diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsbuildstep.cpp b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsbuildstep.cpp
index 2252fb35aca..067cd1d9d0b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsbuildstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsbuildstep.cpp
@@ -387,11 +387,11 @@ Utils::FilePath QbsBuildStep::installRoot(VariableHandling variableHandling) con
     const QString root =
             qbsConfiguration(variableHandling).value(Constants::QBS_INSTALL_ROOT_KEY).toString();
     if (!root.isNull())
-        return Utils::FilePath::fromString(root);
+        return Utils::FilePath::fromUserInput(root);
     QString defaultInstallDir = QbsSettings::defaultInstallDirTemplate();
     if (variableHandling == VariableHandling::ExpandVariables)
         defaultInstallDir = macroExpander()->expand(defaultInstallDir);
-    return FilePath::fromString(defaultInstallDir);
+    return FilePath::fromUserInput(defaultInstallDir);
 }
 
 int QbsBuildStep::maxJobs() const
diff --git a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
index 6c6a7febf5f..dc9caef34c0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qbsprojectmanager/qbsproject.cpp
@@ -498,7 +498,7 @@ FilePath QbsBuildSystem::installRoot()
             if (!step->enabled())
                 continue;
             if (const auto qbsInstallStep = qobject_cast<const QbsInstallStep *>(step))
-                return FilePath::fromString(qbsInstallStep->installRoot());
+                return FilePath::fromUserInput(qbsInstallStep->installRoot());
         }
     }
     const QbsBuildStep * const buildStep = m_buildConfiguration->qbsStep();