diff --git a/mkspecs/common/shell-unix.conf b/mkspecs/common/shell-unix.conf
index a89486723f6..967a658cff8 100644
--- a/mkspecs/common/shell-unix.conf
+++ b/mkspecs/common/shell-unix.conf
@@ -8,5 +8,6 @@ QMAKE_MOVE             = mv -f
 QMAKE_DEL_FILE         = rm -f
 QMAKE_DEL_DIR          = rmdir
 QMAKE_CHK_DIR_EXISTS   = test -d
+QMAKE_CHK_EXISTS_GLUE  = "|| "
 QMAKE_MKDIR            = mkdir -p
 QMAKE_STREAM_EDITOR    = sed
diff --git a/mkspecs/common/shell-win32.conf b/mkspecs/common/shell-win32.conf
index ee137544dc8..16f86e5e271 100644
--- a/mkspecs/common/shell-win32.conf
+++ b/mkspecs/common/shell-win32.conf
@@ -6,4 +6,5 @@ QMAKE_MOVE             = move
 QMAKE_DEL_FILE         = del
 QMAKE_DEL_DIR          = rmdir
 QMAKE_CHK_DIR_EXISTS   = if not exist
+QMAKE_CHK_EXISTS_GLUE  =
 QMAKE_MKDIR            = mkdir
diff --git a/qmake/generators/makefile.cpp b/qmake/generators/makefile.cpp
index 7b296151f2b..a14e7233f69 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/makefile.cpp
+++ b/qmake/generators/makefile.cpp
@@ -98,12 +98,7 @@ QString MakefileGenerator::mkdir_p_asstring(const QString &dir, bool escape) con
         ret += escapeFilePath(dir);
     else
         ret += dir;
-    ret += " ";
-    if(isWindowsShell())
-        ret += "$(MKDIR)";
-    else
-        ret += "|| $(MKDIR)";
-    ret += " ";
+    ret += " " + chkglue + "$(MKDIR) ";
     if(escape)
         ret += escapeFilePath(dir);
     else
@@ -433,6 +428,9 @@ MakefileGenerator::init()
     QHash<QString, QStringList> &v = project->variables();
 
     chkdir = v["QMAKE_CHK_DIR_EXISTS"].join(" ");
+    chkglue = v["QMAKE_CHK_EXISTS_GLUE"].join(" ");
+    if (chkglue.isEmpty()) // Backwards compat with Qt4 specs
+        chkglue = isWindowsShell() ? "" : "|| ";
 
     QStringList &quc = v["QMAKE_EXTRA_COMPILERS"];
 
diff --git a/qmake/generators/makefile.h b/qmake/generators/makefile.h
index 44fba2d93b1..3a41fb4a9a5 100644
--- a/qmake/generators/makefile.h
+++ b/qmake/generators/makefile.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ class MakefileGenerator : protected QMakeSourceFileInfo
     QString spec;
     bool init_opath_already, init_already, no_io;
     QHash<QString, bool> init_compiler_already;
-    QString chkdir;
+    QString chkdir, chkglue;
     QString build_args(const QString &outdir=QString());
     void checkMultipleDefinition(const QString &, const QString &);