diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.cpp b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.cpp
index 1da85fce96..08fc1cf5e2 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.cpp
@@ -201,6 +201,17 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
     \sa clockType(), isMonotonic()
 */
 
+/*!
+    \fn QElapsedTimer::QElapsedTimer()
+    \since 5.4
+
+    Constructs an invalid QElapsedTimer. A timer becomes valid once it has been
+    started.
+
+    \sa isValid(), start()
+*/
+
+
 /*!
     \fn bool QElapsedTimer::operator ==(const QElapsedTimer &other) const
 
@@ -230,8 +241,8 @@ void QElapsedTimer::invalidate() Q_DECL_NOTHROW
 }
 
 /*!
-    Returns \c false if this object was invalidated by a call to invalidate() and
-    has not been restarted since.
+    Returns \c false if the timer has never been started or invalidated by a
+    call to invalidate().
 
     \sa invalidate(), start(), restart()
 */
diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.h b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.h
index b06afe4ab4..7df5dec63a 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.h
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer.h
@@ -57,6 +57,13 @@ public:
         MachAbsoluteTime,
         PerformanceCounter
     };
+
+    Q_DECL_CONSTEXPR QElapsedTimer()
+        : t1(Q_INT64_C(0x8000000000000000))
+        , t2(Q_INT64_C(0x8000000000000000))
+    {
+    }
+
     static ClockType clockType() Q_DECL_NOTHROW;
     static bool isMonotonic() Q_DECL_NOTHROW;
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer_generic.cpp b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer_generic.cpp
index 6324be00c0..7a52faa3c5 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer_generic.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer_generic.cpp
@@ -87,6 +87,8 @@ void QElapsedTimer::start() Q_DECL_NOTHROW
     and then starting the timer again with start(), but it does so in one
     single operation, avoiding the need to obtain the clock value twice.
 
+    Restarting the timer makes it valid again.
+
     The following example illustrates how to use this function to calibrate a
     parameter to a slow operation (for example, an iteration count) so that
     this operation takes at least 250 milliseconds:
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer/tst_qelapsedtimer.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer/tst_qelapsedtimer.cpp
index f2852f6a50..48e3745be4 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer/tst_qelapsedtimer.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qelapsedtimer/tst_qelapsedtimer.cpp
@@ -48,12 +48,7 @@ static const int minResolution = 50; // the minimum resolution for the tests
 
 QDebug operator<<(QDebug s, const QElapsedTimer &t)
 {
-    union {
-        QElapsedTimer t;
-        struct { qint64 t1, t2; } i;
-    } copy;
-    copy.t = t;
-    s.nospace() << "(" <<  copy.i.t1 << ", " << copy.i.t2 << ")";
+    s.nospace() << "(" << t.msecsSinceReference() << ")";
     return s.space();
 }
 
@@ -81,8 +76,7 @@ void tst_QElapsedTimer::validity()
 {
     QElapsedTimer t;
 
-    t.invalidate();
-    QVERIFY(!t.isValid());
+    QVERIFY(!t.isValid()); // non-POD now, it should always start invalid
 
     t.start();
     QVERIFY(t.isValid());