diff --git a/src/gui/kernel/qguiapplication.cpp b/src/gui/kernel/qguiapplication.cpp
index efda477569..abce792ad3 100644
--- a/src/gui/kernel/qguiapplication.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/kernel/qguiapplication.cpp
@@ -3502,7 +3502,8 @@ bool QGuiApplicationPrivate::setPalette(const QPalette &palette)
 */
 QPalette QGuiApplicationPrivate::basePalette() const
 {
-    return platformTheme() ? *platformTheme()->palette() : Qt::gray;
+    const auto pf = platformTheme();
+    return pf && pf->palette() ? *pf->palette() : Qt::gray;
 }
 
 void QGuiApplicationPrivate::handlePaletteChanged(const char *className)
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp b/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
index 8542ce300f..2a2dbd0e48 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ private slots:
     void changeFocusWindow();
     void keyboardModifiers();
     void palette();
+    void paletteNoCrash();
     void font();
     void modalWindow();
     void quitOnLastWindowClosed();
@@ -552,6 +553,15 @@ void tst_QGuiApplication::palette()
     QCOMPARE(QGuiApplication::palette(), QPalette());
 }
 
+void tst_QGuiApplication::paletteNoCrash()
+{
+    QGuiApplication::setDesktopSettingsAware(false);
+    int argc = 1;
+    char *argv[] = { const_cast<char*>("tst_qguiapplication") };
+    // this would crash on windows (QTBUG-111527)
+    QGuiApplication a(argc, argv);
+}
+
 void tst_QGuiApplication::font()
 {
     int argc = 1;