diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
index abcd1931386..a8ecb9ee94b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.cpp
@@ -730,11 +730,6 @@ QString ProjectNode::vcsTopic() const
     return QString();
 }
 
-QList<ProjectNode*> ProjectNode::projectNodes() const
-{
-    return m_projectNodes;
-}
-
 bool ProjectNode::canAddSubProject(const QString &proFilePath) const
 {
     Q_UNUSED(proFilePath)
@@ -811,6 +806,18 @@ void ProjectNode::accept(NodesVisitor *visitor)
         folder->accept(visitor);
 }
 
+ProjectNode *ProjectNode::projectNode(const Utils::FileName &file) const
+{
+    return Utils::findOrDefault(m_projectNodes, [&file](const ProjectNode *fn) {
+        return fn->filePath() == file;
+    });
+}
+
+QList<ProjectNode*> ProjectNode::projectNodes() const
+{
+    return m_projectNodes;
+}
+
 /*!
   Adds project nodes specified by \a subProjects to the node hierarchy and
   emits the corresponding signals.
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
index 547ab7e1b0d..c512b76a278 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/projectnodes.h
@@ -257,9 +257,6 @@ class PROJECTEXPLORER_EXPORT ProjectNode : public FolderNode
 public:
     QString vcsTopic() const;
 
-    // all subFolders that are projects
-    QList<ProjectNode*> projectNodes() const;
-
     virtual bool canAddSubProject(const QString &proFilePath) const;
     virtual bool addSubProjects(const QStringList &proFilePaths);
     virtual bool removeSubProjects(const QStringList &proFilePaths);
@@ -277,8 +274,9 @@ public:
 
     void accept(NodesVisitor *visitor) override;
 
-    // to be called in implementation of
-    // the corresponding public functions
+    ProjectNode *projectNode(const Utils::FileName &file) const;
+    // all subFolders that are projects
+    QList<ProjectNode*> projectNodes() const;
     void addProjectNodes(const QList<ProjectNode*> &subProjects);
     void removeProjectNodes(const QList<ProjectNode*> &subProjects);