diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 921ecd0cc..0ac296bf7 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -326,13 +326,11 @@ set_package_properties(ExecInfo PROPERTIES
     TYPE RECOMMENDED
 )
 
-# for symbols mangling while backtracing in core component
-check_include_file_cxx(cxxabi.h HAVE_CXXABI)
-
 # stored in qconfig.h.cmake
 check_type_size(size_t QT_POINTER_SIZE)
 
 # used in components, tests and JavaScriptCore
+katie_check_header("cxxabi.h")
 katie_check_function(getpwnam_r "pwd.h")
 katie_check_function(getpwuid_r "pwd.h")
 katie_check_function(getgrgid_r "grp.h")
diff --git a/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake b/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
index 4fb754e60..60b70980f 100644
--- a/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
+++ b/cmake/modules/KatieBuildMacros.cmake
@@ -5,6 +5,18 @@ set(KATIE_UIC "uic")
 set(KATIE_RCC "rcc")
 set(KATIE_MOC "bootstrap_moc")
 
+# a function to check for header presence, if header is found a definition is
+# added
+function(KATIE_CHECK_HEADER FORHEADER)
+    string(REPLACE "." "_" underscoreheader "${FORHEADER}")
+    check_include_file_cxx("${FORHEADER}" HAVE_${underscoreheader})
+
+    if(HAVE_${underscoreheader})
+        string(TOUPPER "${underscoreheader}" upperheader)
+        add_definitions(-DQT_HAVE_${upperheader})
+    endif()
+endfunction()
+
 # a function to check for C function/definition, works for external functions
 function(KATIE_CHECK_DEFINED FORDEFINITION FROMHEADER)
     # see comment in top-level CMake file
diff --git a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
index 9a0a98a42..df4a54432 100644
--- a/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ if(WITH_INTL AND INTL_FOUND)
     include_directories(${INTL_INCLUDES})
 endif()
 
-if(WITH_EXECINFO AND EXECINFO_FOUND AND HAVE_CXXABI)
+if(WITH_EXECINFO AND EXECINFO_FOUND)
     set(EXTRA_CORE_LIBS
         ${EXTRA_CORE_LIBS}
         ${EXECINFO_LIBRARIES}
diff --git a/src/core/global/qglobal.cpp b/src/core/global/qglobal.cpp
index 4b0777d41..f88947156 100644
--- a/src/core/global/qglobal.cpp
+++ b/src/core/global/qglobal.cpp
@@ -51,7 +51,9 @@
 #ifndef QT_NO_EXECINFO
 #  include "qcoreapplication.h"
 #  include <execinfo.h>
-#  include <cxxabi.h>
+#  ifdef QT_HAVE_CXXABI_H
+#    include <cxxabi.h>
+#  endif
 #endif
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
@@ -1066,14 +1068,16 @@ static void qt_print_backtrace()
     }
 
     for (int i = 0; i < nptrs; i++) {
+#ifdef QT_HAVE_CXXABI_H
         int status;
         char* demangled = abi::__cxa_demangle(strings[i], nullptr, nullptr, &status);
         if (status == 0) {
             ::printf(" %s\n", demangled);
             ::free(demangled);
-        } else {
-            ::printf(" %s\n", strings[i]);
+            continue;
         }
+#endif
+        ::printf(" %s\n", strings[i]);
     }
 
     ::free(strings);