diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.cpp
index 9ca78cabe4b..e836fba5905 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.cpp
@@ -465,14 +465,6 @@ CppModelManager *CppModelManager::instance()
     return m_instance;
 }
 
-void CppModelManager::createCppModelManager(Internal::CppToolsPlugin *parent)
-{
-    QTC_ASSERT(!m_instance, return;);
-    m_instance = new CppModelManager();
-    m_instance->initCppTools();
-    m_instance->setParent(parent);
-}
-
 void CppModelManager::initCppTools()
 {
     // Objects
@@ -512,6 +504,8 @@ CppModelManager::CppModelManager()
     : CppModelManagerBase(nullptr)
     , d(new CppModelManagerPrivate)
 {
+    m_instance = this;
+
     // Used for weak dependency in VcsBaseSubmitEditor
     setObjectName("CppModelManager");
     ExtensionSystem::PluginManager::addObject(this);
@@ -562,6 +556,8 @@ CppModelManager::CppModelManager()
     initializeBuiltinModelManagerSupport();
 
     d->m_internalIndexingSupport = new BuiltinIndexingSupport;
+
+    initCppTools();
 }
 
 CppModelManager::~CppModelManager()
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.h b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.h
index 8567de9c304..69a8ac6faff 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cppmodelmanager.h
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ class WorkingCopy;
 namespace Internal {
 class CppSourceProcessor;
 class CppModelManagerPrivate;
-class CppToolsPlugin;
+class CppToolsPluginPrivate;
 }
 
 namespace Tests {
@@ -88,15 +88,15 @@ class CPPTOOLS_EXPORT CppModelManager final : public CPlusPlus::CppModelManagerB
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
-public:
-    using Document = CPlusPlus::Document;
-
-public:
+private:
+    friend class Internal::CppToolsPluginPrivate;
     CppModelManager();
     ~CppModelManager() override;
 
+public:
+    using Document = CPlusPlus::Document;
+
     static CppModelManager *instance();
-    static void createCppModelManager(Internal::CppToolsPlugin *parent);
 
      // Documented in source file.
      enum ProgressNotificationMode {
diff --git a/src/plugins/cpptools/cpptoolsplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/cpptools/cpptoolsplugin.cpp
index f52358c2d31..46215ea7234 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cpptools/cpptoolsplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cpptools/cpptoolsplugin.cpp
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ class CppToolsPluginPrivate
 public:
     CppToolsPluginPrivate()
     {
-        CppModelManager::createCppModelManager(m_instance);
         m_settings = new CppToolsSettings(m_instance); // force registration of cpp tools settings
         m_codeModelSettings.fromSettings(ICore::settings());
         m_cppCodeStyleSettingsPage = new CppCodeStyleSettingsPage;
@@ -96,6 +95,7 @@ public:
     }
 
     StringTable stringTable;
+    CppModelManager modelManager;
     CppCodeModelSettings m_codeModelSettings;
     CppToolsSettings *m_settings = nullptr;
     CppFileSettings m_fileSettings;