diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
index f319920b181..b9c96fbb200 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -101,7 +101,6 @@ static FilePath defaultBuildDirectory(const FilePath &projectPath,
                                                                               suffix, type));
 }
 
-const char USE_SHADOW_BUILD_KEY[] = "Qt4ProjectManager.Qt4BuildConfiguration.UseShadowBuild";
 const char BUILD_CONFIGURATION_KEY[] = "Qt4ProjectManager.Qt4BuildConfiguration.BuildConfiguration";
 
 enum { debug = 0 };
@@ -181,7 +180,6 @@ QmakeBuildConfiguration::~QmakeBuildConfiguration() = default;
 QVariantMap QmakeBuildConfiguration::toMap() const
 {
     QVariantMap map(BuildConfiguration::toMap());
-    map.insert(QLatin1String(USE_SHADOW_BUILD_KEY), m_shadowBuild);
     map.insert(QLatin1String(BUILD_CONFIGURATION_KEY), int(m_qmakeBuildConfiguration));
     return map;
 }
@@ -191,7 +189,6 @@ bool QmakeBuildConfiguration::fromMap(const QVariantMap &map)
     if (!BuildConfiguration::fromMap(map))
         return false;
 
-    m_shadowBuild = map.value(QLatin1String(USE_SHADOW_BUILD_KEY), true).toBool();
     m_qmakeBuildConfiguration = BaseQtVersion::QmakeBuildConfigs(map.value(QLatin1String(BUILD_CONFIGURATION_KEY)).toInt());
 
     m_lastKitState = LastKitState(target()->kit());
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
index 07df4f0a662..7fd4c7dfebc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qmakeprojectmanager/qmakebuildconfiguration.h
@@ -97,7 +97,6 @@ signals:
     /// emitted for setQMakeBuildConfig, not emitted for Qt version changes, even
     /// if those change the qmakebuildconfig
     void qmakeBuildConfigurationChanged();
-    void shadowBuildChanged();
 
 protected:
     bool fromMap(const QVariantMap &map) override;
@@ -123,7 +122,6 @@ private:
     };
     LastKitState m_lastKitState;
 
-    bool m_shadowBuild = true;
     QtSupport::BaseQtVersion::QmakeBuildConfigs m_qmakeBuildConfiguration;
     QmakeProFileNode *m_subNodeBuild = nullptr;
     ProjectExplorer::FileNode *m_fileNodeBuild = nullptr;