diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeopenprojectwizard.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeopenprojectwizard.cpp
index 651ca7aab64..d687b9156ae 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeopenprojectwizard.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeopenprojectwizard.cpp
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ void CMakeRunPage::runCMake()
                                     m_argumentsLineEdit->text(), m_cmakeWizard->sourceDirectory(),
                                     m_buildDirectory, env,
                                     QString::fromLatin1(generatorInfo.generatorArgument()),
-                                    QString::fromLatin1(generatorInfo.preLoadScriptFileArgument()));
+                                    generatorInfo.preLoadCacheFileArgument());
     } else {
         m_runCMake->setEnabled(true);
         m_argumentsLineEdit->setEnabled(true);
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitconfigwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitconfigwidget.cpp
index 03d365d7fd0..58793fedf3a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitconfigwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitconfigwidget.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ void CMakePreloadCacheKitConfigWidget::makeReadOnly()
 void CMakePreloadCacheKitConfigWidget::refresh()
 {
     if (!m_ignoreChange)
-        m_lineEdit->setText(m_kit->value(CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::id()).toString());
+        m_lineEdit->setText(CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::preloadCacheFile(m_kit));
 }
 
 void CMakePreloadCacheKitConfigWidget::preloadFileWasChanged(const QString &text)
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.cpp
index 4cb31191b37..6267eff9b08 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.cpp
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ void CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::fix(Kit *k)
 
 KitInformation::ItemList CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::toUserOutput(const Kit *k) const
 {
-    return ItemList()
-            << qMakePair(tr("CMake Preload"), k->value(id()).toString());
+    return ItemList() << qMakePair(tr("CMake Preload"), k->value(id()).toString());
 }
 
 KitConfigWidget *CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::createConfigWidget(Kit *k) const
@@ -87,4 +86,18 @@ KitConfigWidget *CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::createConfigWidget(Kit *k) con
     return new Internal::CMakePreloadCacheKitConfigWidget(k, this);
 }
 
+void CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::setPreloadCacheFile(Kit *k, const QString &preload)
+{
+    if (!k)
+        return;
+    k->setValue(CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::id(), preload);
+}
+
+QString CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::preloadCacheFile(const Kit *k)
+{
+    if (!k)
+        return QString();
+    return k->value(CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::id()).toString();
+}
+
 } // namespace CMakeProjectManager
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.h b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.h
index 1a6a97990c7..5f653a2a738 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakepreloadcachekitinformation.h
@@ -49,8 +49,11 @@ public:
     QList<ProjectExplorer::Task> validate(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
     void setup(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) override;
     void fix(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) override;
-    virtual ItemList toUserOutput(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
-    virtual ProjectExplorer::KitConfigWidget *createConfigWidget(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
+    ItemList toUserOutput(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
+    ProjectExplorer::KitConfigWidget *createConfigWidget(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const override;
+
+    static void setPreloadCacheFile(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k, const QString &preload);
+    static QString preloadCacheFile(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
 };
 
 } // namespace CMakeProjectManager
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectmanager.cpp
index 5510968bf9c..f624b46383b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/cmakeprojectmanager.cpp
@@ -160,7 +160,8 @@ void CMakeManager::createXmlFile(Utils::QtcProcess *proc, const QString &executa
     Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, srcdir);
     Utils::QtcProcess::addArgs(&args, arguments);
     Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, generator);
-    Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, preloadCache);
+    if (!preloadCache.isEmpty())
+        Utils::QtcProcess::addArg(&args, preloadCache);
     proc->setCommand(executable, args);
     proc->start();
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.cpp b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.cpp
index 828c13821df..84b7e3f92d1 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.cpp
@@ -94,15 +94,10 @@ QByteArray GeneratorInfo::generatorArgument() const
     return QByteArray("-GCodeBlocks - ") + tmp;
 }
 
-QByteArray GeneratorInfo::preLoadScriptFileArgument() const
+QString GeneratorInfo::preLoadCacheFileArgument() const
 {
-    if (!m_kit)
-        return QByteArray();
-
-    QByteArray tmp = m_kit->value(CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::id()).toByteArray();
-    if (tmp.isEmpty())
-        return tmp;
-    return QByteArray("-C") + tmp;
+    const QString tmp = CMakePreloadCacheKitInformation::preloadCacheFile(m_kit);
+    return tmp.isEmpty() ? QString() : QString::fromLatin1("-C") + tmp;
 }
 
 QString GeneratorInfo::displayName() const
diff --git a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.h b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.h
index 5b24fbfc39d..bd79cdecb18 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cmakeprojectmanager/generatorinfo.h
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public:
     QString displayName() const;
     QByteArray generatorArgument() const;
     QByteArray generator() const;
-    QByteArray preLoadScriptFileArgument() const;
+    QString preLoadCacheFileArgument() const;
 
 private:
     ProjectExplorer::Kit *m_kit;