diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.cpp
index 7210757aa97..04bdaa6f06c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.cpp
@@ -199,6 +199,11 @@ DebuggerKitInformation::DebuggerItem DebuggerKitInformation::autoDetectItem(cons
     return result;
 }
 
+void DebuggerKitInformation::setup(Kit *k)
+{
+    setDebuggerItem(k, autoDetectItem(k));
+}
+
 // Check the configuration errors and return a flag mask. Provide a quick check and
 // a verbose one with a list of errors.
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.h b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.h
index 785becdf96b..ddef704bb39 100644
--- a/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.h
+++ b/src/plugins/debugger/debuggerkitinformation.h
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ public:
     QList<ProjectExplorer::Task> validate(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const
         { return DebuggerKitInformation::validateDebugger(k); }
 
+    void setup(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
+
     static QList<ProjectExplorer::Task> validateDebugger(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
     static bool isValidDebugger(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
index 713402b628f..da2b2216481 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.cpp
@@ -197,6 +197,21 @@ void Kit::fix()
         i->fix(this);
 }
 
+void Kit::setup()
+{
+    KitGuard g(this);
+    QHash<Core::Id, QVariant> data = d->m_data;
+    for (int i = 0; i < 5; ++i) {
+        // Allow for some retries to settle down in a good configuration
+        // This is necessary for the Qt version to pick its preferred tool chain
+        // and that to pick a working debugger afterwards.
+        foreach (KitInformation *i, KitManager::instance()->kitInformation())
+            i->setup(this);
+        if (d->m_data == data)
+            break;
+    }
+}
+
 QString Kit::displayName() const
 {
     return d->m_displayName;
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
index 475b1d9601a..c2f362f80f5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kit.h
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ public:
 
     bool isValid() const;
     QList<Task> validate() const;
-    void fix();
+    void fix(); // Fix the individual kit information.
+    void setup(); // Apply advanced magic(TM). Used only once on each kit during initial setup.
 
     QString displayName() const;
     void setDisplayName(const QString &name);
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
index 81c068c43f6..77e96b3a86e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.cpp
@@ -181,6 +181,23 @@ void ToolChainKitInformation::fix(Kit *k)
     setToolChain(k, 0); // make sure to clear out no longer known tool chains
 }
 
+void ToolChainKitInformation::setup(Kit *k)
+{
+    const QString id = k->value(Core::Id(TOOLCHAIN_INFORMATION)).toString();
+    if (id.isEmpty())
+        return;
+
+    ToolChain *tc = ToolChainManager::instance()->findToolChain(id);
+    if (tc)
+        return;
+
+    // ID is not found: Might be an ABI string...
+    foreach (ToolChain *current, ToolChainManager::instance()->toolChains()) {
+        if (current->targetAbi().toString() == id)
+            return setToolChain(k, current);
+    }
+}
+
 KitConfigWidget *ToolChainKitInformation::createConfigWidget(Kit *k) const
 {
     return new Internal::ToolChainInformationConfigWidget(k);
@@ -209,20 +226,8 @@ ToolChain *ToolChainKitInformation::toolChain(const Kit *k)
 {
     if (!k)
         return 0;
-    const QString id = k->value(Core::Id(TOOLCHAIN_INFORMATION)).toString();
-    if (id.isEmpty())
-        return 0;
-
-    ToolChain *tc = ToolChainManager::instance()->findToolChain(id);
-    if (tc)
-        return tc;
-
-    // ID is not found: Might be an ABI string...
-    foreach (ToolChain *current, ToolChainManager::instance()->toolChains()) {
-        if (current->targetAbi().toString() == id)
-            return current;
-    }
-    return 0;
+    return ToolChainManager::instance()
+            ->findToolChain(k->value(Core::Id(TOOLCHAIN_INFORMATION)).toString());
 }
 
 void ToolChainKitInformation::setToolChain(Kit *k, ToolChain *tc)
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.h
index 3abb091eaba..60a7af2924e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitinformation.h
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public:
 
     QList<Task> validate(const Kit *k) const;
     void fix(Kit *k);
+    void setup(Kit *k);
 
     KitConfigWidget *createConfigWidget(Kit *k) const;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
index 1daf4953492..8c5a3cb0558 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.cpp
@@ -148,9 +148,11 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
     QFileInfo kitFile(systemSettingsFile.absolutePath() + QLatin1String(KIT_FILENAME));
     if (kitFile.exists()) {
         KitList system = restoreKits(Utils::FileName(kitFile));
-        // make sure we mark these as autodetected!
-        foreach (Kit *k, system.kits)
+        // make sure we mark these as autodetected and run additional setup logic
+        foreach (Kit *k, system.kits) {
             k->setAutoDetected(true);
+            k->setup();
+        }
 
         // SDK kits are always considered to be up for validation since they might have been
         // extended with additional information by creator in the meantime:
@@ -202,6 +204,8 @@ void KitManager::restoreKits()
         defaultKit->setAutoDetected(false);
         defaultKit->setIconPath(QLatin1String(":///DESKTOP///"));
 
+        defaultKit->setup();
+
         addKit(defaultKit);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
index fb52aefb17e..320c8560b04 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmanager.h
@@ -74,8 +74,12 @@ public:
     virtual bool visibleIn(Kit *) { return true; }
     virtual QVariant defaultValue(Kit *) const = 0;
 
+    // called to find issues with the kit
     virtual QList<Task> validate(const Kit *) const = 0;
+    // called to fix issues with this kitinformation. Does not modify the rest of the kit.
     virtual void fix(Kit *) { return; }
+    // called on initial setup of a kit.
+    virtual void setup(Kit *) { return; }
 
     virtual ItemList toUserOutput(Kit *) const = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
index de7d9ff30cc..cbf723b1240 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/kitmodel.cpp
@@ -322,12 +322,14 @@ Kit *KitModel::markForAddition(Kit *baseKit)
     beginInsertRows(index(m_manualRoot), pos, pos);
 
     KitNode *node = createNode(m_manualRoot, 0);
+    Kit *k = node->widget->workingCopy();
+    KitGuard g(k);
     if (baseKit) {
-        Kit *k = node->widget->workingCopy();
-        KitGuard g(k);
         k->copyFrom(baseKit);
         k->setAutoDetected(false); // Make sure we have a manual kit!
         k->setDisplayName(tr("Clone of %1").arg(k->displayName()));
+    } else {
+        k->setup();
     }
 
     if (!m_defaultNode)
@@ -335,7 +337,7 @@ Kit *KitModel::markForAddition(Kit *baseKit)
 
     endInsertRows();
 
-    return node->widget->workingCopy();
+    return k;
 }
 
 QModelIndex KitModel::index(KitNode *node, int column) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.cpp b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.cpp
index 65dc5d1acc4..3b192d9365d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.cpp
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ QList<ProjectExplorer::Task> QmakeKitInformation::validate(const ProjectExplorer
     return result;
 }
 
-void QmakeKitInformation::fix(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k)
+void QmakeKitInformation::setup(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k)
 {
     QtSupport::BaseQtVersion *version = QtSupport::QtKitInformation::qtVersion(k);
     if (!version)
diff --git a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.h b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.h
index e1c630f5884..c432966dfd5 100644
--- a/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.h
+++ b/src/plugins/qt4projectmanager/qmakekitinformation.h
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public:
     QVariant defaultValue(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const;
 
     QList<ProjectExplorer::Task> validate(const ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const;
-    void fix(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
+    void setup(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k);
 
     ProjectExplorer::KitConfigWidget *createConfigWidget(ProjectExplorer::Kit *k) const;