diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
index 7d4a08dad30..e8486709bbb 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
@@ -89,8 +89,7 @@ public:
 };
 
 KitManagerPrivate::KitManagerPrivate()
-    : m_defaultKit(0), m_initialized(false),
-      m_writer(0)
+    : m_defaultKit(0), m_initialized(false), m_writer(0)
 { }
 
 KitManagerPrivate::~KitManagerPrivate()
@@ -131,7 +130,15 @@ KitManager::KitManager(QObject *parent) :
 
 void KitManager::restoreKits()
 {
-    QTC_ASSERT(!d->m_writer, return);
+    QTC_ASSERT(!d->m_initialized, return);
+    static bool initializing = false;
+
+    if (initializing) // kits will call kits() to check their display names, which will trigger another
+                      // call to restoreKits, which ...
+        return;
+
+    initializing = true;
+
     QList<Kit *> kitsToRegister;
     QList<Kit *> kitsToValidate;
     QList<Kit *> kitsToCheck;
@@ -203,6 +210,7 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
         setDefaultKit(k);
 
     d->m_writer = new Utils::PersistentSettingsWriter(settingsFileName(), QLatin1String("QtCreatorProfiles"));
+    d->m_initialized = true;
 }
 
 KitManager::~KitManager()
@@ -319,10 +327,8 @@ KitManager::KitList KitManager::restoreKits(const Utils::FileName &fileName)
 
 QList<Kit *> KitManager::kits(const KitMatcher *m) const
 {
-    if (!d->m_initialized) {
-        d->m_initialized = true;
+    if (!d->m_initialized)
         const_cast<KitManager *>(this)->restoreKits();
-    }
 
     QList<Kit *> result;
     foreach (Kit *k, d->m_kitList) {
@@ -350,12 +356,10 @@ Kit *KitManager::find(const KitMatcher *m) const
     return matched.isEmpty() ? 0 : matched.first();
 }
 
-Kit *KitManager::defaultKit()
+Kit *KitManager::defaultKit() const
 {
-    if (!d->m_initialized) {
-        d->m_initialized = true;
-        restoreKits();
-    }
+    if (!d->m_initialized)
+        const_cast<KitManager *>(this)->restoreKits();
     return d->m_defaultKit;
 }
 
@@ -377,7 +381,7 @@ void KitManager::notifyAboutUpdate(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k)
 {
     if (!k)
         return;
-    if (kits().contains(k))
+    if (kits().contains(k) && d->m_initialized)
         emit kitUpdated(k);
     else
         emit unmanagedKitUpdated(k);
@@ -394,7 +398,8 @@ bool KitManager::registerKit(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k)
 
     // make sure we have all the information in our kits:
     addKit(k);
-    emit kitAdded(k);
+    if (d->m_initialized)
+        emit kitAdded(k);
     return true;
 }
 
@@ -414,7 +419,8 @@ void KitManager::deregisterKit(Kit *k)
         }
         setDefaultKit(newDefault);
     }
-    emit kitRemoved(k);
+    if (d->m_initialized)
+        emit kitRemoved(k);
     delete k;
 }
 
@@ -425,7 +431,8 @@ void KitManager::setDefaultKit(Kit *k)
     if (k && !kits().contains(k))
         return;
     d->m_defaultKit = k;
-    emit defaultkitChanged();
+    if (d->m_initialized)
+        emit defaultkitChanged();
 }
 
 void KitManager::validateKits()
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
index 88bbcbd6a57..fb52aefb17e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ public:
     QList<Kit *> kits(const KitMatcher *m = 0) const;
     Kit *find(const Core::Id &id) const;
     Kit *find(const KitMatcher *m) const;
-    Kit *defaultKit();
+    Kit *defaultKit() const;
 
     QList<KitInformation *> kitInformation() const;