diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.cpp b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.cpp
index 2dbe8b6310f..18580fa7562 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.cpp
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ QPropertyBase::QPropertyBase(QPropertyBase &&other, void *propertyDataPtr)
     QPropertyBasePointer d{this};
     d.setFirstObserver(nullptr);
     if (auto binding = d.bindingPtr())
-        binding->propertyDataPtr = propertyDataPtr;
+        binding->setProperty(propertyDataPtr);
 }
 
 void QPropertyBase::moveAssign(QPropertyBase &&other, void *propertyDataPtr)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ void QPropertyBase::moveAssign(QPropertyBase &&other, void *propertyDataPtr)
     std::swap(d_ptr, other.d_ptr);
 
     if (auto binding = d.bindingPtr())
-        binding->propertyDataPtr = propertyDataPtr;
+        binding->setProperty(propertyDataPtr);
 
     d.setFirstObserver(observer.ptr);
 
@@ -111,10 +111,10 @@ QUntypedPropertyBinding QPropertyBase::setBinding(const QUntypedPropertyBinding
         newBinding.data()->ref.ref();
         d_ptr = (d_ptr & FlagMask) | reinterpret_cast<quintptr>(newBinding.data());
         d_ptr |= BindingBit;
-        newBinding->dirty = true;
-        newBinding->propertyDataPtr = propertyDataPtr;
+        newBinding->setDirty(true);
+        newBinding->setProperty(propertyDataPtr);
         if (observer)
-            observer.prependToBinding(newBinding.data());
+            newBinding->prependObserver(observer);
     } else {
         d_ptr &= ~BindingBit;
     }
@@ -175,11 +175,10 @@ static thread_local BindingEvaluationState *currentBindingEvaluationState = null
 
 BindingEvaluationState::BindingEvaluationState(QPropertyBindingPrivate *binding)
     : binding(binding)
-    , dependencyObservers(&binding->dependencyObservers)
 {
     previousState = currentBindingEvaluationState;
     currentBindingEvaluationState = this;
-    dependencyObservers->clear();
+    binding->clearDependencyObservers();
 }
 
 BindingEvaluationState::~BindingEvaluationState()
@@ -222,8 +221,7 @@ void QPropertyBase::registerWithCurrentlyEvaluatingBinding() const
 
     QPropertyBasePointer d{this};
 
-    currentState->dependencyObservers->append(QPropertyObserver());
-    QPropertyObserverPointer dependencyObserver{&(*currentState->dependencyObservers)[currentState->dependencyObservers->size() - 1]};
+    QPropertyObserverPointer dependencyObserver = currentState->binding->allocateDependencyObserver();
     dependencyObserver.setBindingToMarkDirty(currentState->binding);
     dependencyObserver.observeProperty(d);
 }
@@ -263,6 +261,8 @@ QPropertyObserver::~QPropertyObserver()
     d.unlink();
 }
 
+QPropertyObserver::QPropertyObserver() = default;
+
 QPropertyObserver::QPropertyObserver(QPropertyObserver &&other)
 {
     std::swap(bindingToMarkDirty, other.bindingToMarkDirty);
@@ -351,12 +351,6 @@ void QPropertyObserverPointer::observeProperty(QPropertyBasePointer property)
     property.addObserver(ptr);
 }
 
-void QPropertyObserverPointer::prependToBinding(QPropertyBindingPrivate *binding)
-{
-    ptr->prev = const_cast<QPropertyObserver **>(&binding->firstObserver.ptr);
-    binding->firstObserver = *this;
-}
-
 QPropertyBindingError::QPropertyBindingError(Type type)
 {
     if (type != NoError) {
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.h
index 21b2ed08393..338c7bbeec9 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.h
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty.h
@@ -137,12 +137,10 @@ class Q_CORE_EXPORT QUntypedPropertyBinding
 
     QMetaType valueMetaType() const;
 
-    void setDirty(bool dirty = true);
-
-private:
     explicit QUntypedPropertyBinding(const QPropertyBindingPrivatePtr &priv);
+private:
     friend class QtPrivate::QPropertyBase;
-    friend struct QPropertyBindingPrivate;
+    friend class QPropertyBindingPrivate;
     template <typename> friend class QPropertyBinding;
     QPropertyBindingPrivatePtr d;
 };
@@ -357,7 +355,7 @@ class QProperty
 
     friend struct QPropertyBasePointer;
     friend class QPropertyBinding<T>;
-    friend struct QPropertyObserver;
+    friend class QPropertyObserver;
     // Mutable because querying for the value may require evalating the binding expression, calling
     // non-const functions on QPropertyBase.
     mutable QtPrivate::QPropertyValueStorage<T> d;
@@ -385,8 +383,9 @@ namespace Qt {
 struct QPropertyObserverPrivate;
 struct QPropertyObserverPointer;
 
-struct Q_CORE_EXPORT QPropertyObserver
+class Q_CORE_EXPORT QPropertyObserver
 {
+public:
     // Internal
     enum ObserverTag {
         ObserverNotifiesBinding = 0x0,
@@ -394,7 +393,7 @@ struct Q_CORE_EXPORT QPropertyObserver
     };
     Q_DECLARE_FLAGS(ObserverTags, ObserverTag)
 
-    QPropertyObserver() = default;
+    QPropertyObserver();
     QPropertyObserver(QPropertyObserver &&other);
     QPropertyObserver &operator=(QPropertyObserver &&other);
     ~QPropertyObserver();
@@ -424,6 +423,7 @@ struct Q_CORE_EXPORT QPropertyObserver
 
     friend struct QPropertyObserverPointer;
     friend struct QPropertyBasePointer;
+    friend class QPropertyBindingPrivate;
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_OPERATORS_FOR_FLAGS(QPropertyObserver::ObserverTags)
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty_p.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty_p.h
index 1fbe5231fe2..a50ae0dee15 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qproperty_p.h
@@ -90,7 +90,6 @@ struct QPropertyObserverPointer
 
     void notify(QPropertyBindingPrivate *triggeringBinding);
     void observeProperty(QPropertyBasePointer property);
-    void prependToBinding(QPropertyBindingPrivate *binding);
 
     explicit operator bool() const { return ptr != nullptr; }
 
@@ -110,7 +109,6 @@ struct BindingEvaluationState
     BindingEvaluationState(QPropertyBindingPrivate *binding);
     ~BindingEvaluationState();
     QPropertyBindingPrivate *binding;
-    QVarLengthArray<QPropertyObserver, 4> *dependencyObservers = nullptr;
     BindingEvaluationState *previousState = nullptr;
 };
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding.cpp b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding.cpp
index 78d24cbdc13..aa7bf1d022c 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding.cpp
@@ -152,21 +152,14 @@ QPropertyBindingError QUntypedPropertyBinding::error() const
 {
     if (!d)
         return QPropertyBindingError();
-    return d->error;
+    return d->bindingError();
 }
 
 QMetaType QUntypedPropertyBinding::valueMetaType() const
 {
     if (!d)
         return QMetaType();
-    return d->metaType;
-}
-
-void QUntypedPropertyBinding::setDirty(bool dirty)
-{
-    if (!d)
-        return;
-    d->dirty = dirty;
+    return d->valueMetaType();
 }
 
 QT_END_NAMESPACE
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding_p.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding_p.h
index 92638c92cc6..66e969547c0 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertybinding_p.h
@@ -53,8 +53,7 @@
 
 #include <QtCore/qglobal.h>
 #include <QtCore/qshareddata.h>
-#include <QtCore/qvarlengtharray.h>
-#include <memory>
+#include <QtCore/qscopedpointer.h>
 #include <vector>
 #include <functional>
 
@@ -62,12 +61,16 @@
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
-struct QPropertyBindingPrivate : public QSharedData
+class Q_CORE_EXPORT QPropertyBindingPrivate : public QSharedData
 {
+private:
+    friend struct QPropertyBasePointer;
+
     QUntypedPropertyBinding::BindingEvaluationFunction evaluationFunction;
 
     QPropertyObserverPointer firstObserver;
-    QVarLengthArray<QPropertyObserver, 4> dependencyObservers;
+    std::array<QPropertyObserver, 4> inlineDependencyObservers;
+    QScopedPointer<std::vector<QPropertyObserver>> heapObservers;
 
     void *propertyDataPtr = nullptr;
 
@@ -79,6 +82,10 @@ struct QPropertyBindingPrivate : public QSharedData
     bool dirty = false;
     bool updating = false;
 
+public:
+    // public because the auto-tests access it, too.
+    size_t dependencyObserverCount = 0;
+
     QPropertyBindingPrivate(const QMetaType &metaType, QUntypedPropertyBinding::BindingEvaluationFunction evaluationFunction,
                             const QPropertyBindingSourceLocation &location)
         : evaluationFunction(std::move(evaluationFunction))
@@ -87,6 +94,37 @@ struct QPropertyBindingPrivate : public QSharedData
     {}
     virtual ~QPropertyBindingPrivate();
 
+    void setDirty(bool d) { dirty = d; }
+    void setProperty(void *propertyPtr) { propertyDataPtr = propertyPtr; }
+    void prependObserver(QPropertyObserverPointer observer) {
+        observer.ptr->prev = const_cast<QPropertyObserver **>(&firstObserver.ptr);
+        firstObserver = observer;
+    }
+
+    void clearDependencyObservers() {
+        for (size_t i = 0; i < inlineDependencyObservers.size(); ++i) {
+            QPropertyObserver empty;
+            qSwap(inlineDependencyObservers[i], empty);
+        }
+        if (heapObservers)
+            heapObservers->clear();
+        dependencyObserverCount = 0;
+    }
+    QPropertyObserverPointer allocateDependencyObserver() {
+        if (dependencyObserverCount < inlineDependencyObservers.size()) {
+            ++dependencyObserverCount;
+            return {&inlineDependencyObservers[dependencyObserverCount - 1]};
+        }
+        ++dependencyObserverCount;
+        if (!heapObservers)
+            heapObservers.reset(new std::vector<QPropertyObserver>());
+        return {&heapObservers->emplace_back()};
+    }
+
+    QPropertyBindingSourceLocation sourceLocation() const { return location; }
+    QPropertyBindingError bindingError() const { return error; }
+    QMetaType valueMetaType() const { return metaType; }
+
     void unlinkAndDeref();
 
     void markDirtyAndNotifyObservers();
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertyprivate.h b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertyprivate.h
index 22c54161971..b4f2cd51540 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertyprivate.h
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qpropertyprivate.h
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
 class QUntypedPropertyBinding;
-struct QPropertyBindingPrivate;
+class QPropertyBindingPrivate;
 using QPropertyBindingPrivatePtr = QExplicitlySharedDataPointer<QPropertyBindingPrivate>;
 struct QPropertyBasePointer;
 
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qproperty/tst_qproperty.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qproperty/tst_qproperty.cpp
index 942865f3a30..d4c57418144 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qproperty/tst_qproperty.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qproperty/tst_qproperty.cpp
@@ -220,13 +220,11 @@ void tst_QProperty::avoidDependencyAllocationAfterFirstEval()
     QCOMPARE(propWithBinding.value(), int(11));
 
     QVERIFY(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr());
-    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObservers.size(), 2);
-    QVERIFY(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObservers.capacity() >= 2);
+    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObserverCount, 2);
 
     firstDependency = 100;
     QCOMPARE(propWithBinding.value(), int(110));
-    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObservers.size(), 2);
-    QVERIFY(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObservers.capacity() >= 2);
+    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBasePointer::get(propWithBinding).bindingPtr()->dependencyObserverCount, 2);
 }
 
 void tst_QProperty::propertyArrays()
@@ -493,7 +491,7 @@ void tst_QProperty::bindingSourceLocation()
 #if defined(QT_PROPERTY_COLLECT_BINDING_LOCATION)
     auto bindingLine = std::experimental::source_location::current().line() + 1;
     auto binding = Qt::makePropertyBinding([]() { return 42; });
-    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBindingPrivate::get(binding)->location.line, bindingLine);
+    QCOMPARE(QPropertyBindingPrivate::get(binding)->sourceLocation().line, bindingLine);
 #else
     QSKIP("Skipping this in the light of missing binding source location support");
 #endif