diff --git a/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp b/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
index 16c44f09a3c..4d6949d4026 100644
--- a/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
@@ -706,20 +706,6 @@ bool QDateTime::precedes(const QDateTime &other) const
 
 #include "qdatastream.h"
 
-QDataStream &QDataStream::readBytes(char *&s, uint &l)
-{
-    qint64 length = 0;
-    (void)readBytes(s, length);
-    if (length != qint64(uint(length))) {
-        setStatus(ReadCorruptData); // Cannot store length in l
-        delete[] s;
-        l = 0;
-        return *this;
-    }
-    l = uint(length);
-    return *this;
-}
-
 QDataStream &QDataStream::writeBytes(const char *s, uint len)
 {
     return writeBytes(s, qint64(len));
diff --git a/src/corelib/global/qtdeprecationmarkers.h b/src/corelib/global/qtdeprecationmarkers.h
index a480a18eaec..6df5ebce6d2 100644
--- a/src/corelib/global/qtdeprecationmarkers.h
+++ b/src/corelib/global/qtdeprecationmarkers.h
@@ -211,6 +211,14 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 # define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_6_10
 #endif
 
+#if QT_WARN_DEPRECATED_UP_TO >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(6, 11, 0)
+# define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_6_11(text) QT_DEPRECATED_X(text)
+# define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_6_11         QT_DEPRECATED
+#else
+# define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_6_11(text)
+# define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_6_11
+#endif
+
 #define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_5(minor, text)      QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_5_##minor(text)
 #define QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X(major, minor, text) QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_##major##_##minor(text)
 
@@ -313,6 +321,12 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 # define QT_IF_DEPRECATED_SINCE_6_10(whenTrue, whenFalse) whenTrue
 #endif
 
+#if QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
+# define QT_IF_DEPRECATED_SINCE_6_11(whenTrue, whenFalse) whenFalse
+#else
+# define QT_IF_DEPRECATED_SINCE_6_11(whenTrue, whenFalse) whenTrue
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 // A tag to help mark stuff deprecated (cf. QStringViewLiteral)
 namespace QtPrivate {
diff --git a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
index 4239dc23977..23af4149048 100644
--- a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.cpp
@@ -1036,7 +1036,29 @@ QDataStream &QDataStream::operator>>(char32_t &c)
     return *this;
 }
 
+#if QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
+
+/*
+    \deprecated [6.11] Use an overload that takes qint64 length instead.
+*/
+QDataStream &QDataStream::readBytes(char *&s, uint &l)
+{
+    qint64 length = 0;
+    (void)readBytes(s, length);
+    if (length != qint64(uint(length))) {
+        setStatus(SizeLimitExceeded); // Cannot store length in l
+        delete[] s;
+        l = 0;
+        return *this;
+    }
+    l = uint(length);
+    return *this;
+}
+
+#endif // QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
+
 /*!
+    \since 6.7
     Reads the buffer \a s from the stream and returns a reference to
     the stream.
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
index 55299c6eff3..2c9864b87ef 100644
--- a/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
+++ b/src/corelib/serialization/qdatastream.h
@@ -176,8 +176,11 @@ public:
     QDataStream &operator<<(char32_t c);
     QDataStream &operator<<(const volatile void *) = delete;
 
-#if QT_CORE_REMOVED_SINCE(6, 7)
+#if QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
+    QT_DEPRECATED_VERSION_X_6_11("Use an overload that takes qint64 length.")
     QDataStream &readBytes(char *&, uint &len);
+#endif
+#if QT_CORE_REMOVED_SINCE(6, 7)
     QDataStream &writeBytes(const char *, uint len);
     int skipRawData(int len);
     int readRawData(char *, int len);
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/serialization/qdatastream/tst_qdatastream.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/serialization/qdatastream/tst_qdatastream.cpp
index b934e54f432..35060c8749c 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/serialization/qdatastream/tst_qdatastream.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/serialization/qdatastream/tst_qdatastream.cpp
@@ -2840,6 +2840,24 @@ void tst_QDataStream::status_charptr_QByteArray()
         QCOMPARE(int(stream.status()), expectedStatus);
         delete [] buf;
     }
+#if QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
+QT_WARNING_PUSH QT_WARNING_DISABLE_DEPRECATED
+    {
+        // check that old overload still works as expected
+        QDataStream stream(&data, QIODevice::ReadOnly);
+        char *buf;
+        auto cleanup = qScopeGuard([&buf] {
+            delete [] buf;
+        });
+        uint len;
+        stream.readBytes(buf, len);
+
+        QCOMPARE(len, expectedString.size());
+        QCOMPARE(QByteArray(buf, len), expectedString);
+        QCOMPARE(int(stream.status()), expectedStatus);
+    }
+QT_WARNING_POP
+#endif // QT_DEPRECATED_SINCE(6, 11)
     {
         QDataStream stream(&data, QIODevice::ReadOnly);
         QByteArray buf;