diff --git a/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp b/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp
index 3c8e00519b..a3e809a266 100644
--- a/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp
@@ -235,13 +235,10 @@ QList<QJsonObject> QFactoryLoader::metaData() const
     for (int i = 0; i < d->libraryList.size(); ++i)
         metaData.append(d->libraryList.at(i)->metaData);
 
-    QVector<QStaticPlugin> staticPlugins = QLibraryPrivate::staticPlugins();
-    for (int i = 0; i < staticPlugins.count(); ++i) {
-        const char *rawMetaData = staticPlugins.at(i).metaData();
-        QJsonObject object = QLibraryPrivate::fromRawMetaData(rawMetaData).object();
+    foreach (const QStaticPlugin &plugin, QPluginLoader::staticPlugins()) {
+        const QJsonObject object = plugin.metaData();
         if (object.value(QLatin1String("IID")) != QLatin1String(d->iid.constData(), d->iid.size()))
             continue;
-
         metaData.append(object);
     }
     return metaData;
@@ -269,10 +266,9 @@ QObject *QFactoryLoader::instance(int index) const
     }
 
     index -= d->libraryList.size();
-    QVector<QStaticPlugin> staticPlugins = QLibraryPrivate::staticPlugins();
+    QVector<QStaticPlugin> staticPlugins = QPluginLoader::staticPlugins();
     for (int i = 0; i < staticPlugins.count(); ++i) {
-        const char *rawMetaData = staticPlugins.at(i).metaData();
-        QJsonObject object = QLibraryPrivate::fromRawMetaData(rawMetaData).object();
+        const QJsonObject object = staticPlugins.at(i).metaData();
         if (object.value(QLatin1String("IID")) != QLatin1String(d->iid.constData(), d->iid.size()))
             continue;
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/plugin/qlibrary_p.h b/src/corelib/plugin/qlibrary_p.h
index abf11be9f7..20b0c7e20f 100644
--- a/src/corelib/plugin/qlibrary_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/plugin/qlibrary_p.h
@@ -98,9 +98,6 @@ public:
     static QStringList suffixes_sys(const QString &fullVersion);
     static QStringList prefixes_sys();
 
-    static QVector<QStaticPlugin> staticPlugins();
-
-
     QPointer<QObject> inst;
     QtPluginInstanceFunction instance;
     QJsonObject metaData;
diff --git a/src/corelib/plugin/qplugin.h b/src/corelib/plugin/qplugin.h
index b91a0e9900..1ec9325e5e 100644
--- a/src/corelib/plugin/qplugin.h
+++ b/src/corelib/plugin/qplugin.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@
 
 #include <QtCore/qobject.h>
 #include <QtCore/qpointer.h>
+#include <QtCore/qjsonobject.h>
 
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
@@ -59,11 +60,22 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 typedef QObject *(*QtPluginInstanceFunction)();
 typedef const char *(*QtPluginMetaDataFunction)();
 
-struct QStaticPlugin
+struct Q_CORE_EXPORT QStaticPlugin
 {
+    // Note: This struct is initialized using an initializer list.
+    // As such, it cannot have any new constructors or variables.
+#ifndef Q_QDOC
     QtPluginInstanceFunction instance;
-    QtPluginMetaDataFunction metaData;
+    QtPluginMetaDataFunction rawMetaData;
+#else
+    // Since qdoc gets confused by the use of function
+    // pointers, we add these dummes for it to parse instead:
+    QObject *instance();
+    const char *rawMetaData();
+#endif
+    QJsonObject metaData() const;
 };
+Q_DECLARE_TYPEINFO(QStaticPlugin, Q_PRIMITIVE_TYPE);
 
 void Q_CORE_EXPORT qRegisterStaticPluginFunction(QStaticPlugin staticPlugin);
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp b/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp
index 5a59942aad..46844acb01 100644
--- a/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp
@@ -106,6 +106,33 @@ QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
     \sa QLibrary, {Plug & Paint Example}
 */
 
+/*!
+    \class QStaticPlugin
+    \inmodule QtCore
+    \since 5.2
+
+    \brief QStaticPlugin is a struct containing a reference to a
+    static plugin instance together with its meta data.
+
+    \sa QPluginLoader, {How to Create Qt Plugins}
+*/
+
+/*!
+    \fn QObject *QStaticPlugin::instance()
+
+    Returns the plugin instance.
+
+    \sa QPluginLoader::staticInstances()
+*/
+
+/*!
+    \fn const char *QStaticPlugin::rawMetaData()
+
+    Returns the raw meta data for the plugin.
+
+    \sa metaData(), Q_PLUGIN_METADATA()
+*/
+
 /*!
     Constructs a plugin loader with the given \a parent.
 */
@@ -407,6 +434,7 @@ void Q_CORE_EXPORT qRegisterStaticPluginFunction(QStaticPlugin plugin)
 /*!
     Returns a list of static plugin instances (root components) held
     by the plugin loader.
+    \sa staticPlugins()
 */
 QObjectList QPluginLoader::staticInstances()
 {
@@ -419,8 +447,14 @@ QObjectList QPluginLoader::staticInstances()
     return instances;
 }
 
-
-QVector<QStaticPlugin> QLibraryPrivate::staticPlugins()
+/*!
+    Returns a list of QStaticPlugins held by the plugin
+    loader. The function is similar to \l staticInstances()
+    with the addition that a QStaticPlugin also contains
+    meta data information.
+    \sa staticInstances()
+*/
+QVector<QStaticPlugin> QPluginLoader::staticPlugins()
 {
     StaticPluginList *plugins = staticPluginList();
     if (plugins)
@@ -428,6 +462,16 @@ QVector<QStaticPlugin> QLibraryPrivate::staticPlugins()
     return QVector<QStaticPlugin>();
 }
 
+/*!
+    Returns a the meta data for the plugin as a QJsonObject.
+
+    \sa rawMetaData()
+*/
+QJsonObject QStaticPlugin::metaData() const
+{
+    return QLibraryPrivate::fromRawMetaData(rawMetaData()).object();
+}
+
 QT_END_NAMESPACE
 
 #endif // QT_NO_LIBRARY
diff --git a/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.h b/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.h
index 8f8833e839..88c8ba4fa0 100644
--- a/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.h
+++ b/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.h
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #define QPLUGINLOADER_H
 
 #include <QtCore/qlibrary.h>
+#include <QtCore/qplugin.h>
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_LIBRARY
 
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ public:
     QJsonObject metaData() const;
 
     static QObjectList staticInstances();
+    static QVector<QStaticPlugin> staticPlugins();
 
     bool load();
     bool unload();
diff --git a/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp b/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
index 663f664d94..0f224c4909 100644
--- a/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/gui/kernel/qguiapplication/tst_qguiapplication.cpp
@@ -765,7 +765,7 @@ void tst_QGuiApplication::genericPluginsAndWindowSystemEvents()
 
     QStaticPlugin testPluginInfo;
     testPluginInfo.instance = qt_plugin_instance;
-    testPluginInfo.metaData = qt_plugin_query_metadata;
+    testPluginInfo.rawMetaData = qt_plugin_query_metadata;
     qRegisterStaticPluginFunction(testPluginInfo);
     int argc = 3;
     char *argv[] = { const_cast<char*>("tst_qguiapplication"), const_cast<char*>("-plugin"), const_cast<char*>("testplugin") };