diff --git a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout.cpp b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout.cpp
index 4a400cd9509..f0ed1ca399f 100644
--- a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout.cpp
@@ -460,6 +460,25 @@ void QDockWidgetGroupWindow::destroyOrHideIfEmpty()
     deleteLater();
 }
 
+/*!
+   \internal
+   \return \c true if the group window has at least one visible QDockWidget child,
+   otherwise false.
+ */
+bool QDockWidgetGroupWindow::hasVisibleDockWidgets() const
+{
+    const auto &children = findChildren<QDockWidget *>(QString(), Qt::FindChildrenRecursively);
+    for (auto child : children) {
+        // WA_WState_Visible is set on the dock widget, associated to the active tab
+        // and unset on all others.
+        // WA_WState_Hidden is set if the dock widgets have been explicitly hidden.
+        // This is the relevant information to check (equivalent to !child->isHidden()).
+        if (!child->testAttribute(Qt::WA_WState_Hidden))
+            return true;
+    }
+    return false;
+}
+
 /*! \internal
     Sets the flags of this window in accordance to the capabilities of the dock widgets
  */
@@ -508,7 +527,7 @@ void QDockWidgetGroupWindow::adjustFlags()
             m_removedFrameSize = QSize();
         }
 
-        show(); // setWindowFlags hides the window
+        setVisible(hasVisibleDockWidgets());
     }
 
     QWidget *titleBarOf = top ? top : parentWidget();
diff --git a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout_p.h b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout_p.h
index 30122f881e1..2a387efe28e 100644
--- a/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout_p.h
+++ b/src/widgets/widgets/qmainwindowlayout_p.h
@@ -350,6 +350,7 @@ public:
     QDockWidget *activeTabbedDockWidget() const;
 #endif
     void destroyOrHideIfEmpty();
+    bool hasVisibleDockWidgets() const;
     void adjustFlags();
     bool hasNativeDecos() const;
 
diff --git a/tests/auto/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget/tst_qdockwidget.cpp b/tests/auto/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget/tst_qdockwidget.cpp
index 9c09d0d4336..043f3105325 100644
--- a/tests/auto/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget/tst_qdockwidget.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/widgets/widgets/qdockwidget/tst_qdockwidget.cpp
@@ -1385,8 +1385,6 @@ void tst_QDockWidget::floatingTabs()
 
     // Both dock widgets must no longer be floating
     // disabled due to flakiness on macOS and Windows
-    //QTRY_VERIFY(!d1->isFloating());
-    //QTRY_VERIFY(!d2->isFloating());
     if (d1->isFloating())
         qWarning("OS flakiness: D1 is docked and reports being floating");
     if (d2->isFloating())
@@ -1394,7 +1392,18 @@ void tst_QDockWidget::floatingTabs()
 
     // Now MainWindow has to have a floatingTab child
     QPointer<QDockWidgetGroupWindow> ftabs;
-    QTRY_VERIFY(checkFloatingTabs(mainWindow, ftabs, QList<QDockWidget*>() << d1 << d2));
+    QTRY_VERIFY(checkFloatingTabs(mainWindow, ftabs, QList<QDockWidget *>() << d1 << d2));
+
+    // Hide both dock widgets. Verify that the group window is also hidden.
+    qCDebug(lcTestDockWidget) << "*** Hide and show tabbed dock widgets ***";
+    d1->hide();
+    d2->hide();
+    QTRY_VERIFY(ftabs->isHidden());
+
+    // Show both dockwidgets again. Verify that the group window is visible.
+    d1->show();
+    d2->show();
+    QTRY_VERIFY(ftabs->isVisible());
 
     /*
      * replug both dock widgets into their initial position