diff --git a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
index f9c08cd78e4..4a18c6b781e 100644
--- a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
@@ -1031,6 +1031,21 @@ QDataStream &QDataStream::operator>>(char32_t &c)
     return *this;
 }
 
+/*!
+    \relates QChar
+
+    Reads a char from the stream \a in into char \a chr.
+
+    \sa {Serializing Qt Data Types}
+*/
+QDataStream &operator>>(QDataStream &in, QChar &chr)
+{
+    quint16 u;
+    in >> u;
+    chr.unicode() = char16_t(u);
+    return in;
+}
+
 #if QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
 
 /*!
@@ -1383,6 +1398,19 @@ QDataStream &QDataStream::operator<<(char32_t c)
     return *this << qint32(c);
 }
 
+/*!
+    \relates QChar
+
+    Writes the char \a chr to the stream \a out.
+
+    \sa {Serializing Qt Data Types}
+*/
+QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, QChar chr)
+{
+    out << quint16(chr.unicode());
+    return out;
+}
+
 /*!
     Writes the length specifier \a len and the buffer \a s to the
     stream and returns a reference to the stream.
diff --git a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
index 76107aa93b0..730334ef83a 100644
--- a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
+++ b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
@@ -4,10 +4,11 @@
 #ifndef QDATASTREAM_H
 #define QDATASTREAM_H
 
-#include <QtCore/qscopedpointer.h>
-#include <QtCore/qiodevicebase.h>
+#include <QtCore/qchar.h>
 #include <QtCore/qcontainerfwd.h>
+#include <QtCore/qiodevicebase.h>
 #include <QtCore/qnamespace.h>
+#include <QtCore/qscopedpointer.h>
 #include <QtCore/qttypetraits.h>
 
 #include <iterator>         // std::distance(), std::next()
@@ -548,6 +549,9 @@ operator>>(QDataStream &s, T &t)
     return s;
 }
 
+Q_CORE_EXPORT QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, QChar chr);
+Q_CORE_EXPORT QDataStream &operator>>(QDataStream &in, QChar &chr);
+
 #ifndef Q_QDOC
 
 template<typename T>
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qchar.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qchar.cpp
index 34d3d0898ed..7308d5dd888 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qchar.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qchar.cpp
@@ -3,8 +3,6 @@
 
 #include "qchar.h"
 
-#include "qdatastream.h"
-
 #include "qunicodetables_p.h"
 #include "qunicodetables.cpp"
 
@@ -1741,36 +1739,6 @@ char32_t QChar::toCaseFolded(char32_t ucs4) noexcept
     \sa toLatin1(), unicode()
 */
 
-#ifndef QT_NO_DATASTREAM
-/*!
-    \relates QChar
-
-    Writes the char \a chr to the stream \a out.
-
-    \sa {Serializing Qt Data Types}
-*/
-QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &out, QChar chr)
-{
-    out << quint16(chr.unicode());
-    return out;
-}
-
-/*!
-    \relates QChar
-
-    Reads a char from the stream \a in into char \a chr.
-
-    \sa {Serializing Qt Data Types}
-*/
-QDataStream &operator>>(QDataStream &in, QChar &chr)
-{
-    quint16 u;
-    in >> u;
-    chr.unicode() = char16_t(u);
-    return in;
-}
-#endif // QT_NO_DATASTREAM
-
 /*!
     \fn QChar::unicode()
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qchar.h b/src/corelib/text/qchar.h
index c090da824ef..a0108d39b2b 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qchar.h
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qchar.h
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
-class QDataStream;
 class QString;
 
 struct QLatin1Char
@@ -680,11 +679,6 @@ private:
 
 Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO(QChar, Q_PRIMITIVE_TYPE);
 
-#ifndef QT_NO_DATASTREAM
-Q_CORE_EXPORT QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &, QChar);
-Q_CORE_EXPORT QDataStream &operator>>(QDataStream &, QChar &);
-#endif
-
 namespace Qt {
 inline namespace Literals {
 inline namespace StringLiterals {