diff --git a/src/plugins/baremetal/debugservers/gdb/gdbserverprovider.cpp b/src/plugins/baremetal/debugservers/gdb/gdbserverprovider.cpp
index 90b3dbd2b93..db1722043c3 100644
--- a/src/plugins/baremetal/debugservers/gdb/gdbserverprovider.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/baremetal/debugservers/gdb/gdbserverprovider.cpp
@@ -348,7 +348,9 @@ GdbServerProviderRunner::GdbServerProviderRunner(ProjectExplorer::RunControl *ru
 {
     setId("BareMetalGdbServer");
     // Baremetal's GDB servers are launched on the host, not on the target.
-    setStarter([this, runnable] { doStart(runnable, {}); });
+    Runnable devicelessRunnable = runnable;
+    devicelessRunnable.device.reset();
+    setStarter([this, devicelessRunnable] { doStart(devicelessRunnable); });
 }
 
 } // namespace Internal
diff --git a/src/plugins/boot2qt/qdbplugin.cpp b/src/plugins/boot2qt/qdbplugin.cpp
index b9b8aa237d7..bb2902dc68c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/boot2qt/qdbplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/boot2qt/qdbplugin.cpp
@@ -147,7 +147,8 @@ public:
             // FIXME: Spaces!
             r.command.setArguments(r.command.executable().toString() + ' ' + r.command.arguments());
             r.command.setExecutable(FilePath::fromString(Constants::AppcontrollerFilepath));
-            doStart(r, runControl->device());
+            r.device = runControl->device();
+            doStart(r);
         });
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
index ca638e41036..c6e7407bb18 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerruncontrol.cpp
@@ -1085,8 +1085,8 @@ DebugServerRunner::DebugServerRunner(RunControl *runControl, DebugServerPortsGat
             }
         }
         debugServer.command.setArguments(ProcessArgs::joinArgs(args, OsTypeLinux));
-
-        doStart(debugServer, runControl->device());
+        debugServer.device = runControl->device();
+        doStart(debugServer);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/mcusupport/mcusupportrunconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/mcusupport/mcusupportrunconfiguration.cpp
index 361fb09b899..8894c501cfc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mcusupport/mcusupportrunconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mcusupport/mcusupportrunconfiguration.cpp
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ public:
                          CommandLine::Raw};
             r.workingDirectory = target->activeBuildConfiguration()->buildDirectory();
             r.environment = target->activeBuildConfiguration()->environment();
-            SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(r, {});
+            SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(r);
         });
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.cpp
index 7531269a945..ce1d0295746 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.cpp
@@ -1188,13 +1188,16 @@ SimpleTargetRunner::SimpleTargetRunner(RunControl *runControl)
 
 void SimpleTargetRunner::start()
 {
-    if (m_starter)
+    if (m_starter) {
         m_starter();
-    else
-        doStart(runControl()->runnable(), runControl()->device());
+    } else {
+        Runnable runnable = runControl()->runnable();
+        runnable.device = runControl()->device();
+        doStart(runControl()->runnable());
+    }
 }
 
-void SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(const Runnable &runnable, const IDevice::ConstPtr &device)
+void SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(const Runnable &runnable)
 {
     m_stopForced = false;
     m_stopReported = false;
@@ -1231,7 +1234,8 @@ void SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(const Runnable &runnable, const IDevice::ConstP
 
     connect(&m_launcher, &ApplicationLauncher::appendMessage, this, &RunWorker::appendMessage);
 
-    const bool isDesktop = device.isNull() || device.dynamicCast<const DesktopDevice>();
+    const bool isDesktop = runnable.device.isNull()
+                        || runnable.device.dynamicCast<const DesktopDevice>();
     if (isDesktop) {
         connect(&m_launcher, &ApplicationLauncher::processStarted, this, [this] {
             // Console processes only know their pid after being started
@@ -1248,9 +1252,7 @@ void SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(const Runnable &runnable, const IDevice::ConstP
     } else {
         connect(&m_launcher, &ApplicationLauncher::processStarted, this, &RunWorker::reportStarted);
     }
-    Runnable runnableWithDevice = runnable;
-    runnableWithDevice.device = device;
-    m_launcher.setRunnable(runnableWithDevice);
+    m_launcher.setRunnable(runnable);
     m_launcher.start();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.h
index db70939e3a8..7a6ca088478 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/runcontrol.h
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@ public:
 
 protected:
     void setStarter(const std::function<void()> &starter);
-    void doStart(const Runnable &runnable, const IDevice::ConstPtr &device);
+    void doStart(const Runnable &runnable);
 
 private:
     void start() final;
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmlpreview/qmlpreviewruncontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/qmlpreview/qmlpreviewruncontrol.cpp
index 1af9f8bb793..22c9db93cb2 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmlpreview/qmlpreviewruncontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmlpreview/qmlpreviewruncontrol.cpp
@@ -149,7 +149,8 @@ LocalQmlPreviewSupport::LocalQmlPreviewSupport(ProjectExplorer::RunControl *runC
 
         runnable.command.addArg(QmlDebug::qmlDebugLocalArguments(QmlDebug::QmlPreviewServices,
                                                                  serverUrl.path()));
-        doStart(runnable, {});
+        runnable.device.reset();
+        doStart(runnable);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilerruncontrol.cpp b/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilerruncontrol.cpp
index 9eaf06fee4b..06822865ef4 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilerruncontrol.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qmlprofiler/qmlprofilerruncontrol.cpp
@@ -255,8 +255,8 @@ LocalQmlProfilerSupport::LocalQmlProfilerSupport(RunControl *runControl, const Q
             arguments += ' ' + debuggee.command.arguments();
 
         debuggee.command.setArguments(arguments);
-
-        doStart(debuggee, {});
+        debuggee.device.reset();
+        doStart(debuggee);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxanalyzesupport.cpp b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxanalyzesupport.cpp
index a7bfd50cffe..6cf073c3504 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxanalyzesupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxanalyzesupport.cpp
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ QnxQmlProfilerSupport::QnxQmlProfilerSupport(RunControl *runControl)
 
         Runnable r = runControl->runnable();
         r.command.addArg(QmlDebug::qmlDebugTcpArguments(QmlDebug::QmlProfilerServices, serverUrl));
-
-        doStart(r, runControl->device());
+        r.device = runControl->device();
+        doStart(r);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
index c345d76506e..895113488e9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qnx/qnxdebugsupport.cpp
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ public:
                                                                 portsGatherer->qmlServer()));
             }
             r.command.setArguments(ProcessArgs::joinArgs(arguments));
-
-            doStart(r, runControl->device());
+            r.device = runControl->device();
+            doStart(r);
         });
     }
 };
@@ -202,7 +202,8 @@ public:
 
             Runnable r;
             r.command = {QNX_DEBUG_EXECUTABLE, {QString::number(pdebugPort)}};
-            doStart(r, runControl->device());
+            r.device = runControl->device();
+            doStart(r);
         });
     }
 };
diff --git a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxqmltoolingsupport.cpp b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxqmltoolingsupport.cpp
index 674371278f6..7b732e15490 100644
--- a/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxqmltoolingsupport.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/remotelinux/remotelinuxqmltoolingsupport.cpp
@@ -59,8 +59,8 @@ RemoteLinuxQmlToolingSupport::RemoteLinuxQmlToolingSupport(RunControl *runContro
 
         Runnable r = runControl->runnable();
         r.command.addArg(QmlDebug::qmlDebugTcpArguments(services, serverUrl));
-
-        doStart(r, runControl->device());
+        r.device = runControl->device();
+        doStart(r);
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/webassembly/webassemblyrunconfiguration.cpp b/src/plugins/webassembly/webassemblyrunconfiguration.cpp
index f06da53c093..54f6d5cb47e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/webassembly/webassemblyrunconfiguration.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/webassembly/webassemblyrunconfiguration.cpp
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ public:
             r.command = emrunCommand(runControl->runConfiguration(),
                                      browserId,
                                      QString::number(portsGatherer->findEndPoint().port()));
-            SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(r, {});
+            SimpleTargetRunner::doStart(r);
         });
     }
 };