diff --git a/src/gui/text/qfontengine.cpp b/src/gui/text/qfontengine.cpp
index 13bb2fee8c0..dff400c18bc 100644
--- a/src/gui/text/qfontengine.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/text/qfontengine.cpp
@@ -1866,8 +1866,7 @@ bool QFontEngineMulti::stringToCMap(const QChar *str, int len,
                 && ucs4 != QChar::LineFeed
                 && ucs4 != QChar::CarriageReturn
                 && ucs4 != QChar::ParagraphSeparator
-                && QChar::category(ucs4) != QChar::Other_Control
-                && QChar::category(ucs4) != QChar::Other_PrivateUse) {
+                && QChar::category(ucs4) != QChar::Other_Control) {
             if (!m_fallbackFamiliesQueried)
                 const_cast<QFontEngineMulti *>(this)->ensureFallbackFamiliesQueried();
             for (int x = 1, n = qMin(m_engines.size(), 256); x < n; ++x) {
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/tst_qtextscriptengine.cpp b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/tst_qtextscriptengine.cpp
index 71ae9f1c569..975658005e6 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/tst_qtextscriptengine.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/text/qtextscriptengine/tst_qtextscriptengine.cpp
@@ -56,9 +56,6 @@ private slots:
 
     void shapingDisabledDevanagari();
     void shapingDisabledLatin();
-
-    void privateUseArea();
-
 private:
     bool haveTestFonts;
 };
@@ -1316,41 +1313,5 @@ void tst_QTextScriptEngine::shapingDisabledDevanagari()
     QCOMPARE(noShapingRuns.first().glyphIndexes().size(), normalRuns.first().glyphIndexes().size());
 }
 
-void tst_QTextScriptEngine::privateUseArea()
-{
-    QString privateUseAreaString = QString::fromUtf8("");
-
-    QFont font;
-    QList<QGlyphRun> withFontMerging;
-    {
-        QTextLayout layout;
-        layout.setText(privateUseAreaString);
-        layout.setFont(font);
-        layout.beginLayout();
-        layout.createLine();
-        layout.endLayout();
-
-        withFontMerging = layout.glyphRuns();
-    }
-
-    font.setStyleStrategy(QFont::NoFontMerging);
-    QList<QGlyphRun> withoutFontMerging;
-    {
-        QTextLayout layout;
-        layout.setText(privateUseAreaString);
-        layout.setFont(font);
-        layout.beginLayout();
-        layout.createLine();
-        layout.endLayout();
-
-        withoutFontMerging = layout.glyphRuns();
-    }
-
-    QCOMPARE(withFontMerging.size(), withoutFontMerging.size());
-
-    for (int i = 0; i < withFontMerging.size(); ++i)
-        QCOMPARE(withFontMerging.at(i).glyphIndexes(), withoutFontMerging.at(i).glyphIndexes());
-}
-
 QTEST_MAIN(tst_QTextScriptEngine)
 #include "tst_qtextscriptengine.moc"