diff --git a/src/network/kernel/qnetworkproxy_mac.cpp b/src/network/kernel/qnetworkproxy_mac.cpp
index 3fcd9299f39..e4d2663f7a5 100644
--- a/src/network/kernel/qnetworkproxy_mac.cpp
+++ b/src/network/kernel/qnetworkproxy_mac.cpp
@@ -203,6 +203,15 @@ void proxyAutoConfigCallback(void *client, CFArrayRef proxylist, CFErrorRef erro
         info->proxies = proxylist;
     }
 }
+
+QCFType<CFStringRef> stringByAddingPercentEscapes(CFStringRef originalPath)
+{
+    Q_ASSERT(originalPath);
+    const auto qtPath = QString::fromCFString(originalPath);
+    const auto escaped = QString::fromUtf8(QUrl::toPercentEncoding(qtPath));
+    return escaped.toCFString();
+}
+
 } // anon namespace
 
 QList<QNetworkProxy> macQueryInternal(const QNetworkProxyQuery &query)
@@ -228,9 +237,7 @@ QList<QNetworkProxy> macQueryInternal(const QNetworkProxyQuery &query)
             // kSCPropNetProxiesProxyAutoConfigURLString returns the URL string
             // as entered in the system proxy configuration dialog
             CFStringRef pacLocationSetting = (CFStringRef)CFDictionaryGetValue(dict, kSCPropNetProxiesProxyAutoConfigURLString);
-            QCFType<CFStringRef> cfPacLocation = CFURLCreateStringByAddingPercentEscapes(kCFAllocatorDefault, pacLocationSetting, NULL, NULL,
-                kCFStringEncodingUTF8);
-
+            auto cfPacLocation = stringByAddingPercentEscapes(pacLocationSetting);
             QCFType<CFDataRef> pacData;
             QCFType<CFURLRef> pacUrl = CFURLCreateWithString(kCFAllocatorDefault, cfPacLocation, NULL);
             if (!pacUrl) {