diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.cpp
index ba0bfa221a3..930b7a6b3fa 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildstep.cpp
@@ -186,6 +186,13 @@ BuildConfiguration *BuildStep::buildConfiguration() const
     auto config = qobject_cast<BuildConfiguration *>(parent()->parent());
     if (config)
         return config;
+
+    // This situation should be avoided, as the step returned below is almost
+    // always not the right one, but the fallback is best we can do.
+    // A potential currently still valid path is accessing a build configuration
+    // from a BuildStep in a DeployConfiguration. Let's hunt those down and
+    // replace with explicit code there.
+    QTC_CHECK(false);
     // step is not part of a build configuration, use active build configuration of step's target
     return target()->activeBuildConfiguration();
 }
@@ -195,6 +202,8 @@ DeployConfiguration *BuildStep::deployConfiguration() const
     auto config = qobject_cast<DeployConfiguration *>(parent()->parent());
     if (config)
         return config;
+    // See comment in buildConfiguration()
+    QTC_CHECK(false);
     // step is not part of a deploy configuration, use active deploy configuration of step's target
     return target()->activeDeployConfiguration();
 }