diff --git a/src/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget.cpp b/src/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget.cpp
index f76975859f4..a9b65a2e1c1 100644
--- a/src/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget.cpp
@@ -815,6 +815,10 @@ void QDockWidgetPrivate::endDrag(EndDragMode mode)
         Q_ASSERT(mainWindow != nullptr);
         QMainWindowLayout *mwLayout = qt_mainwindow_layout(mainWindow);
 
+        // if mainWindow is being deleted in an ongoing drag, make it a no-op instead of crashing
+        if (!mwLayout)
+            return;
+
         if (mode == EndDragMode::Abort || !mwLayout->plug(state->widgetItem)) {
             if (hasFeature(this, QDockWidget::DockWidgetFloatable)) {
                 // This QDockWidget will now stay in the floating state.
diff --git a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindow.cpp b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindow.cpp
index 662c9db8928..304682731a1 100644
--- a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindow.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindow.cpp
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public:
             , useUnifiedToolBar(false)
 #endif
     { }
-    QMainWindowLayout *layout;
+    QPointer<QMainWindowLayout> layout;
     QSize iconSize;
     bool explicitIconSize;
     Qt::ToolButtonStyle toolButtonStyle;
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ public:
 
     static inline QMainWindowLayout *mainWindowLayout(const QMainWindow *mainWindow)
     {
-        return mainWindow ? mainWindow->d_func()->layout : static_cast<QMainWindowLayout *>(nullptr);
+        return mainWindow ? mainWindow->d_func()->layout.data() : static_cast<QMainWindowLayout *>(nullptr);
     }
 };