diff --git a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
index f8ecabee8f..84e01fce49 100644
--- a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
@@ -107,7 +107,11 @@ Q_GLOBAL_STATIC_WITH_ARGS(QFactoryLoader, loader,
                            QLatin1String("/sqldrivers")))
 #endif
 
-QT_STATIC_CONST_IMPL char *QSqlDatabase::defaultConnection = "qt_sql_default_connection";
+#if !defined(Q_CC_MSVC) || _MSC_VER >= 1900
+// ### Qt6: remove the #ifdef
+const
+#endif
+char *QSqlDatabase::defaultConnection = const_cast<char *>("qt_sql_default_connection");
 
 typedef QHash<QString, QSqlDriverCreatorBase*> DriverDict;
 
diff --git a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.h b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.h
index 7249e223a5..ffc10cdd30 100644
--- a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.h
+++ b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.h
@@ -113,7 +113,12 @@ public:
 
     QSqlDriver* driver() const;
 
-    QT_STATIC_CONST char *defaultConnection;
+    static
+#if !defined(Q_CC_MSVC) || _MSC_VER >= 1900
+    // ### Qt6: remove the #ifdef
+    const
+#endif
+    char *defaultConnection;
 
     static QSqlDatabase addDatabase(const QString& type,
                                  const QString& connectionName = QLatin1String(defaultConnection));