diff --git a/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_nmake.cpp b/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_nmake.cpp
index ae139c23be..41bec4c36d 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_nmake.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/win32/msvc_nmake.cpp
@@ -409,14 +409,21 @@ void NmakeMakefileGenerator::init()
         project->values("QMAKE_DISTCLEAN").append(tgt + ".lib");
     }
     if (project->isActiveConfig("debug_info")) {
-        // Add the compiler's PDB file.
-        QString pdbfile = var("OBJECTS_DIR") + project->first("TARGET") + ".vc.pdb";
+        QString pdbfile;
+        QString distPdbFile = tgt + ".pdb";
+        if (project->isActiveConfig("staticlib")) {
+            // For static libraries, the compiler's pdb file and the dist pdb file are the same.
+            pdbfile = distPdbFile;
+        } else {
+            // Use $${TARGET}.vc.pdb in the OBJECTS_DIR for the compiler and
+            // $${TARGET}.pdb (the default) for the linker.
+            pdbfile = var("OBJECTS_DIR") + project->first("TARGET") + ".vc.pdb";
+        }
         QString escapedPdbFile = escapeFilePath(pdbfile);
         project->values("QMAKE_CFLAGS").append("/Fd" + escapedPdbFile);
         project->values("QMAKE_CXXFLAGS").append("/Fd" + escapedPdbFile);
         project->values("QMAKE_CLEAN").append(pdbfile);
-        // Add the linker's PDB file to the distclean target.
-        project->values("QMAKE_DISTCLEAN").append(tgt + ".pdb");
+        project->values("QMAKE_DISTCLEAN").append(distPdbFile);
     }
     if (project->isActiveConfig("debug")) {
         project->values("QMAKE_CLEAN").append(tgt + ".ilk");