diff --git a/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake b/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
index 1625daf03be..18f9120ded8 100644
--- a/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
+++ b/cmake/QtCreatorAPI.cmake
@@ -799,26 +799,31 @@ function(add_qtc_test name)
     endif()
   endforeach()
 
+  set(TEST_DEFINES SRCDIR="${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}")
+
+  # relax cast requirements for tests
+  set(default_defines_copy ${DEFAULT_DEFINES})
+  list(REMOVE_ITEM default_defines_copy QT_NO_CAST_TO_ASCII QT_RESTRICTED_CAST_FROM_ASCII)
+
   file(RELATIVE_PATH _RPATH "/${IDE_BIN_PATH}" "/${IDE_LIBRARY_PATH}")
 
-  add_qtc_executable(${name}
-    SOURCES ${_arg_SOURCES}
-    DEPENDS ${_arg_DEPENDS}
-    INCLUDES ${_arg_INCLUDES}
-    DEFINES ${_arg_DEFINES}
+  add_executable(${name} ${_arg_SOURCES})
+
+  extend_qtc_target(${name}
+    DEPENDS ${_arg_DEPENDS} ${IMPLICIT_DEPENDS}
+    INCLUDES "${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/src" ${_arg_INCLUDES}
+    DEFINES ${_arg_DEFINES} ${TEST_DEFINES} ${default_defines_copy}
     EXPLICIT_MOC ${_arg_EXPLICIT_MOC}
     SKIP_AUTOMOC ${_arg_SKIP_AUTOMOC}
-    ALLOW_ASCII_CASTS
   )
 
-  if (NOT TARGET ${name})
-      return()
-  endif()
-
   set_target_properties(${name} PROPERTIES
+    CXX_VISIBILITY_PRESET hidden
+    VISIBILITY_INLINES_HIDDEN ON
     BUILD_RPATH "${_RPATH_BASE}/${_RPATH}"
     INSTALL_RPATH "${_RPATH_BASE}/${_RPATH}"
   )
+  enable_pch(${name})
 
   if (NOT _arg_GTEST)
     add_test(NAME ${name} COMMAND ${name})
diff --git a/tests/unit/unittest/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/unit/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
index c600016cf60..14b1263563a 100644
--- a/tests/unit/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/unit/unittest/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -194,10 +194,6 @@ add_qtc_test(unittest GTEST
     mockimagecachestorage.h
 )
 
-if (NOT TARGET unittest)
-    return()
-endif()
-
 function(extend_qtc_test_with_target_sources target)
   cmake_parse_arguments(_arg "" "" "DEFINES;INCLUDES" ${ARGN})