diff --git a/src/gui/CMakeLists.txt b/src/gui/CMakeLists.txt
index e9a07f124ef..b1795842f43 100644
--- a/src/gui/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/gui/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -880,7 +880,7 @@ qt_internal_extend_target(Gui CONDITION QT_FEATURE_vulkan
         vulkan/qplatformvulkaninstance.cpp vulkan/qplatformvulkaninstance.h
         vulkan/qvulkandefaultinstance.cpp vulkan/qvulkandefaultinstance_p.h
         vulkan/qvulkanfunctions.cpp
-        vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h
+        vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h vulkan/qvulkaninstance_p.h
         vulkan/qvulkanwindow.cpp vulkan/qvulkanwindow.h vulkan/qvulkanwindow_p.h
 )
 if(QT_FEATURE_vulkan)
diff --git a/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp
index aaa86912733..05353e36c24 100644
--- a/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.cpp
@@ -37,8 +37,7 @@
 **
 ****************************************************************************/
 
-#include "qvulkaninstance.h"
-#include <private/qvulkanfunctions_p.h>
+#include "qvulkaninstance_p.h"
 #include <qpa/qplatformvulkaninstance.h>
 #include <qpa/qplatformintegration.h>
 #include <qpa/qplatformnativeinterface.h>
@@ -245,32 +244,6 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
     \value NoDebugOutputRedirect Disables Vulkan debug output (\c{VK_EXT_debug_report}) redirection to qDebug.
 */
 
-class QVulkanInstancePrivate
-{
-public:
-    QVulkanInstancePrivate(QVulkanInstance *q)
-        : q_ptr(q),
-          vkInst(VK_NULL_HANDLE),
-          errorCode(VK_SUCCESS)
-    { }
-    ~QVulkanInstancePrivate() { reset(); }
-
-    bool ensureVulkan();
-    void reset();
-
-    QVulkanInstance *q_ptr;
-    QScopedPointer<QPlatformVulkanInstance> platformInst;
-    VkInstance vkInst;
-    QVulkanInstance::Flags flags;
-    QByteArrayList layers;
-    QByteArrayList extensions;
-    QVersionNumber apiVersion;
-    VkResult errorCode;
-    QScopedPointer<QVulkanFunctions> funcs;
-    QHash<VkDevice, QVulkanDeviceFunctions *> deviceFuncs;
-    QList<QVulkanInstance::DebugFilter> debugFilters;
-};
-
 bool QVulkanInstancePrivate::ensureVulkan()
 {
     if (!platformInst) {
diff --git a/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h
index bfdaf1ab691..156d6cebfcc 100644
--- a/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h
+++ b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance.h
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ public:
     void removeDebugOutputFilter(DebugFilter filter);
 
 private:
+    friend class QVulkanInstancePrivate;
     QScopedPointer<QVulkanInstancePrivate> d_ptr;
     Q_DISABLE_COPY(QVulkanInstance)
 };
diff --git a/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance_p.h b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance_p.h
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c52677da370
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gui/vulkan/qvulkaninstance_p.h
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+/****************************************************************************
+**
+** Copyright (C) 2022 The Qt Company Ltd.
+** Contact: https://www.qt.io/licensing/
+**
+** This file is part of the QtGui module of the Qt Toolkit.
+**
+** $QT_BEGIN_LICENSE:LGPL$
+** Commercial License Usage
+** Licensees holding valid commercial Qt licenses may use this file in
+** accordance with the commercial license agreement provided with the
+** Software or, alternatively, in accordance with the terms contained in
+** a written agreement between you and The Qt Company. For licensing terms
+** and conditions see https://www.qt.io/terms-conditions. For further
+** information use the contact form at https://www.qt.io/contact-us.
+**
+** GNU Lesser General Public License Usage
+** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU Lesser
+** General Public License version 3 as published by the Free Software
+** Foundation and appearing in the file LICENSE.LGPL3 included in the
+** packaging of this file. Please review the following information to
+** ensure the GNU Lesser General Public License version 3 requirements
+** will be met: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/lgpl-3.0.html.
+**
+** GNU General Public License Usage
+** Alternatively, this file may be used under the terms of the GNU
+** General Public License version 2.0 or (at your option) the GNU General
+** Public license version 3 or any later version approved by the KDE Free
+** Qt Foundation. The licenses are as published by the Free Software
+** Foundation and appearing in the file LICENSE.GPL2 and LICENSE.GPL3
+** included in the packaging of this file. Please review the following
+** information to ensure the GNU General Public License requirements will
+** be met: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html and
+** https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html.
+**
+** $QT_END_LICENSE$
+**
+****************************************************************************/
+
+#ifndef QVULKANINSTANCE_P_H
+#define QVULKANINSTANCE_P_H
+
+#include <QtGui/private/qtguiglobal_p.h>
+
+#if QT_CONFIG(vulkan) || defined(Q_CLANG_QDOC)
+
+#include "qvulkaninstance.h"
+#include <private/qvulkanfunctions_p.h>
+#include <QtCore/QHash>
+
+//
+//  W A R N I N G
+//  -------------
+//
+// This file is not part of the Qt API.  It exists for the convenience
+// of a number of Qt sources files.  This header file may change from
+// version to version without notice, or even be removed.
+//
+// We mean it.
+//
+
+QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
+
+class Q_GUI_EXPORT QVulkanInstancePrivate
+{
+public:
+    QVulkanInstancePrivate(QVulkanInstance *q)
+        : q_ptr(q),
+          vkInst(VK_NULL_HANDLE),
+          errorCode(VK_SUCCESS)
+    { }
+    ~QVulkanInstancePrivate() { reset(); }
+    static QVulkanInstancePrivate *get(QVulkanInstance *q) { return q->d_ptr.data(); }
+
+    bool ensureVulkan();
+    void reset();
+
+    QVulkanInstance *q_ptr;
+    QScopedPointer<QPlatformVulkanInstance> platformInst;
+    VkInstance vkInst;
+    QVulkanInstance::Flags flags;
+    QByteArrayList layers;
+    QByteArrayList extensions;
+    QVersionNumber apiVersion;
+    VkResult errorCode;
+    QScopedPointer<QVulkanFunctions> funcs;
+    QHash<VkDevice, QVulkanDeviceFunctions *> deviceFuncs;
+    QList<QVulkanInstance::DebugFilter> debugFilters;
+};
+
+QT_END_NAMESPACE
+
+#endif // QT_CONFIG(vulkan)
+
+#endif // QVULKANINSTANCE_P_H