diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qcollator.cpp
index 990c68c062..fd00082cf7 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator.cpp
@@ -97,8 +97,7 @@ QCollator::QCollator(const QCollator &other)
 {
     if (d) {
         // Ensure clean, lest both copies try to init() at the same time:
-        if (d->dirty)
-            d->init();
+        d->ensureInitialized();
         d->ref.ref();
     }
 }
@@ -123,8 +122,7 @@ QCollator &QCollator::operator=(const QCollator &other)
         d = other.d;
         if (d) {
             // Ensure clean, lest both copies try to init() at the same time:
-            if (d->dirty)
-                d->init();
+            d->ensureInitialized();
             d->ref.ref();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_icu.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_icu.cpp
index fbc422c342..afd58b5d5e 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_icu.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_icu.cpp
@@ -78,8 +78,7 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
     if (!s2.size())
         return +1;
 
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
 
     if (d->collator) {
         return ucol_strcoll(d->collator,
@@ -92,8 +91,8 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
 
 QCollatorSortKey QCollator::sortKey(const QString &string) const
 {
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
+
     if (d->isC())
         return QCollatorSortKey(new QCollatorSortKeyPrivate(string.toUtf8()));
 
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_macx.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_macx.cpp
index 9a57ef78fc..23c23bd53a 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_macx.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_macx.cpp
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
     if (!s2.size())
         return +1;
 
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
+
     if (!d->collator)
         return s1.compare(s2, caseSensitivity());
 
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
 
 QCollatorSortKey QCollator::sortKey(const QString &string) const
 {
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
+
     if (!d->collator) {
         // What should (or even *can*) we do here ? (See init()'s comment.)
         qWarning("QCollator doesn't support sort keys for the C locale on Darwin");
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_p.h b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_p.h
index 6da153cdf0..b96cdbaa32 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_p.h
@@ -74,6 +74,12 @@ public:
         collator = NoCollator;
     }
 
+    void ensureInitialized()
+    {
+        if (dirty)
+            init();
+    }
+
     // Implemented by each back-end, in its own way:
     void init();
     void cleanup();
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_posix.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_posix.cpp
index b409dbd96d..bddb748535 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_posix.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_posix.cpp
@@ -50,8 +50,8 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
 
     if (d->isC())
         return s1.compare(s2, caseSensitivity());
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+
+    d->ensureInitialized();
 
     QVarLengthArray<wchar_t> array1, array2;
     stringToWCharArray(array1, s1);
@@ -61,8 +61,7 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
 
 QCollatorSortKey QCollator::sortKey(const QString &string) const
 {
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
 
     QVarLengthArray<wchar_t> original;
     stringToWCharArray(original, string);
diff --git a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_win.cpp b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_win.cpp
index 45cf5488ad..405337924f 100644
--- a/src/corelib/text/qcollator_win.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/text/qcollator_win.cpp
@@ -57,8 +57,7 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
     if (d->isC())
         return s1.compare(s2, d->caseSensitivity);
 
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
 
     //* from Windows documentation *
     // Returns one of the following values if successful. To maintain the C
@@ -92,8 +91,8 @@ int QCollator::compare(QStringView s1, QStringView s2) const
 
 QCollatorSortKey QCollator::sortKey(const QString &string) const
 {
-    if (d->dirty)
-        d->init();
+    d->ensureInitialized();
+
     if (d->isC())
         return QCollatorSortKey(new QCollatorSortKeyPrivate(string));