diff --git a/configure b/configure
index 625f6e7195..876dd07d60 100755
--- a/configure
+++ b/configure
@@ -3541,7 +3541,6 @@ fi
 # symlink includes
 if [ -n "$PERL" ] && [ -x "$relpath/bin/syncqt" ]; then
     SYNCQT_OPTS=
-    [ "$CFG_DEV" = "yes" ] && SYNCQT_OPTS="$SYNCQT_OPTS -check-includes"
     if [ "$OPT_SHADOW" = "yes" ]; then
         "$outpath/bin/syncqt" $SYNCQT_OPTS "$relpath" || exit 1
     elif [ "$CFG_DEV" = "yes" ] || [ ! -d $relpath/include ] || [ -d $relpath/.git ]; then
diff --git a/mkspecs/features/default_pre.prf b/mkspecs/features/default_pre.prf
index 6eb3a396e9..5ba2fdb551 100644
--- a/mkspecs/features/default_pre.prf
+++ b/mkspecs/features/default_pre.prf
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ CONFIG = lex yacc warn_on debug exceptions depend_includepath $$CONFIG
     }
 
     qtPrepareTool(QMAKE_SYNCQT, syncqt)
+    contains(QT_CONFIG, private_tests): \   # -developer-build
+        QMAKE_SYNCQT += -check-includes
     isEmpty(MODULE_BASE_OUTDIR): MODULE_BASE_OUTDIR = $$OUT_PWD
     MSG = $$quote($$QMAKE_SYNCQT -qtdir $$[QT_HOST_DATA/get] -outdir $$MODULE_BASE_OUTDIR $$_PRO_FILE_PWD_)
     !silent:message($$MSG)