diff --git a/src/corelib/thread/qthread.cpp b/src/corelib/thread/qthread.cpp
index 5e37739a1eb..7de449c16cc 100644
--- a/src/corelib/thread/qthread.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/thread/qthread.cpp
@@ -94,22 +94,6 @@ QThreadData::~QThreadData()
     // fprintf(stderr, "QThreadData %p destroyed\n", this);
 }
 
-void QThreadData::ref()
-{
-#if QT_CONFIG(thread)
-    (void) _ref.ref();
-    Q_ASSERT(_ref.loadRelaxed() != 0);
-#endif
-}
-
-void QThreadData::deref()
-{
-#if QT_CONFIG(thread)
-    if (!_ref.deref())
-        delete this;
-#endif
-}
-
 QAbstractEventDispatcher *QThreadData::createEventDispatcher()
 {
     QAbstractEventDispatcher *ed = QThreadPrivate::createEventDispatcher(this);
diff --git a/src/corelib/thread/qthread_p.h b/src/corelib/thread/qthread_p.h
index afb10fbf9ac..abd789eab6d 100644
--- a/src/corelib/thread/qthread_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/thread/qthread_p.h
@@ -296,9 +296,21 @@ public:
     static QThreadData *get2(QThread *thread)
     { Q_ASSERT_X(thread != nullptr, "QThread", "internal error"); return thread->d_func()->data; }
 
-
-    void ref();
-    void deref();
+#if QT_CONFIG(thread)
+    void ref()
+    {
+        (void) _ref.ref();
+        Q_ASSERT(_ref.loadRelaxed() != 0);
+    }
+    void deref()
+    {
+        if (!_ref.deref())
+            delete this;
+    }
+#else
+    void ref() {}
+    void deref() {}
+#endif
     inline bool hasEventDispatcher() const
     { return eventDispatcher.loadRelaxed() != nullptr; }
     QAbstractEventDispatcher *createEventDispatcher();