diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
index ad136b76e76..b01460aef4f 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.cpp
@@ -152,6 +152,11 @@ ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *AbstractProcessStep::outputParser() const
     return m_outputParserChain;
 }
 
+bool AbstractProcessStep::ignoreReturnValue()
+{
+    return m_ignoreReturnValue;
+}
+
 /*!
     \brief If ignoreReturnValue is set to true, then the abstractprocess step will
     return success even if the return value indicates otherwise.
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
index cc6177dc002..287165d94a0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/abstractprocessstep.h
@@ -68,12 +68,12 @@ public:
 
     ProcessParameters *processParameters() { return &m_param; }
 
+    bool ignoreReturnValue();
     void setIgnoreReturnValue(bool b);
 
     void setOutputParser(ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *parser);
     void appendOutputParser(ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *parser);
     ProjectExplorer::IOutputParser *outputParser() const;
-
 protected:
     AbstractProcessStep(BuildStepList *bsl, const QString &id);
     AbstractProcessStep(BuildStepList *bsl, AbstractProcessStep *bs);
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/makestep.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/makestep.cpp
index 5045d40cefb..e0369b3070c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/makestep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/makestep.cpp
@@ -229,9 +229,9 @@ void MakeStep::run(QFutureInterface<bool> & fi)
     }
 
     if (!QFileInfo(m_makeFileToCheck).exists()) {
-        if (!m_clean)
+        if (!ignoreReturnValue())
             emit addOutput(tr("Cannot find Makefile. Check your build settings."), BuildStep::MessageOutput);
-        fi.reportResult(m_clean);
+        fi.reportResult(ignoreReturnValue());
         return;
     }