diff --git a/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices.cpp b/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices.cpp
index 226bd338a2c..144a33614c2 100644
--- a/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices.cpp
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ QDesktopUnixServices::QDesktopUnixServices()
 
     QDBusPendingCall pendingCall = QDBusConnection::sessionBus().asyncCall(message);
     auto watcher = new QDBusPendingCallWatcher(pendingCall);
-    m_watcherConnection =
+    m_watcher = watcher;
             QObject::connect(watcher, &QDBusPendingCallWatcher::finished, watcher,
                      [this](QDBusPendingCallWatcher *watcher) {
                          watcher->deleteLater();
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ QDesktopUnixServices::QDesktopUnixServices()
 QDesktopUnixServices::~QDesktopUnixServices()
 {
 #if QT_CONFIG(dbus)
-    QObject::disconnect(m_watcherConnection);
+    delete m_watcher;
 #endif
 }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices_p.h b/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices_p.h
index f52dc35bbe2..903bd6e6510 100644
--- a/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices_p.h
+++ b/src/gui/platform/unix/qdesktopunixservices_p.h
@@ -16,11 +16,14 @@
 //
 
 #include <qpa/qplatformservices.h>
+
+#include <QtCore/qpointer.h>
 #include <QtCore/QString>
 #include <QtCore/private/qglobal_p.h>
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
+class QDBusPendingCallWatcher;
 class QWindow;
 
 class Q_GUI_EXPORT QDesktopUnixServices : public QPlatformServices
@@ -46,7 +49,7 @@ private:
     QString m_webBrowser;
     QString m_documentLauncher;
 #if QT_CONFIG(dbus)
-    QMetaObject::Connection m_watcherConnection;
+    QPointer<QDBusPendingCallWatcher> m_watcher = nullptr;
 #endif
     bool m_hasScreenshotPortalWithColorPicking = false;
 };