diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
index b3fca076658..5095c0e57a7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -59,9 +59,14 @@ using namespace ProjectExplorer::Constants;
 AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(Target *parent) :
     BuildConfiguration(parent, Core::Id(AUTOTOOLS_BC_ID))
 {
-  // /<foobar> is used so the un-changed check in setBuildDirectory() works correctly.
-  // The leading / is to avoid the relative the path expansion in BuildConfiguration::buildDirectory.
-  BuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(Utils::FileName::fromString(QString::fromLatin1("/<foobar>")));
+    // /<foobar> is used so the un-changed check in setBuildDirectory() works correctly.
+    // The leading / is to avoid the relative the path expansion in BuildConfiguration::buildDirectory.
+    BuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(Utils::FileName::fromString(QString::fromLatin1("/<foobar>")));
+
+    connect(this, &BuildConfiguration::buildDirectoryChanged, this, [this] {
+        foreach (auto bs, stepList(BUILDSTEPS_BUILD)->allOfType<ConfigureStep>())
+            bs->notifyBuildDirectoryChanged();
+    });
 }
 
 NamedWidget *AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::createConfigWidget()
@@ -222,12 +227,3 @@ BuildConfiguration::BuildType AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::buildType() const
     // TODO: Should I return something different from Unknown?
     return Unknown;
 }
-
-void AutotoolsBuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(const Utils::FileName &directory)
-{
-    if (directory == buildDirectory())
-        return;
-    BuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(directory);
-    foreach (auto bs, stepList(BUILDSTEPS_BUILD)->allOfType<ConfigureStep>())
-        bs->notifyBuildDirectoryChanged();
-}
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
index 3bceb4cc3aa..3d7f170f5b4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsbuildconfiguration.h
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ namespace Internal {
 
 class AutotoolsTarget;
 class AutotoolsBuildConfigurationFactory;
-class AutotoolsBuildSettingsWidget;
 
 class AutotoolsBuildConfiguration : public ProjectExplorer::BuildConfiguration
 {
@@ -53,11 +52,6 @@ public:
 protected:
     AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(ProjectExplorer::Target *parent, Core::Id id);
     AutotoolsBuildConfiguration(ProjectExplorer::Target *parent, AutotoolsBuildConfiguration *source);
-
-    friend class AutotoolsBuildSettingsWidget;
-
-private:
-    void setBuildDirectory(const Utils::FileName &directory) override;
 };
 
 class AutotoolsBuildConfigurationFactory : public ProjectExplorer::IBuildConfigurationFactory
diff --git a/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.cpp
index d382ec5adb4..81f34e12fb2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.cpp
@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@ BuildConfiguration::BuildType NimBuildConfiguration::buildType() const
     return BuildConfiguration::Unknown;
 }
 
-void NimBuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(const FileName &dir)
-{
-    if (dir == buildDirectory())
-        return;
-    BuildConfiguration::setBuildDirectory(dir);
-}
-
 bool NimBuildConfiguration::fromMap(const QVariantMap &map)
 {
     if (!BuildConfiguration::fromMap(map))
diff --git a/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.h
index a205ae1b18e..1228be06806 100644
--- a/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/nim/project/nimbuildconfiguration.h
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ public:
 
     ProjectExplorer::BuildConfiguration::BuildType buildType() const override;
 
-    void setBuildDirectory(const Utils::FileName &dir) override;
-
     bool fromMap(const QVariantMap &map) override;
     QVariantMap toMap() const override;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
index dd727abea74..03d42d4dbdc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildconfiguration.h
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public:
 
     Utils::FileName buildDirectory() const;
     Utils::FileName rawBuildDirectory() const;
+    void setBuildDirectory(const Utils::FileName &dir);
 
     virtual NamedWidget *createConfigWidget() = 0;
     virtual QList<NamedWidget *> createSubConfigWidgets();
@@ -96,7 +97,6 @@ protected:
     BuildConfiguration(Target *target, Core::Id id);
     BuildConfiguration(Target *target, BuildConfiguration *source);
 
-    virtual void setBuildDirectory(const Utils::FileName &dir);
     void cloneSteps(BuildConfiguration *source);
     void emitEnvironmentChanged();