diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/debugginghelper.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/debugginghelper.cpp
index 64a1f3e8cb931dfb68a3fe51d8182074934216ce..da5fefc5125bc9e210e8145645b517015699dc42 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/debugginghelper.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/debugginghelper.cpp
@@ -114,8 +114,9 @@ QString DebuggingHelperLibrary::debuggingHelperLibrary(const QString &qtInstallD
 QString DebuggingHelperLibrary::buildDebuggingHelperLibrary(const QString &qmakePath, const QString &make, const Environment &env)
 {
     QString directory = copyDebuggingHelperLibrary(qtInstallDataDir(qmakePath), qtDir(qmakePath));
+    if (directory.isEmpty())
+        return QString::null;
     return buildDebuggingHelperLibrary(directory, make, qmakePath, QString::null, env);
-    return QString::null;
 }
 
 QString DebuggingHelperLibrary::copyDebuggingHelperLibrary(const QString &qtInstallData, const QString &qtdir)