diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qharfbuzz_p.h b/src/corelib/tools/qharfbuzz_p.h
index 8330921323..24b2dedc5c 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qharfbuzz_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qharfbuzz_p.h
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 #define QHARFBUZZ_P_H
 
 #include <QtCore/qglobal.h>
-#include <harfbuzz-shaper.h>
+#include <private/harfbuzz-shaper.h>
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qunicodetools.cpp b/src/corelib/tools/qunicodetools.cpp
index e86fef61e7..6da5b349f8 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qunicodetools.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qunicodetools.cpp
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 #include "qunicodetables_p.h"
 #include "qvarlengtharray.h"
 
-#include <harfbuzz-shaper.h>
+#include <private/harfbuzz-shaper.h>
 
 #define FLAG(x) (1 << (x))
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/tools.pri b/src/corelib/tools/tools.pri
index 88a59f5f77..564aff9ab9 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/tools.pri
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/tools.pri
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ pcre {
 }
 
 DEFINES += HB_EXPORT=Q_CORE_EXPORT
-INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 HEADERS += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src/harfbuzz.h
 SOURCES += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src/harfbuzz-buffer.c \
            ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src/harfbuzz-gdef.c \
@@ -146,8 +145,6 @@ SOURCES += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src/harfbuzz-buffer.c \
            tools/qharfbuzz.cpp
 HEADERS += tools/qharfbuzz_p.h
 
-private_headers.files += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src/*.h
-
 INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/md5 \
                ../3rdparty/md4
 
diff --git a/src/gui/opengl/opengl.pri b/src/gui/opengl/opengl.pri
index c241354e9c..2256f201d2 100644
--- a/src/gui/opengl/opengl.pri
+++ b/src/gui/opengl/opengl.pri
@@ -46,5 +46,3 @@ contains(QT_CONFIG, opengl)|contains(QT_CONFIG, opengles2) {
                opengl/qtriangulator.cpp
 
 }
-
-#INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
diff --git a/src/gui/text/text.pri b/src/gui/text/text.pri
index face6f248f..436b7c7aec 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/text.pri
+++ b/src/gui/text/text.pri
@@ -85,5 +85,3 @@ SOURCES += \
 
 HEADERS += \
       text/qplatformfontdatabase.h
-
-INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
diff --git a/src/opengl/opengl.pro b/src/opengl/opengl.pro
index 57892c7300..64b33b8c97 100644
--- a/src/opengl/opengl.pro
+++ b/src/opengl/opengl.pro
@@ -59,5 +59,3 @@ SOURCES +=  qglshaderprogram.cpp \
             gl2paintengineex/qtextureglyphcache_gl.cpp
 
 SOURCES +=  qgl_qpa.cpp
-
-INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
diff --git a/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/fontdatabases.pri b/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/fontdatabases.pri
index 0fc4e71a3f..003017473b 100644
--- a/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/fontdatabases.pri
+++ b/src/platformsupport/fontdatabases/fontdatabases.pri
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 DEFINES += QT_COMPILES_IN_HARFBUZZ
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 
 !win32|contains(QT_CONFIG, freetype):!mac {
     include($$PWD/basic/basic.pri)
diff --git a/src/plugins/platforms/windows/windows.pro b/src/plugins/platforms/windows/windows.pro
index 794bd3aa35..248c0992bf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/platforms/windows/windows.pro
+++ b/src/plugins/platforms/windows/windows.pro
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ QT *= core-private
 QT *= gui-private
 QT *= platformsupport-private
 
-INCLUDEPATH += ../../../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
-
 # Note: OpenGL32 must precede Gdi32 as it overwrites some functions.
 LIBS *= -lole32
 !wince*:LIBS *= -lgdi32 -luser32 -lwinspool -limm32 -lwinmm  -loleaut32
diff --git a/src/widgets/widgets.pro b/src/widgets/widgets.pro
index f8f00af69b..5f06d4a522 100644
--- a/src/widgets/widgets.pro
+++ b/src/widgets/widgets.pro
@@ -41,8 +41,6 @@ testcocoon {
     load(testcocoon)
 }
 
-INCLUDEPATH += ../3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
-
 win32:!contains(QT_CONFIG, directwrite) {
     DEFINES += QT_NO_DIRECTWRITE
 }
diff --git a/sync.profile b/sync.profile
index 2d7e054c1f..dd01df96d6 100644
--- a/sync.profile
+++ b/sync.profile
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
     "QtWidgets" => "$basedir/src/widgets",
     "QtPrintSupport" => "$basedir/src/printsupport",
     "QtOpenGL" => "$basedir/src/opengl",
-    "QtCore" => "$basedir/src/corelib",
+    "QtCore" => "$basedir/src/corelib;^$basedir/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src",
     "QtXml" => "$basedir/src/xml",
     "QtSql" => "$basedir/src/sql",
     "QtNetwork" => "$basedir/src/network",
@@ -74,10 +74,11 @@
 my @angle_headers = ('egl.h', 'eglext.h', 'eglplatform.h', 'gl2.h', 'gl2ext.h', 'gl2platform.h', 'ShaderLang.h', 'khrplatform.h');
 my @internal_zlib_headers = ( "crc32.h", "deflate.h", "gzguts.h", "inffast.h", "inffixed.h", "inflate.h", "inftrees.h", "trees.h", "zutil.h" );
 my @zlib_headers = ( "zconf.h", "zlib.h" );
+my @harfbuzz_headers = ( "harfbuzz-buffer-private.h", "harfbuzz-buffer.h", "harfbuzz-dump.h", "harfbuzz-external.h", "harfbuzz-gdef-private.h", "harfbuzz-gdef.h", "harfbuzz-global.h", "harfbuzz-gpos-private.h", "harfbuzz-gpos.h", "harfbuzz-gsub-private.h", "harfbuzz-gsub.h", "harfbuzz-impl.h", "harfbuzz-open-private.h", "harfbuzz-open.h", "harfbuzz-shape.h", "harfbuzz-shaper-private.h", "harfbuzz-shaper.h", "harfbuzz-stream-private.h", "harfbuzz-stream.h", "harfbuzz.h" );
 @ignore_headers = ( @internal_zlib_headers );
-@ignore_for_include_check = ( "qsystemdetection.h", "qcompilerdetection.h", "qprocessordetection.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers);
-@ignore_for_qt_begin_header_check = ( "qiconset.h", "qconfig.h", "qconfig-dist.h", "qconfig-large.h", "qconfig-medium.h", "qconfig-minimal.h", "qconfig-small.h", "qfeatures.h", "qt_windows.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers);
-@ignore_for_qt_begin_namespace_check = ( "qconfig.h", "qconfig-dist.h", "qconfig-large.h", "qconfig-medium.h", "qconfig-minimal.h", "qconfig-small.h", "qfeatures.h", "qatomic_arch.h", "qatomic_windowsce.h", "qt_windows.h", "qatomic_macosx.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers);
+@ignore_for_include_check = ( "qsystemdetection.h", "qcompilerdetection.h", "qprocessordetection.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers, @harfbuzz_headers);
+@ignore_for_qt_begin_header_check = ( "qiconset.h", "qconfig.h", "qconfig-dist.h", "qconfig-large.h", "qconfig-medium.h", "qconfig-minimal.h", "qconfig-small.h", "qfeatures.h", "qt_windows.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers, @harfbuzz_headers);
+@ignore_for_qt_begin_namespace_check = ( "qconfig.h", "qconfig-dist.h", "qconfig-large.h", "qconfig-medium.h", "qconfig-minimal.h", "qconfig-small.h", "qfeatures.h", "qatomic_arch.h", "qatomic_windowsce.h", "qt_windows.h", "qatomic_macosx.h", @zlib_headers, @angle_headers, @harfbuzz_headers);
 %inject_headers = ( "$basedir/src/corelib/global" => [ "qconfig.h" ] );
 # Module dependencies.
 # Every module that is required to build this module should have one entry.
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/text/qrawfont/qrawfont.pro b/tests/auto/gui/text/qrawfont/qrawfont.pro
index b764cfbee0..ce4d0aec40 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/text/qrawfont/qrawfont.pro
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/text/qrawfont/qrawfont.pro
@@ -7,7 +7,5 @@ QT = core core-private gui gui-private testlib
 SOURCES += \
     tst_qrawfont.cpp
 
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
-
 TESTDATA += testfont_bold_italic.ttf  testfont.ttf
 DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextlayout/qtextlayout.pro b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextlayout/qtextlayout.pro
index 696fae0a9c..9833a5bd1a 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextlayout/qtextlayout.pro
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextlayout/qtextlayout.pro
@@ -4,5 +4,4 @@ QT += core-private gui-private testlib
 HEADERS += 
 SOURCES += tst_qtextlayout.cpp 
 DEFINES += QT_COMPILES_IN_HARFBUZZ
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/generate/generate.pro b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/generate/generate.pro
index 94500e4195..bd85c108c2 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/generate/generate.pro
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/generate/generate.pro
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 CONFIG -= moc
+QT += core-private   # for harfbuzz
 INCLUDEPATH += . /usr/include/freetype2
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 
 SOURCES += main.cpp
 DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/qtextscriptengine.pro b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/qtextscriptengine.pro
index 37eab00c8d..e355a90e5c 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/qtextscriptengine.pro
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/qtextscriptengine.pro
@@ -6,5 +6,4 @@ QT += core-private gui-private testlib
 
 HEADERS += 
 SOURCES += tst_qtextscriptengine.cpp 
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
diff --git a/tests/auto/other/qcomplextext/qcomplextext.pro b/tests/auto/other/qcomplextext/qcomplextext.pro
index f6c0c261be..7848028134 100644
--- a/tests/auto/other/qcomplextext/qcomplextext.pro
+++ b/tests/auto/other/qcomplextext/qcomplextext.pro
@@ -4,5 +4,4 @@ TARGET = tst_qcomplextext
 QT += widgets widgets-private testlib
 QT += core-private gui-private
 SOURCES  += tst_qcomplextext.cpp
-INCLUDEPATH += $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
 DEFINES += QT_DISABLE_DEPRECATED_BEFORE=0
diff --git a/tests/benchmarks/gui/painting/qtracebench/qtracebench.pro b/tests/benchmarks/gui/painting/qtracebench/qtracebench.pro
index f5ec44f4d8..d8c5c8e85b 100644
--- a/tests/benchmarks/gui/painting/qtracebench/qtracebench.pro
+++ b/tests/benchmarks/gui/painting/qtracebench/qtracebench.pro
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ QT += core-private gui-private widgets-private
 TEMPLATE = app
 TARGET = tst_qtracebench
 
-INCLUDEPATH += . $$QT_SOURCE_TREE/src/3rdparty/harfbuzz/src
-
 RESOURCES += qtracebench.qrc
 
 SOURCES += tst_qtracebench.cpp