diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
index 50390e57..15c8f307 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qprocess_unix.cpp
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /****************************************************************************
 **
 ** Copyright (C) 2016 The Qt Company Ltd.
-** Copyright (C) 2016 Intel Corporation.
+** Copyright (C) 2022 Intel Corporation.
 ** Contact: https://www.qt.io/licensing/
 **
 ** This file is part of the QtCore module of the Qt Toolkit.
@@ -422,14 +422,15 @@ void QProcessPrivate::startProcess()
     // Add the program name to the argument list.
     argv[0] = nullptr;
     if (!program.contains(QLatin1Char('/'))) {
+        // findExecutable() returns its argument if it's an absolute path,
+        // otherwise it searches $PATH; returns empty if not found (we handle
+        // that case much later)
         const QString &exeFilePath = QStandardPaths::findExecutable(program);
-        if (!exeFilePath.isEmpty()) {
-            const QByteArray &tmp = QFile::encodeName(exeFilePath);
-            argv[0] = ::strdup(tmp.constData());
-        }
-    }
-    if (!argv[0])
+        const QByteArray &tmp = QFile::encodeName(exeFilePath);
+        argv[0] = ::strdup(tmp.constData());
+    } else {
         argv[0] = ::strdup(encodedProgramName.constData());
+    }
 
     // Add every argument to the list
     for (int i = 0; i < arguments.count(); ++i)
@@ -983,15 +984,16 @@ bool QProcessPrivate::startDetached(qint64 *pid)
                 envp = _q_dupEnvironment(environment.d.constData()->vars, &envc);
             }
 
-            QByteArray tmp;
             if (!program.contains(QLatin1Char('/'))) {
+                // findExecutable() returns its argument if it's an absolute path,
+                // otherwise it searches $PATH; returns empty if not found (we handle
+                // that case much later)
                 const QString &exeFilePath = QStandardPaths::findExecutable(program);
-                if (!exeFilePath.isEmpty())
-                    tmp = QFile::encodeName(exeFilePath);
+                const QByteArray &tmp = QFile::encodeName(exeFilePath);
+                argv[0] = ::strdup(tmp.constData());
+            } else {
+                argv[0] = ::strdup(QFile::encodeName(program));
             }
-            if (tmp.isEmpty())
-                tmp = QFile::encodeName(program);
-            argv[0] = tmp.data();
 
             if (envp)
                 qt_safe_execve(argv[0], argv, envp);
diff --git a/tests/auto/widgets/kernel/qapplication/tst_qapplication.cpp b/tests/auto/widgets/kernel/qapplication/tst_qapplication.cpp
index 69a81bde..8e814255 100644
--- a/tests/auto/widgets/kernel/qapplication/tst_qapplication.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/widgets/kernel/qapplication/tst_qapplication.cpp
@@ -1493,7 +1493,7 @@ void tst_QApplication::desktopSettingsAware()
 {
 #if QT_CONFIG(process)
     QProcess testProcess;
-    testProcess.start("desktopsettingsaware_helper");
+    testProcess.start("./desktopsettingsaware_helper");
     QVERIFY2(testProcess.waitForStarted(),
              qPrintable(QString::fromLatin1("Cannot start 'desktopsettingsaware_helper': %1").arg(testProcess.errorString())));
     QVERIFY(testProcess.waitForFinished(10000));
@@ -2447,7 +2447,7 @@ void tst_QApplication::qtbug_12673()
 #if QT_CONFIG(process)
     QProcess testProcess;
     QStringList arguments;
-    testProcess.start("modal_helper", arguments);
+    testProcess.start("./modal_helper", arguments);
     QVERIFY2(testProcess.waitForStarted(),
              qPrintable(QString::fromLatin1("Cannot start 'modal_helper': %1").arg(testProcess.errorString())));
     QVERIFY(testProcess.waitForFinished(20000));