diff --git a/src/corelib/CMakeLists.txt b/src/corelib/CMakeLists.txt
index faaa0ff0210..5a12a07d891 100644
--- a/src/corelib/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/corelib/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -133,7 +133,6 @@ qt_internal_add_module(Core
         kernel/qcoreapplication_platform.h
         kernel/qcorecmdlineargs_p.h
         kernel/qcoreevent.cpp kernel/qcoreevent.h
-        kernel/qcoreglobaldata.cpp kernel/qcoreglobaldata_p.h
         kernel/qdeadlinetimer.cpp kernel/qdeadlinetimer.h kernel/qdeadlinetimer_p.h
         kernel/qelapsedtimer.cpp kernel/qelapsedtimer.h
         kernel/qeventloop.cpp kernel/qeventloop.h kernel/qeventloop_p.h
diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qdir.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qdir.cpp
index dc0461a1e2c..694f0ef87dc 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qdir.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qdir.cpp
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@
 #include "qfilesystemengine_p.h"
 #include <qstringbuilder.h>
 
-#ifdef QT_BUILD_CORE_LIB
-#  include "private/qcoreglobaldata_p.h"
+#ifndef QT_BOOTSTRAPPED
+# include "qreadwritelock.h"
 #endif
 
 #include <algorithm>
@@ -1019,7 +1019,17 @@ void QDir::setNameFilters(const QStringList &nameFilters)
     d->nameFilters = nameFilters;
 }
 
-#ifdef QT_BUILD_CORE_LIB
+#ifndef QT_BOOTSTRAPPED
+
+namespace {
+struct DirSearchPaths {
+    mutable QReadWriteLock mutex;
+    QHash<QString, QStringList> paths;
+};
+}
+
+Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(DirSearchPaths, dirSearchPaths)
+
 /*!
     \since 4.3
 
@@ -1054,12 +1064,12 @@ void QDir::setSearchPaths(const QString &prefix, const QStringList &searchPaths)
         }
     }
 
-    QWriteLocker lock(&QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPathsLock);
-    QHash<QString, QStringList> &paths = QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPaths;
+    DirSearchPaths &conf = *dirSearchPaths;
+    const QWriteLocker lock(&conf.mutex);
     if (searchPaths.isEmpty()) {
-        paths.remove(prefix);
+        conf.paths.remove(prefix);
     } else {
-        paths.insert(prefix, searchPaths);
+        conf.paths.insert(prefix, searchPaths);
     }
 }
 
@@ -1075,8 +1085,9 @@ void QDir::addSearchPath(const QString &prefix, const QString &path)
     if (path.isEmpty())
         return;
 
-    QWriteLocker lock(&QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPathsLock);
-    QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPaths[prefix] += path;
+    DirSearchPaths &conf = *dirSearchPaths;
+    const QWriteLocker lock(&conf.mutex);
+    conf.paths[prefix] += path;
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -1088,11 +1099,15 @@ void QDir::addSearchPath(const QString &prefix, const QString &path)
 */
 QStringList QDir::searchPaths(const QString &prefix)
 {
-    QReadLocker lock(&QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPathsLock);
-    return QCoreGlobalData::instance()->dirSearchPaths.value(prefix);
+    if (!dirSearchPaths.exists())
+        return QStringList();
+
+    const DirSearchPaths &conf = *dirSearchPaths;
+    const QReadLocker lock(&conf.mutex);
+    return conf.paths.value(prefix);
 }
 
-#endif // QT_BUILD_CORE_LIB
+#endif // QT_BOOTSTRAPPED
 
 /*!
     Returns the value set by setFilter()
diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qdir.h b/src/corelib/io/qdir.h
index ba03686f854..b516777fb8f 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qdir.h
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qdir.h
@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@ public:
     { return QtPrivate::toFilesystemPath(canonicalPath()); }
 #endif // QT_CONFIG(cxx17_filesystem)
 
+#ifndef QT_BOOTSTRAPPED
     static void setSearchPaths(const QString &prefix, const QStringList &searchPaths);
     static void addSearchPath(const QString &prefix, const QString &path);
 #ifdef Q_CLANG_QDOC
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ public:
     }
 #endif // QT_CONFIG(cxx17_filesystem)
     static QStringList searchPaths(const QString &prefix);
+#endif // QT_BOOTSTRAPPED
 
     QString dirName() const;
     QString filePath(const QString &fileName) const;
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata.cpp b/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata.cpp
deleted file mode 100644
index d9ad6f27181..00000000000
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata.cpp
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (C) 2016 The Qt Company Ltd.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Qt-Commercial OR LGPL-3.0-only OR GPL-2.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only
-
-#include "qcoreglobaldata_p.h"
-
-QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
-
-Q_GLOBAL_STATIC(QCoreGlobalData, globalInstance)
-
-QCoreGlobalData::QCoreGlobalData()
-{
-}
-
-QCoreGlobalData::~QCoreGlobalData()
-{
-}
-
-QCoreGlobalData *QCoreGlobalData::instance()
-{
-    return globalInstance();
-}
-
-QT_END_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata_p.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata_p.h
deleted file mode 100644
index 030f5ed2cbd..00000000000
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata_p.h
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-// Copyright (C) 2016 The Qt Company Ltd.
-// SPDX-License-Identifier: LicenseRef-Qt-Commercial OR LGPL-3.0-only OR GPL-2.0-only OR GPL-3.0-only
-
-#ifndef QCOREGLOBALDATA_P_H
-#define QCOREGLOBALDATA_P_H
-
-//
-//  W A R N I N G
-//  -------------
-//
-// This file is not part of the Qt API.  It exists purely as an
-// implementation detail.  This header file may change from version to
-// version without notice, or even be removed.
-//
-// We mean it.
-//
-
-#include <QtCore/private/qglobal_p.h>
-#include "QtCore/qstringlist.h"
-#include "QtCore/qreadwritelock.h"
-#include "QtCore/qhash.h"
-#include "QtCore/qbytearray.h"
-#include "QtCore/qmutex.h"
-
-QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
-
-struct QCoreGlobalData
-{
-    QCoreGlobalData();
-    ~QCoreGlobalData();
-
-    QHash<QString, QStringList> dirSearchPaths;
-    QReadWriteLock dirSearchPathsLock;
-
-    static QCoreGlobalData *instance();
-};
-
-QT_END_NAMESPACE
-#endif // QCOREGLOBALDATA_P_H
diff --git a/src/tools/bootstrap/CMakeLists.txt b/src/tools/bootstrap/CMakeLists.txt
index cac8689be31..4f0e1680bbf 100644
--- a/src/tools/bootstrap/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/tools/bootstrap/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ qt_internal_extend_target(Bootstrap
         ../../corelib/io/qstandardpaths.cpp
         ../../corelib/io/qtemporaryfile.cpp
         ../../corelib/kernel/qcoreapplication.cpp
-        ../../corelib/kernel/qcoreglobaldata.cpp
         ../../corelib/kernel/qiterable.cpp
         ../../corelib/kernel/qmetacontainer.cpp
         ../../corelib/kernel/qmetatype.cpp