diff --git a/src/corelib/thread/qfuture_impl.h b/src/corelib/thread/qfuture_impl.h
index 57c4fb399c1..06b618873d2 100644
--- a/src/corelib/thread/qfuture_impl.h
+++ b/src/corelib/thread/qfuture_impl.h
@@ -832,6 +832,11 @@ static QFuture<ArgsType<Signal>> connect(Sender *sender, Signal signal)
     using ArgsType = ArgsType<Signal>;
     QFutureInterface<ArgsType> promise;
     promise.reportStarted();
+    if (!sender) {
+        promise.reportCanceled();
+        promise.reportFinished();
+        return promise.future();
+    }
 
     using Connections = std::pair<QMetaObject::Connection, QMetaObject::Connection>;
     auto connections = std::make_shared<Connections>();
@@ -862,6 +867,12 @@ static QFuture<ArgsType<Signal>> connect(Sender *sender, Signal signal)
                                               });
     }
 
+    if (!connections->first) {
+        promise.reportCanceled();
+        promise.reportFinished();
+        return promise.future();
+    }
+
     connections->second =
             QObject::connect(sender, &QObject::destroyed, sender, [promise, connections]() mutable {
                 QObject::disconnect(connections->first);
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/thread/qfuture/tst_qfuture.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/thread/qfuture/tst_qfuture.cpp
index 9742df36ea5..7b508b8a22b 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/thread/qfuture/tst_qfuture.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/thread/qfuture/tst_qfuture.cpp
@@ -3667,6 +3667,36 @@ void tst_QFuture::signalConnect()
         QVERIFY(!future.isCanceled());
         QVERIFY(future.isValid());
     }
+
+    // Connect to nullptr
+    {
+        SenderObject *sender = nullptr;
+        auto future = QtFuture::connect(sender, &SenderObject::intArgSignal);
+        QVERIFY(future.isFinished());
+        QVERIFY(future.isCanceled());
+        QVERIFY(!future.isValid());
+    }
+
+    // Connect to non-signal
+    {
+        SenderObject sender;
+
+#if defined(Q_CC_MSVC) && !defined(Q_CC_CLANG)
+#define EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL() QEXPECT_FAIL("", "QTBUG-101761, test fails on Windows/MSVC", Continue)
+#else
+        QTest::ignoreMessage(QtWarningMsg, "QObject::connect: signal not found in SenderObject");
+#define EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL()
+#endif
+
+        auto future = QtFuture::connect(&sender, &SenderObject::emitNoArg);
+        EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL();
+        QVERIFY(future.isFinished());
+        EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL();
+        QVERIFY(future.isCanceled());
+        EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL();
+        QVERIFY(!future.isValid());
+#undef EXPECT_FUTURE_CONNECT_FAIL
+    }
 }
 
 void tst_QFuture::waitForFinished()