diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemodeploystep.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemodeploystep.cpp
index 85fd679ae80..f8492384ff9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemodeploystep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemodeploystep.cpp
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@
 #include "maemoglobal.h"
 #include "maemopackagecreationstep.h"
 #include "maemopertargetdeviceconfigurationlistmodel.h"
+#include "maemoqemumanager.h"
 #include "maemoremotemounter.h"
 #include "maemorunconfiguration.h"
 #include "maemotoolchain.h"
@@ -354,6 +355,18 @@ void MaemoDeployStep::start()
     }
 
     if (m_needsInstall || !m_filesToCopy.isEmpty()) {
+        if (m_cachedDeviceConfig->type() == MaemoDeviceConfig::Simulator
+                && !MaemoQemuManager::instance().qemuIsRunning()) {
+            MaemoQemuManager::instance().startRuntime();
+            raiseError(tr("Deployment failed: Qemu was not running. "
+                "It has now been started up for you, but it will take "
+                "a bit of time until it is ready."));
+            m_needsInstall = false;
+            m_filesToCopy.clear();
+            emit done();
+            return;
+        }
+
         if (m_deployToSysroot)
             installToSysroot();
         else
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.cpp
index f641876b633..0ded5626ae1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.cpp
@@ -153,6 +153,11 @@ bool MaemoQemuManager::runtimeForQtVersion(int uniqueId, MaemoQemuRuntime *rt) c
     return rt->isValid();
 }
 
+bool MaemoQemuManager::qemuIsRunning() const
+{
+    return m_runningQtId != INT_MIN;
+}
+
 void MaemoQemuManager::qtVersionsChanged(const QList<int> &uniqueIds)
 {
     QtVersionManager *manager = QtVersionManager::instance();
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.h b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.h
index 3aa00d85dee..9598b580934 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemoqemumanager.h
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@ public:
     static MaemoQemuManager& instance(QObject *parent = 0);
 
     bool runtimeForQtVersion(int uniqueId, MaemoQemuRuntime *rt) const;
+    bool qemuIsRunning() const;
+    Q_SLOT void startRuntime();
 
 signals:
     void qemuProcessStatus(QemuStatus, const QString &error = QString());
@@ -94,7 +96,6 @@ private slots:
     void environmentChanged();  // needed to check for qt version
     void deviceConfigurationChanged(ProjectExplorer::Target *target);
 
-    void startRuntime();
     void terminateRuntime();
 
     void qemuProcessFinished();
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.cpp
index 541191add2e..556b5fb541d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.cpp
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
 #include "maemodeploystep.h"
 #include "maemoglobal.h"
+#include "maemoqemumanager.h"
 #include "maemoremotemounter.h"
 #include "maemoremotemountsmodel.h"
 #include "maemorunconfiguration.h"
@@ -97,11 +98,20 @@ void MaemoSshRunner::start()
     ASSERT_STATE(QList<State>() << Inactive << StopRequested);
 
     if (m_remoteExecutable.isEmpty()) {
-        emitError(tr("Cannot run: No remote executable set."));
+        emitError(tr("Cannot run: No remote executable set."), true);
         return;
     }
     if (!m_devConfig) {
-        emitError(tr("Cannot run: No device configuration set."));
+        emitError(tr("Cannot run: No device configuration set."), true);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (m_devConfig->type() == MaemoDeviceConfig::Simulator
+            && !MaemoQemuManager::instance().qemuIsRunning()) {
+        MaemoQemuManager::instance().startRuntime();
+        emitError(tr("Cannot run: Qemu was not running. "
+            "It has now been started up for you, but it will take "
+            "a bit of time until it is ready."), true);
         return;
     }
 
@@ -317,11 +327,13 @@ void MaemoSshRunner::setState(State newState)
     m_state = newState;
 }
 
-void MaemoSshRunner::emitError(const QString &errorMsg)
+void MaemoSshRunner::emitError(const QString &errorMsg, bool force)
 {
     if (m_state != Inactive) {
         setState(Inactive);
         emit error(errorMsg);
+    } else if (force) {
+        emit error(errorMsg);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.h b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.h
index 01430d0e4ff..f7b64a29f68 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qt-maemo/maemosshrunner.h
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ private:
     };
 
     void setState(State newState);
-    void emitError(const QString &errorMsg);
+    void emitError(const QString &errorMsg, bool force = false);
 
     void cleanup();
     bool isConnectionUsable() const;