();
@@ -73,12 +89,34 @@ void MesonTools::setTools(std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> &&tools)
     fixAutoDetected(self->m_tools, ToolType::Ninja);
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> MesonTools::ninjaWrapper(const Utils::Id &id)
+void MesonTools::updateTool(const Id &itemId, const QString &name, const FilePath &exe)
+{
+    auto self = instance();
+    auto item = std::find_if(std::begin(self->m_tools),
+                             std::end(self->m_tools),
+                             [&itemId](const Tool_t &tool) { return tool->id() == itemId; });
+    if (item != std::end(self->m_tools)) {
+        (*item)->setExe(exe);
+        (*item)->setName(name);
+    } else {
+        addTool(itemId, name, exe);
+    }
+}
+
+void MesonTools::removeTool(const Id &id)
+{
+    auto self = instance();
+    auto item = Utils::take(self->m_tools, [&id](const auto &item) { return item->id() == id; });
+    QTC_ASSERT(item, return );
+    emit self->toolRemoved(*item);
+}
+
+std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> MesonTools::ninjaWrapper(const Id &id)
 {
     return tool(id, MesonTools::instance()->m_tools, ToolType::Ninja);
 }
 
-std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> MesonTools::mesonWrapper(const Utils::Id &id)
+std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> MesonTools::mesonWrapper(const Id &id)
 {
     return tool(id, MesonTools::instance()->m_tools, ToolType::Meson);
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.h b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.h
index 8b9ff1c901c..db8ecc18777 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/mesontools.h
@@ -24,50 +24,20 @@ public:
     static bool isMesonWrapper(const Tool_t &tool);
     static bool isNinjaWrapper(const Tool_t &tool);
 
-    static inline void addTool(const Utils::Id &itemId,
-                               const QString &name,
-                               const Utils::FilePath &exe)
-    {
-        // TODO improve this
-        if (exe.fileName().contains("ninja"))
-            addTool(std::make_shared<ToolWrapper>(ToolType::Ninja, name, exe, itemId));
-        else
-            addTool(std::make_shared<ToolWrapper>(ToolType::Meson, name, exe, itemId));
-    }
+    static void addTool(const Utils::Id &itemId,
+                        const QString &name,
+                        const Utils::FilePath &exe);
 
-    static inline void addTool(Tool_t meson)
-    {
-        auto self = instance();
-        self->m_tools.emplace_back(std::move(meson));
-        emit self->toolAdded(self->m_tools.back());
-    }
+    static void addTool(Tool_t meson);
 
     static void setTools(std::vector<Tool_t> &&tools);
 
     static inline const std::vector<Tool_t> &tools() { return instance()->m_tools; }
 
-    static inline void updateTool(const Utils::Id &itemId,
-                                  const QString &name,
-                                  const Utils::FilePath &exe)
-    {
-        auto self = instance();
-        auto item = std::find_if(std::begin(self->m_tools),
-                                 std::end(self->m_tools),
-                                 [&itemId](const Tool_t &tool) { return tool->id() == itemId; });
-        if (item != std::end(self->m_tools)) {
-            (*item)->setExe(exe);
-            (*item)->setName(name);
-        } else {
-            addTool(itemId, name, exe);
-        }
-    }
-    static void removeTool(const Utils::Id &id)
-    {
-        auto self = instance();
-        auto item = Utils::take(self->m_tools, [&id](const auto &item) { return item->id() == id; });
-        QTC_ASSERT(item, return );
-        emit self->toolRemoved(*item);
-    }
+    static void updateTool(const Utils::Id &itemId,
+                           const QString &name,
+                           const Utils::FilePath &exe);
+    static void removeTool(const Utils::Id &id);
 
     static std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> ninjaWrapper(const Utils::Id &id);
     static std::shared_ptr<ToolWrapper> mesonWrapper(const Utils::Id &id);
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolkitaspectwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolkitaspectwidget.cpp
index 21ee0e88a29..d5c058b61cf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolkitaspectwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolkitaspectwidget.cpp
@@ -82,8 +82,6 @@ MesonToolKitAspectImpl::MesonToolKitAspectImpl(Kit *kit,
             this, &MesonToolKitAspectImpl::setCurrentToolIndex);
 }
 
-
-
 void MesonToolKitAspectImpl::addTool(const MesonTools::Tool_t &tool)
 {
     QTC_ASSERT(tool, return );
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolssettingsaccessor.cpp b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolssettingsaccessor.cpp
index 5c04a4b7c63..9aa4cea1df9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolssettingsaccessor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolssettingsaccessor.cpp
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ class ToolsSettingsAccessor final : public UpgradingSettingsAccessor
 public:
     ToolsSettingsAccessor();
 
-    void saveMesonTools(const std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> &tools);
-    std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> loadMesonTools();
+    void saveMesonTools();
+    void loadMesonTools();
 };
 
 ToolsSettingsAccessor::ToolsSettingsAccessor()
@@ -41,19 +41,19 @@ ToolsSettingsAccessor::ToolsSettingsAccessor()
     setApplicationDisplayName(QGuiApplication::applicationDisplayName());
     setBaseFilePath(ICore::userResourcePath(Constants::ToolsSettings::FILENAME));
 
-    MesonTools::setTools(loadMesonTools());
+    loadMesonTools();
 
     QObject::connect(ICore::instance(), &ICore::saveSettingsRequested, [this] {
-        saveMesonTools(MesonTools::tools());
+        saveMesonTools();
     });
 }
 
-void ToolsSettingsAccessor::saveMesonTools(const std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> &tools)
+void ToolsSettingsAccessor::saveMesonTools()
 {
     using namespace Constants;
     Store data;
     int entry_count = 0;
-    for (const MesonTools::Tool_t &tool : tools) {
+    for (const MesonTools::Tool_t &tool : MesonTools::tools()) {
         data.insert(entryName(entry_count), variantFromStore(tool->toVariantMap()));
         ++entry_count;
     }
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void ToolsSettingsAccessor::saveMesonTools(const std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t>
     saveSettings(data, ICore::dialogParent());
 }
 
-std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> ToolsSettingsAccessor::loadMesonTools()
+void ToolsSettingsAccessor::loadMesonTools()
 {
     using namespace Constants;
     auto data = restoreSettings(ICore::dialogParent());
@@ -70,15 +70,10 @@ std::vector<MesonTools::Tool_t> ToolsSettingsAccessor::loadMesonTools()
     for (auto toolIndex = 0; toolIndex < entry_count; toolIndex++) {
         Key name = entryName(toolIndex);
         Store store = storeFromVariant(data[name]);
-        QString type = store.value(ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_KEY).toString();
-        if (type == ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_NINJA)
-            result.emplace_back(ToolWrapper::fromVariantMap(storeFromVariant(data[name]), ToolType::Ninja));
-        else if (type == ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_MESON)
-            result.emplace_back(ToolWrapper::fromVariantMap(storeFromVariant(data[name]), ToolType::Meson));
-        else
-            QTC_CHECK(false);
+        result.emplace_back(new ToolWrapper(store));
     }
-    return result;
+
+    MesonTools::setTools(std::move(result));
 }
 
 void setupToolsSettingsAccessor()
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.cpp b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.cpp
index d0912ff7210..9a14c53cc05 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.cpp
@@ -20,6 +20,25 @@ using namespace Utils;
 namespace MesonProjectManager {
 namespace Internal {
 
+static ToolType typeFromId(const QString &id)
+{
+    if (id == Constants::ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_NINJA)
+        return ToolType::Ninja;
+    if (id == Constants::ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_MESON)
+        return ToolType::Meson;
+    QTC_CHECK(false);
+    return ToolType::Meson;
+}
+
+ToolWrapper::ToolWrapper(const Store &data)
+{
+    m_toolType = typeFromId(data.value(Constants::ToolsSettings::TOOL_TYPE_KEY).toString());
+    m_name = data[Constants::ToolsSettings::NAME_KEY].toString();
+    m_exe = FilePath::fromSettings(data[Constants::ToolsSettings::EXE_KEY]);
+    m_id = Id::fromSetting(data[Constants::ToolsSettings::ID_KEY]);
+    m_autoDetected =  data[Constants::ToolsSettings::AUTO_DETECTED_KEY].toBool();
+}
+
 ToolWrapper::ToolWrapper(ToolType toolType,
                          const QString &name,
                          const FilePath &path,
@@ -83,15 +102,6 @@ Store ToolWrapper::toVariantMap() const
     return data;
 }
 
-ToolWrapper *ToolWrapper::fromVariantMap(const Store &data, ToolType toolType)
-{
-    return new ToolWrapper(toolType,
-                           data[Constants::ToolsSettings::NAME_KEY].toString(),
-                           Utils::FilePath::fromSettings(data[Constants::ToolsSettings::EXE_KEY]),
-                           Utils::Id::fromSetting(data[Constants::ToolsSettings::ID_KEY]),
-                           data[Constants::ToolsSettings::AUTO_DETECTED_KEY].toBool());
-}
-
 static std::optional<FilePath> findTool(const QStringList &exeNames)
 {
     Environment systemEnvironment = Environment::systemEnvironment();
diff --git a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.h b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.h
index c1300ad46b2..fa9a821df39 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mesonprojectmanager/toolwrapper.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class ToolWrapper final
 {
 public:
     ToolWrapper() = delete;
+    explicit ToolWrapper(const Utils::Store &data);
     ToolWrapper(ToolType toolType,
                 const QString &name,
                 const Utils::FilePath &path,
@@ -52,7 +53,6 @@ public:
     static Version read_version(const Utils::FilePath &toolPath);
 
     Utils::Store toVariantMap() const;
-    static ToolWrapper *fromVariantMap(const Utils::Store &, ToolType toolType);
 
     ToolType toolType() const { return m_toolType; }
     void setToolType(ToolType newToolType) { m_toolType = newToolType; }
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public:
                             const Utils::FilePath &buildDirectory) const;
     Command introspect(const Utils::FilePath &sourceDirectory) const;
 
-protected:
+private:
     ToolType m_toolType;
     Version m_version;
     bool m_isValid;