diff --git a/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp b/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
index a06dcbb87fa..cf96ac41e1a 100644
--- a/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/compat/removed_api.cpp
@@ -928,6 +928,8 @@ QUrl QUrl::fromEncoded(const QByteArray &input, ParsingMode mode)
 #endif // QT_CORE_REMOVED_SINCE(6, 7)
 
 #if QT_CORE_REMOVED_SINCE(6, 8)
+
+#if QT_CONFIG(itemmodel)
 #include "qabstractitemmodel.h"
 
 bool QPersistentModelIndex::operator<(const QPersistentModelIndex &other) const noexcept
@@ -950,6 +952,8 @@ bool QPersistentModelIndex::operator!=(const QModelIndex &other) const noexcept
     return !comparesEqual(*this, other);
 }
 
+#endif // QT_CONFIG(itemmodel)
+
 #include "qbitarray.h" // inlined API
 
 #include "qbytearray.h" // inlined API