diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index 92a3ac5b538..29492a4c8a0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -745,9 +745,10 @@ BuildConfiguration *QmakeBuildConfigurationFactory::restore(Target *parent, cons
 
 BuildConfiguration::BuildType QmakeBuildConfiguration::buildType() const
 {
+    QMakeStep *qs = qmakeStep();
     if (qmakeBuildConfiguration() & BaseQtVersion::DebugBuild)
         return Debug;
-    else if (qmakeStep()->separateDebugInfo())
+    else if (qs && qs->separateDebugInfo())
         return Profile;
     else
         return Release;
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeproject.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeproject.cpp
index 561d5535db7..c2b29fea0c5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakeproject.cpp
@@ -923,8 +923,8 @@ QtSupport::ProFileReader *QmakeProject::createProFileReader(const QmakeProFileNo
         if (bc) {
             k = bc->target()->kit();
             env = bc->environment();
-            if (bc->qmakeStep())
-                qmakeArgs = bc->qmakeStep()->parserArguments();
+            if (QMakeStep *qs = bc->qmakeStep())
+                qmakeArgs = qs->parserArguments();
             else
                 qmakeArgs = bc->configCommandLineArguments();
         } else {