diff --git a/src/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo.cpp b/src/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo.cpp
index 4d0ce966970..6ffaef8f7c9 100644
--- a/src/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo.cpp
@@ -566,6 +566,17 @@ static QString normalizePath(QString ret)
     return QDir::fromNativeSeparators(ret);
 };
 
+static bool keepQtBuildDefaults()
+{
+#if QT_CONFIG(settings)
+    QSettings *config = QLibraryInfoPrivate::configuration();
+    Q_ASSERT(config != nullptr);
+    return config->value("Config/MergeQtConf", false).toBool();
+#else
+    return false;
+#endif
+}
+
 #if QT_CONFIG(settings)
 static QVariant libraryPathToValue(QLibraryInfo::LibraryPath loc)
 {
@@ -575,21 +586,26 @@ static QVariant libraryPathToValue(QLibraryInfo::LibraryPath loc)
         return value;
     QSettings *config = QLibraryInfoPrivate::configuration();
     Q_ASSERT(config != nullptr);
+    // if keepQtBuildDefaults returns true,
+    // we only consider explicit values listed in qt.conf
+    QVariant defaultValue = keepQtBuildDefaults()
+            ? QVariant()
+            : QVariant(li.defaultValue);
     config->beginGroup("Paths"_L1);
     auto cleanup = qScopeGuard([&]() { config->endGroup(); });
     if (li.fallbackKey.isNull()) {
-        value = config->value(li.key, li.defaultValue);
+        value = config->value(li.key, defaultValue);
     } else {
         value = config->value(li.key);
         if (!value.isValid())
-            value = config->value(li.fallbackKey, li.defaultValue);
+            value = config->value(li.fallbackKey, defaultValue);
     }
     return value;
 }
 #endif // settings
 
 QStringList QLibraryInfoPrivate::paths(QLibraryInfo::LibraryPath p,
-                                       QLibraryInfoPrivate::UsageMode usageMode)
+                                       UsageMode usageMode)
 {
     const QLibraryInfo::LibraryPath loc = p;
     QList<QString> ret;
@@ -611,7 +627,7 @@ QStringList QLibraryInfoPrivate::paths(QLibraryInfo::LibraryPath p,
     }
 #endif // settings
 
-    if (!fromConf) {
+    if (!fromConf || keepQtBuildDefaults()) {
         QString noConfResult;
         if (loc == QLibraryInfo::PrefixPath) {
             noConfResult = getPrefix(usageMode);
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/CMakeLists.txt
index 33198dd3f04..d72e871967e 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -20,4 +20,5 @@ qt_add_resources(tst_qlibraryinfo "qtconffiles"
         empty.qt.conf
         partial.qt.conf
         list.qt.conf
+        merge.qt.conf
 )
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/merge.qt.conf b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/merge.qt.conf
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a687dc4d718
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/merge.qt.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[Paths]
+QmlImports = "/path/to/myqml"
+
+[Config]
+MergeQtConf=true
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/tst_qlibraryinfo.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/tst_qlibraryinfo.cpp
index 63b5cddcb02..b7d79c05f57 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/tst_qlibraryinfo.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/global/qlibraryinfo/tst_qlibraryinfo.cpp
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ private slots:
     void path_data();
     void path();
     void paths();
+    void merge();
 };
 
 void tst_QLibraryInfo::initTestCase()
@@ -80,6 +81,23 @@ void tst_QLibraryInfo::paths()
     QCOMPARE(values[2], baseDir + "/relativePath");
 }
 
+void tst_QLibraryInfo::merge()
+{
+    QString qtConfPath(u":/merge.qt.conf");
+    QLibraryInfoPrivate::setQtconfManualPath(&qtConfPath);
+    QLibraryInfoPrivate::reload();
+
+    QString baseDir = QCoreApplication::applicationDirPath();
+    QString docPath = QLibraryInfo::path(QLibraryInfo::DocumentationPath);
+    // we can't know where exactly the doc path points, but it should not point to ${baseDir}/doc,
+    // which would be the  behavior without merge_qt_conf
+    QCOMPARE_NE(docPath, baseDir + "/doc");
+
+    QList<QString> values = QLibraryInfo::paths(QLibraryInfo::QmlImportsPath);
+    QCOMPARE(values.size(), 2); // custom entry + Qt default entry
+    QCOMPARE(values[0], "/path/to/myqml");
+}
+
 QTEST_GUILESS_MAIN(tst_QLibraryInfo)
 
 #include "tst_qlibraryinfo.moc"