diff --git a/src/gui/util/qdesktopservices.cpp b/src/gui/util/qdesktopservices.cpp
index fd3761a4734..8f237960d65 100644
--- a/src/gui/util/qdesktopservices.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/util/qdesktopservices.cpp
@@ -74,13 +74,16 @@ public:
     typedef QHash<QString, Handler> HandlerHash;
     HandlerHash handlers;
 
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 6, 0)
 public Q_SLOTS:
     void handlerDestroyed(QObject *handler);
+#endif
 
 };
 
 Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(QOpenUrlHandlerRegistry, handlerRegistry)
 
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 6, 0)
 void QOpenUrlHandlerRegistry::handlerDestroyed(QObject *handler)
 {
     const auto lock = qt_scoped_lock(mutex);
@@ -88,11 +91,16 @@ void QOpenUrlHandlerRegistry::handlerDestroyed(QObject *handler)
     while (it != handlers.end()) {
         if (it->receiver == handler) {
             it = handlers.erase(it);
+            qWarning("Please call QDesktopServices::unsetUrlHandler() before destroying a "
+                     "registered URL handler object.\n"
+                     "Support for destroying a registered URL handler object is deprecated, "
+                     "and will be removed in Qt 6.6.");
         } else {
             ++it;
         }
     }
 }
+#endif
 
 /*!
     \class QDesktopServices
@@ -255,6 +263,10 @@ bool QDesktopServices::openUrl(const QUrl &url)
     Note that the handler will always be called from within the same thread that
     calls QDesktopServices::openUrl().
 
+    You must call unsetUrlHandler() before destroying the handler object, so
+    the destruction of the handler object does not overlap with concurrent
+    invocations of openUrl() using it.
+
     \section1 iOS
 
     To use this function for receiving data from other apps on iOS you also need to
@@ -323,14 +335,20 @@ void QDesktopServices::setUrlHandler(const QString &scheme, QObject *receiver, c
     h.receiver = receiver;
     h.name = method;
     registry->handlers.insert(scheme.toLower(), h);
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 6, 0)
     QObject::connect(receiver, SIGNAL(destroyed(QObject*)),
                      registry, SLOT(handlerDestroyed(QObject*)),
                      Qt::DirectConnection);
+#endif
 }
 
 /*!
     Removes a previously set URL handler for the specified \a scheme.
 
+    Call this function before the handler object that was registered for \a scheme
+    is destroyed, to prevent concurrent openUrl() calls from continuing to call
+    the destroyed handler object.
+
     \sa setUrlHandler()
 */
 void QDesktopServices::unsetUrlHandler(const QString &scheme)
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/util/qdesktopservices/tst_qdesktopservices.cpp b/tests/auto/gui/util/qdesktopservices/tst_qdesktopservices.cpp
index 7446f8ed9fa..4df34280b04 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/util/qdesktopservices/tst_qdesktopservices.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/util/qdesktopservices/tst_qdesktopservices.cpp
@@ -65,6 +65,10 @@ public slots:
     }
 };
 
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 6, 0)
+# define CAN_IMPLICITLY_UNSET
+#endif
+
 void tst_qdesktopservices::handlers()
 {
     MyUrlHandler fooHandler;
@@ -72,6 +76,12 @@ void tst_qdesktopservices::handlers()
 
     QDesktopServices::setUrlHandler(QString("foo"), &fooHandler, "handle");
     QDesktopServices::setUrlHandler(QString("bar"), &barHandler, "handle");
+#ifndef CAN_IMPLICITLY_UNSET
+    const auto unsetHandlers = qScopeGuard([] {
+        QDesktopServices::unsetUrlHandler(u"bar"_qs);
+        QDesktopServices::unsetUrlHandler(u"foo"_qs);
+    });
+#endif
 
     QUrl fooUrl("foo://blub/meh");
     QUrl barUrl("bar://hmm/hmmmm");
@@ -81,6 +91,15 @@ void tst_qdesktopservices::handlers()
 
     QCOMPARE(fooHandler.lastHandledUrl.toString(), fooUrl.toString());
     QCOMPARE(barHandler.lastHandledUrl.toString(), barUrl.toString());
+
+#ifdef CAN_IMPLICITLY_UNSET
+    for (int i = 0; i < 2; ++i)
+        QTest::ignoreMessage(QtWarningMsg,
+                             "Please call QDesktopServices::unsetUrlHandler() before destroying a "
+                             "registered URL handler object.\n"
+                             "Support for destroying a registered URL handler object is deprecated, "
+                             "and will be removed in Qt 6.6.");
+#endif
 }
 
 QTEST_MAIN(tst_qdesktopservices)