diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsproject.cpp b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsproject.cpp
index 03969c94275ef393275d6f15eef838dce9601e3d..f4dadab682a6c7775362b49d5916ab9a7824a150 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsproject.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsproject.cpp
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ AutotoolsProject::AutotoolsProject(AutotoolsManager *manager, const QString &fil
     m_fileName(fileName),
     m_files(),
     m_file(new AutotoolsProjectFile(this, m_fileName)),
-    m_rootNode(new AutotoolsProjectNode(this, m_file)),
+    m_rootNode(new AutotoolsProjectNode(m_file->filePath())),
     m_fileWatcher(new Utils::FileSystemWatcher(this)),
     m_watchedFiles(),
     m_makefileParserThread(0)
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.cpp b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.cpp
index f663dac116d424460cc9196b723ef97437d1b3ed..ee8b42cd9c43bd57d7f6b2d3cfa308cda940cc74 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.cpp
@@ -39,12 +39,9 @@ using namespace AutotoolsProjectManager;
 using namespace AutotoolsProjectManager::Internal;
 using namespace ProjectExplorer;
 
-AutotoolsProjectNode::AutotoolsProjectNode(AutotoolsProject *project, Core::IDocument *projectFile) :
-    ProjectNode(projectFile->filePath()),
-    m_project(project),
-    m_projectFile(projectFile)
-{
-}
+AutotoolsProjectNode::AutotoolsProjectNode(const Utils::FileName &projectFilePath) :
+    ProjectNode(projectFilePath)
+{ }
 
 bool AutotoolsProjectNode::showInSimpleTree() const
 {
diff --git a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.h b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.h
index b801df89016e0503784d987def1f0674efd4a033..fda874282d5aa462c05ff7dc585e4349bc7774da 100644
--- a/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.h
+++ b/src/plugins/autotoolsprojectmanager/autotoolsprojectnode.h
@@ -54,18 +54,10 @@ class AutotoolsProject;
 class AutotoolsProjectNode : public ProjectExplorer::ProjectNode
 {
 public:
-    AutotoolsProjectNode(AutotoolsProject *project, Core::IDocument *projectFile);
+    AutotoolsProjectNode(const Utils::FileName &projectFilePath);
 
     bool showInSimpleTree() const override;
     QList<ProjectExplorer::ProjectAction> supportedActions(Node *node) const override;
-
-private:
-    AutotoolsProject *m_project;
-    Core::IDocument *m_projectFile;
-
-    // TODO: AutotoolsProject calls the protected function addFileNodes() from AutotoolsProjectNode.
-    // Instead of this friend declaration, a public interface might be preferable.
-    friend class AutotoolsProject;
 };
 
 } // namespace Internal