diff --git a/src/libs/utils/treemodel.h b/src/libs/utils/treemodel.h
index 01a02f64438..8683643f818 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/treemodel.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/treemodel.h
@@ -188,13 +188,32 @@ private:
 
     TreeItem *m_parent; // Not owned.
     TreeModel *m_model; // Not owned.
-    QVector<TreeItem *> m_children; // Owned.
     QStringList *m_displays;
     Qt::ItemFlags m_flags;
 
+ protected:
+    QVector<TreeItem *> m_children; // Owned.
     friend class TreeModel;
 };
 
+// A TreeItem with children all of the same type.
+template <class ChildType>
+class TypedTreeItem : public TreeItem
+{
+public:
+    void sortChildren(const std::function<bool(const ChildType *, const ChildType *)> &lessThan)
+    {
+        return TreeItem::sortChildren([lessThan](const TreeItem *a, const TreeItem *b) {
+            return lessThan(static_cast<const ChildType *>(a), static_cast<const ChildType *>(b));
+        });
+    }
+
+    template <typename Predicate>
+    void forAllChildren(const Predicate &pred) const {
+        return TreeItem::forAllChildren<ChildType *, Predicate>(pred);
+    }
+};
+
 // A general purpose multi-level model where each item can have its
 // own (TreeItem-derived) type.
 class QTCREATOR_UTILS_EXPORT TreeModel : public QAbstractItemModel
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
index b865945fabe..f84813595d9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/qml/qmlengine.cpp
@@ -2418,9 +2418,8 @@ void QmlEnginePrivate::insertSubItems(WatchItem *parent, const QVariantList &pro
     }
 
     if (boolSetting(SortStructMembers)) {
-        parent->sortChildren([](const TreeItem *item1, const TreeItem *item2) -> bool {
-            return static_cast<const WatchItem *>(item1)->name
-                    < static_cast<const WatchItem *>(item2)->name;
+        parent->sortChildren([](const WatchItem *item1, const WatchItem *item2) {
+            return item1->name < item2->name;
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.cpp
index 41e3203ac62..ed8cb0c8af7 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.cpp
@@ -394,15 +394,12 @@ public:
     quint64 addrstep;
 };
 
-static bool sortByName(const Utils::TreeItem *a, const Utils::TreeItem *b)
+static bool sortByName(const WatchItem *a, const WatchItem *b)
 {
-    auto aa = static_cast<const WatchItem *>(a);
-    auto bb = static_cast<const WatchItem *>(b);
+    if (a->sortGroup != b->sortGroup)
+        return a->sortGroup > b->sortGroup;
 
-    if (aa->sortGroup != bb->sortGroup)
-        return aa->sortGroup > bb->sortGroup;
-
-    return aa->name < bb->name;
+    return a->name < b->name;
 }
 
 void WatchItem::parseHelper(const GdbMi &input, bool maySort)
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.h b/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.h
index 654e92db54e..e712b6d961c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchdata.h
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ namespace Internal {
 
 class GdbMi;
 
-class WatchItem : public Utils::TreeItem
+class WatchItem : public Utils::TypedTreeItem<WatchItem>
 {
 public:
     WatchItem();
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
index a842b2c591e..e72771dc394 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/watchhandler.cpp
@@ -1253,16 +1253,14 @@ void WatchHandler::cleanup()
         m_model->m_separatedView->hide();
 }
 
-static bool sortByName(const TreeItem *a, const TreeItem *b)
+static bool sortByName(const WatchItem *a, const WatchItem *b)
 {
-    auto aa = static_cast<const WatchItem *>(a);
-    auto bb = static_cast<const WatchItem *>(b);
-    return aa->name < bb->name;
+    return a->name < b->name;
 }
 
 void WatchHandler::insertItems(const GdbMi &data)
 {
-    QSet<TreeItem *> itemsToSort;
+    QSet<WatchItem *> itemsToSort;
 
     const bool sortStructMembers = boolSetting(SortStructMembers);
     foreach (const GdbMi &child, data.children()) {
@@ -1274,10 +1272,10 @@ void WatchHandler::insertItems(const GdbMi &data)
 
         const bool added = insertItem(item);
         if (added && item->level() == 2)
-            itemsToSort.insert(item->parent());
+            itemsToSort.insert(static_cast<WatchItem *>(item->parent()));
     }
 
-    foreach (TreeItem *toplevel, itemsToSort)
+    foreach (WatchItem *toplevel, itemsToSort)
         toplevel->sortChildren(&sortByName);
 }
 
@@ -1303,7 +1301,7 @@ bool WatchHandler::insertItem(WatchItem *item)
 
     item->update();
 
-    item->forAllChildren<WatchItem *>([this](WatchItem *sub) { m_model->showEditValue(sub); });
+    item->forAllChildren([this](WatchItem *sub) { m_model->showEditValue(sub); });
 
     return !found;
 }
@@ -1349,16 +1347,16 @@ void WatchHandler::resetWatchers()
 
 void WatchHandler::notifyUpdateStarted(const QStringList &inames)
 {
-    auto marker = [](TreeItem *it) { static_cast<WatchItem *>(it)->outdated = true; };
+    auto marker = [](WatchItem *item) { item->outdated = true; };
 
     if (inames.isEmpty()) {
         m_model->forSecondLevelItems([marker](WatchItem *item) {
-            item->forAllChildren<WatchItem *>(marker);
+            item->forAllChildren(marker);
         });
     } else {
         for (auto iname : inames) {
             if (WatchItem *item = m_model->findItem(iname))
-                item->forAllChildren<WatchItem *>(marker);
+                item->forAllChildren(marker);
         }
     }