diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
index 60e9dcbfa8c..eb02496a326 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
@@ -502,11 +502,15 @@ void ToolChainKitAspect::setup(Kit *k)
         // ID is not found: Might be an ABI string...
         lockToolchains = false;
         const QString abi = QString::fromUtf8(id);
-        tc = ToolChainManager::toolChain([abi, l](const ToolChain *t) {
-                 return t->targetAbi().toString() == abi && t->language() == l;
-             });
-        if (tc)
-            setToolChain(k, tc);
+        QList<ToolChain *> possibleTcs = ToolChainManager::toolChains(
+            [abi, l](const ToolChain *t) {
+                return t->targetAbi().toString() == abi && t->language() == l;
+            });
+        Utils::sort(possibleTcs, [](const ToolChain *tc1, const ToolChain *tc2) {
+            return tc1->hostPrefersToolchain() && !tc2->hostPrefersToolchain();
+        });
+        if (!possibleTcs.isEmpty())
+            setToolChain(k, possibleTcs.first());
         else
             clearToolChain(k, l);
     }
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
index cc637f17fe1..23677a2c4ce 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,15 @@ const MsvcPlatform platforms[]
 
 static QList<const MsvcToolChain *> g_availableMsvcToolchains;
 
+static const MsvcPlatform *platformEntryFromName(const QString &name)
+{
+    for (const MsvcPlatform &p : platforms) {
+        if (name == QLatin1String(p.name))
+            return &p;
+    }
+    return nullptr;
+}
+
 static const MsvcPlatform *platformEntry(MsvcToolChain::Platform t)
 {
     for (const MsvcPlatform &p : platforms) {
@@ -125,27 +134,37 @@ static QString platformName(MsvcToolChain::Platform t)
     return QString();
 }
 
-static bool hostSupportsPlatform(MsvcToolChain::Platform platform)
+static bool hostPrefersPlatform(MsvcToolChain::Platform platform)
 {
-    switch (Utils::HostOsInfo::hostArchitecture()) {
-    case Utils::HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureAMD64:
-        if (platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64 || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_arm
-            || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_x86 || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_arm64)
-            return true;
-        Q_FALLTHROUGH(); // all x86 toolchains are also working on an amd64 host
-    case Utils::HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureX86:
+    switch (HostOsInfo::hostArchitecture()) {
+    case HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureAMD64:
+        return platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64 || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_arm
+               || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_x86 || platform == MsvcToolChain::amd64_arm64;
+    case HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureX86:
         return platform == MsvcToolChain::x86 || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_amd64
                || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_ia64 || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_arm
                || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_arm64;
-    case Utils::HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureArm:
+    case HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureArm:
         return platform == MsvcToolChain::arm;
-    case Utils::HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureItanium:
+    case HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureItanium:
         return platform == MsvcToolChain::ia64;
     default:
         return false;
     }
 }
 
+static bool hostSupportsPlatform(MsvcToolChain::Platform platform)
+{
+    if (hostPrefersPlatform(platform))
+        return true;
+    // The x86 host toolchains are not the preferred toolchains on amd64 but they are still
+    // supported by that host
+    return HostOsInfo::hostArchitecture() == HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureAMD64
+           && (platform == MsvcToolChain::x86 || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_amd64
+               || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_ia64 || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_arm
+               || platform == MsvcToolChain::x86_arm64);
+}
+
 static QString fixRegistryPath(const QString &path)
 {
     QString result = QDir::fromNativeSeparators(path);
@@ -985,6 +1004,11 @@ std::unique_ptr<ToolChainConfigWidget> MsvcToolChain::createConfigurationWidget(
     return std::make_unique<MsvcToolChainConfigWidget>(this);
 }
 
+bool MsvcToolChain::hostPrefersToolchain() const
+{
+    return hostPrefersPlatform(platform());
+}
+
 bool static hasFlagEffectOnMacros(const QString &flag)
 {
     if (flag.startsWith("-") || flag.startsWith("/")) {
@@ -1212,6 +1236,15 @@ void MsvcToolChain::resetVarsBat()
     m_varsBatArg.clear();
 }
 
+MsvcToolChain::Platform MsvcToolChain::platform() const
+{
+    QStringList args = m_varsBatArg.split(' ');
+    if (const MsvcPlatform *entry = platformEntryFromName(args.value(0)))
+        return entry->platform;
+    return Utils::HostOsInfo::hostArchitecture() == Utils::HostOsInfo::HostArchitectureAMD64 ? amd64
+                                                                                             : x86;
+}
+
 // --------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // MsvcBasedToolChainConfigWidget: Creates a simple GUI without error label
 // to display name and varsBat. Derived classes should add the error label and
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
index b74d278d593..a13afe753d2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/msvctoolchain.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ public:
     bool fromMap(const QVariantMap &data) override;
 
     std::unique_ptr<ToolChainConfigWidget> createConfigurationWidget() override;
+    bool hostPrefersToolchain() const override;
 
     MacroInspectionRunner createMacroInspectionRunner() const override;
     Utils::LanguageExtensions languageExtensions(const QStringList &cxxflags) const override;
@@ -91,6 +92,7 @@ public:
     QString varsBat() const { return m_vcvarsBat; }
     void setupVarsBat(const Abi &abi, const QString &varsBat, const QString &varsBatArg);
     void resetVarsBat();
+    Platform platform() const;
 
     bool operator==(const ToolChain &) const override;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/toolchain.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/toolchain.h
index b3ad1484c58..72c1b388bb9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/toolchain.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/toolchain.h
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ public:
     virtual QString originalTargetTriple() const { return QString(); }
     virtual QStringList extraCodeModelFlags() const { return QStringList(); }
     virtual Utils::FilePath installDir() const { return Utils::FilePath(); }
+    virtual bool hostPrefersToolchain() const { return true; }
 
     virtual bool isValid() const;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtkitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtkitinformation.cpp
index 54f61ec5912..002c49f7fc0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtkitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qtsupport/qtkitinformation.cpp
@@ -236,7 +236,11 @@ void QtKitAspect::fix(Kit *k)
             const QVector<Abi> &qtAbis = version->qtAbis();
             const bool tc1ExactMatch = qtAbis.contains(tc1->targetAbi());
             const bool tc2ExactMatch = qtAbis.contains(tc2->targetAbi());
-            return tc1ExactMatch && !tc2ExactMatch;
+            if (tc1ExactMatch && !tc2ExactMatch)
+                return true;
+            if (!tc1ExactMatch && tc2ExactMatch)
+                return false;
+            return tc1->hostPrefersToolchain() && !tc2->hostPrefersToolchain();
         });
 
         const QList<ToolChain *> goodTcs = Utils::filtered(possibleTcs,