diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qdatastream.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qdatastream.cpp
index 559c5a0743..0a49189310 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qdatastream.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qdatastream.cpp
@@ -253,9 +253,6 @@ enum {
     DefaultStreamVersion = QDataStream::Qt_5_0
 };
 
-// ### 5.0: when streaming invalid QVariants, just the type should
-// be written, no "data" after it
-
 /*!
     Constructs a data stream that has no I/O device.
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.cpp b/src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.cpp
index c363be86c8..18bef1b4b6 100644
--- a/src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/kernel/qvariant.cpp
@@ -1705,9 +1705,11 @@ void QVariant::load(QDataStream &s)
     d.is_null = is_null;
 
     if (!isValid()) {
+        if (s.version() < QDataStream::Qt_5_0) {
         // Since we wrote something, we should read something
-        QString x;
-        s >> x;
+            QString x;
+            s >> x;
+        }
         d.is_null = true;
         return;
     }
@@ -1769,7 +1771,8 @@ void QVariant::save(QDataStream &s) const
     }
 
     if (!isValid()) {
-        s << QString();
+        if (s.version() < QDataStream::Qt_5_0)
+            s << QString();
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qvariant/tst_qvariant.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qvariant/tst_qvariant.cpp
index 91b56e4e9b..dca2ee36a6 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qvariant/tst_qvariant.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/kernel/qvariant/tst_qvariant.cpp
@@ -2901,13 +2901,13 @@ void tst_QVariant::loadUnknownUserType()
 
 void tst_QVariant::loadBrokenUserType()
 {
-    char data[] = {0, 0, 0, 127, 0, 112 };
+    char data[] = {0, 0, 0, 127, 0 };
 
     QByteArray ba(data, sizeof(data));
     QDataStream ds(&ba, QIODevice::ReadOnly);
     QVariant var;
     var.load(ds);
-    QCOMPARE(ds.status(), QDataStream::ReadPastEnd);
+    QCOMPARE(ds.status(), QDataStream::Ok);
 }
 
 void tst_QVariant::invalidDate() const