diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.cpp b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.cpp
index 7ad9f1097ae..0e056dda9c3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.cpp
@@ -47,9 +47,7 @@ MakefileParser::~MakefileParser()
 
 bool MakefileParser::parse()
 {
-    m_mutex.lock();
     m_cancel = false;
-    m_mutex.unlock();
 
     m_success = true;
     m_executable.clear();
@@ -125,13 +123,11 @@ QStringList MakefileParser::cxxflags() const
 
 void MakefileParser::cancel()
 {
-    QMutexLocker locker(&m_mutex);
     m_cancel = true;
 }
 
 bool MakefileParser::isCanceled() const
 {
-    QMutexLocker locker(&m_mutex);
     return m_cancel;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.h b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.h
index c9caec86aee..cd055aeff74 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/makefileparser.h
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@
 
 #include <projectexplorer/projectmacro.h>
 
-#include <QMutex>
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <QTextStream>
 #include <QObject>
 #include <QVector>
 
+#include <atomic>
+
 QT_FORWARD_DECLARE_CLASS(QDir)
 
 namespace AutotoolsProjectManager {
@@ -264,8 +265,7 @@ private:
 
     bool m_success = false;     ///< Return value for MakefileParser::parse().
 
-    bool m_cancel = false;      ///< True, if the parsing should be cancelled.
-    mutable QMutex m_mutex;     ///< Mutex to protect m_cancel.
+    std::atomic_bool m_cancel = false;      ///< True, if the parsing should be cancelled.
 
     QString m_makefile;         ///< Filename of the makefile
     QString m_executable;       ///< Return value for MakefileParser::executable()