diff --git a/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.cpp b/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.cpp
index 709d98e426..cf5be3c916 100644
--- a/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.cpp
+++ b/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.cpp
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ QList<QAction*> VersionControlObserver::actions(const KFileItemList& items) cons
         return m_plugin->versionControlActions(items);
     } else {
         QList<QAction*> actions;
-        for (const auto &plugin : qAsConst(m_plugins)) {
+        for (const QPointer<KVersionControlPlugin> &plugin : qAsConst(m_plugins)) {
             actions << plugin->outOfVersionControlActions(items);
         }
         return actions;
@@ -306,14 +306,18 @@ KVersionControlPlugin* VersionControlObserver::searchPlugin(const QUrl& director
     initPlugins();
 
     // Verify whether the current directory is under a version system
-    for (const auto &plugin : qAsConst(m_plugins)) {
+    for (const QPointer<KVersionControlPlugin> &plugin : qAsConst(m_plugins)) {
+        if (!plugin) {
+            continue;
+        }
+
         // first naively check if we are at working copy root
         const QString fileName = directory.path() + '/' + plugin->fileName();
         if (QFile::exists(fileName)) {
             m_localRepoRoot = directory.path();
             return plugin;
         }
-        auto root = plugin->localRepositoryRoot(directory.path());
+        const QString root = plugin->localRepositoryRoot(directory.path());
         if (!root.isEmpty()) {
             m_localRepoRoot = root;
             return plugin;
diff --git a/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.h b/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.h
index d9cc90cc6d..5f425fe852 100644
--- a/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.h
+++ b/src/views/versioncontrol/versioncontrolobserver.h
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ private:
 
     bool m_pluginsInitialized;
     KVersionControlPlugin* m_plugin;
-    QList<KVersionControlPlugin*> m_plugins;
+    QList<QPointer<KVersionControlPlugin>> m_plugins;
     UpdateItemStatesThread* m_updateItemStatesThread;
 
     friend class UpdateItemStatesThread;