diff --git a/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp b/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
index 7ff1d97b16..bfe9f08e77 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
@@ -816,7 +816,7 @@ ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator::writeMakeParts(QTextStream &t)
             for(int x = 0; x < tmp.count();) {
                 bool remove = false;
                 QString library, name;
-                ProString opt = tmp[x].trimmed();
+                ProString opt = tmp[x];
                 if(opt.startsWith("-L")) {
                     QString r = opt.mid(2).toQString();
                     fixForOutput(r);
diff --git a/qmake/generators/unix/unixmake.cpp b/qmake/generators/unix/unixmake.cpp
index 03196fbc3a..8fc4d6daef 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/unix/unixmake.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/unix/unixmake.cpp
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ UnixMakefileGenerator::findLibraries()
     for (int i = 0; lflags[i]; i++) {
         ProStringList &l = project->values(lflags[i]);
         for (ProStringList::Iterator it = l.begin(); it != l.end(); ) {
-            QString stub, dir, extn, opt = (*it).trimmed().toQString();
+            QString stub, dir, extn, opt = (*it).toQString();
             if(opt.startsWith("-")) {
                 if(opt.startsWith("-L")) {
                     QString lib = opt.mid(2);
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ UnixMakefileGenerator::processPrlFiles()
     for (int i = 0; lflags[i]; i++) {
         ProStringList &l = project->values(lflags[i]);
         for(int lit = 0; lit < l.size(); ++lit) {
-            QString opt = l.at(lit).trimmed().toQString();
+            QString opt = l.at(lit).toQString();
             if(opt.startsWith("-")) {
                 if (opt.startsWith(libArg)) {
                     QMakeLocalFileName l(opt.mid(libArg.length()));
@@ -589,10 +589,9 @@ UnixMakefileGenerator::processPrlFiles()
                         frameworkdirs.insert(fwidx++, f);
                 } else if (target_mode == TARG_MAC_MODE && opt.startsWith("-framework")) {
                     if(opt.length() > 11)
-                        opt = opt.mid(11);
+                        opt = opt.mid(11).trimmed();
                     else
                         opt = l.at(++lit).toQString();
-                    opt = opt.trimmed();
                     foreach (const QMakeLocalFileName &dir, frameworkdirs) {
                         QString prl = dir.local() + "/" + opt + ".framework/" + opt + Option::prl_ext;
                         if(processPrlFile(prl))
@@ -624,7 +623,7 @@ UnixMakefileGenerator::processPrlFiles()
             QHash<ProKey, ProStringList> lflags;
             for(int lit = 0; lit < l.size(); ++lit) {
                 ProKey arch("default");
-                ProString opt = l.at(lit).trimmed();
+                ProString opt = l.at(lit);
                 if(opt.startsWith("-")) {
                     if (target_mode == TARG_MAC_MODE && opt.startsWith("-Xarch")) {
                         if (opt.length() > 7) {
diff --git a/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_objectmodel.cpp b/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_objectmodel.cpp
index 09937c8ac2..11e93e54c2 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_objectmodel.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_objectmodel.cpp
@@ -2412,7 +2412,7 @@ bool VCFilter::addExtraCompiler(const VCFilterFile &info)
         // Make sure that all deps are only once
         QStringList uniqDeps;
         for (int c = 0; c < deps.count(); ++c) {
-            QString aDep = deps.at(c).trimmed();
+            QString aDep = deps.at(c);
             if (!aDep.isEmpty())
                 uniqDeps << aDep;
         }
diff --git a/qmake/generators/win32/winmakefile.cpp b/qmake/generators/win32/winmakefile.cpp
index 8a41bb7c1e..55da3d579e 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/win32/winmakefile.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/win32/winmakefile.cpp
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ Win32MakefileGenerator::findLibraries()
     ProStringList &l = project->values(lflags[i]);
     for (ProStringList::Iterator it = l.begin(); it != l.end();) {
         bool remove = false;
-        QString opt = (*it).trimmed().toQString();
+        QString opt = (*it).toQString();
         if(opt.startsWith("/LIBPATH:")) {
             QString libpath = opt.mid(9);
             QMakeLocalFileName l(libpath);
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ Win32MakefileGenerator::processPrlFiles()
     for (int i = 0; lflags[i]; i++) {
         ProStringList &l = project->values(lflags[i]);
         for (int lit = 0; lit < l.size(); ++lit) {
-            QString opt = l.at(lit).trimmed().toQString();
+            QString opt = l.at(lit).toQString();
             if (opt.startsWith(libArg)) {
                 QMakeLocalFileName l(opt.mid(libArg.length()));
                 if (!libdirs.contains(l))
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ Win32MakefileGenerator::processPrlFiles()
         if (!project->isActiveConfig("no_smart_library_merge") && !project->isActiveConfig("no_lflags_merge")) {
             ProStringList lflags;
             for (int lit = 0; lit < l.size(); ++lit) {
-                ProString opt = l.at(lit).trimmed();
+                ProString opt = l.at(lit);
                 if (opt.startsWith(libArg)) {
                     if (!lflags.contains(opt))
                         lflags.append(opt);