diff --git a/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.cpp b/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.cpp
index 7f842e29a65..8da33e0c4e5 100644
--- a/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.cpp
@@ -488,17 +488,16 @@ QPersistentModelIndex &QPersistentModelIndex::operator=(const QModelIndex &other
 }
 
 /*!
-  \fn QPersistentModelIndex::operator const QModelIndex&() const
+  \fn QPersistentModelIndex::operator QModelIndex() const
 
-  Cast operator that returns a const QModelIndex&.
+  Cast operator that returns a QModelIndex.
 */
 
-QPersistentModelIndex::operator const QModelIndex&() const
+QPersistentModelIndex::operator QModelIndex() const
 {
-    static const QModelIndex invalid;
     if (d)
         return d->index;
-    return invalid;
+    return QModelIndex();
 }
 
 /*!
diff --git a/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.h b/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.h
index 7479f4b043b..789ed60ce49 100644
--- a/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.h
+++ b/src/corelib/itemmodels/qabstractitemmodel.h
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ class Q_CORE_EXPORT QPersistentModelIndex
     bool operator==(const QModelIndex &other) const;
     bool operator!=(const QModelIndex &other) const;
     QPersistentModelIndex &operator=(const QModelIndex &other);
-    operator const QModelIndex&() const;
+    operator QModelIndex() const;
     int row() const;
     int column() const;
     void *internalPointer() const;