diff --git a/src/corelib/tools/qchar.h b/src/corelib/tools/qchar.h
index dcbe3fb0c2..6854a7ac87 100644
--- a/src/corelib/tools/qchar.h
+++ b/src/corelib/tools/qchar.h
@@ -493,6 +493,9 @@ private:
     QChar(char c);
     QChar(uchar c);
 #endif
+
+    friend bool operator==(QChar, QChar);
+    friend bool operator< (QChar, QChar);
     ushort ucs;
 };
 
@@ -534,12 +537,13 @@ inline bool QChar::isUpper(uint ucs4)
 inline bool QChar::isTitleCase(uint ucs4)
 { return ucs4 > 127 && QChar::category(ucs4) == Letter_Titlecase; }
 
-inline bool operator==(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() == c2.unicode(); }
-inline bool operator!=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() != c2.unicode(); }
-inline bool operator<=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() <= c2.unicode(); }
-inline bool operator>=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() >= c2.unicode(); }
-inline bool operator<(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() < c2.unicode(); }
-inline bool operator>(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.unicode() > c2.unicode(); }
+inline bool operator==(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.ucs == c2.ucs; }
+inline bool operator< (QChar c1, QChar c2) { return c1.ucs <  c2.ucs; }
+
+inline bool operator!=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return !operator==(c1, c2); }
+inline bool operator>=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return !operator< (c1, c2); }
+inline bool operator> (QChar c1, QChar c2) { return  operator< (c2, c1); }
+inline bool operator<=(QChar c1, QChar c2) { return !operator< (c2, c1); }
 
 #ifndef QT_NO_DATASTREAM
 Q_CORE_EXPORT QDataStream &operator<<(QDataStream &, QChar);
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qchar/tst_qchar.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qchar/tst_qchar.cpp
index a4350ea2fe..55c911a5fc 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qchar/tst_qchar.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/tools/qchar/tst_qchar.cpp
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@ public slots:
     void init();
     void cleanup();
 private slots:
+    void operators_data();
+    void operators();
     void toUpper();
     void toLower();
     void toTitle();
@@ -99,6 +101,33 @@ void tst_QChar::cleanup()
 #endif
 }
 
+void tst_QChar::operators_data()
+{
+    QTest::addColumn<QChar>("lhs");
+    QTest::addColumn<QChar>("rhs");
+
+    for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
+        for (int j = 0; j < 3; ++j)
+            QTest::newRow(qPrintable(QString().sprintf("'\\%d' (op) '\\%d'", i, j)))
+                    << QChar(ushort(i)) << QChar(ushort(j));
+    }
+}
+
+void tst_QChar::operators()
+{
+    QFETCH(QChar, lhs);
+    QFETCH(QChar, rhs);
+
+#define CHECK(op) QCOMPARE((lhs op rhs), (lhs.unicode() op rhs.unicode()))
+    CHECK(==);
+    CHECK(!=);
+    CHECK(< );
+    CHECK(> );
+    CHECK(<=);
+    CHECK(>=);
+#undef CHECK
+}
+
 void tst_QChar::toUpper()
 {
     QVERIFY(QChar('a').toUpper() == 'A');