diff --git a/src/network/CMakeLists.txt b/src/network/CMakeLists.txt
index f7a5dba861..82b59af329 100644
--- a/src/network/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/network/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ qt_internal_add_module(Network
         QT_NO_CONTEXTLESS_CONNECT
         QT_NO_FOREACH
         QT_NO_USING_NAMESPACE
+        QT_NO_CAST_FROM_ASCII
     INCLUDE_DIRECTORIES
         kernel
     LIBRARIES
diff --git a/src/network/ssl/qsslsocket.cpp b/src/network/ssl/qsslsocket.cpp
index a763721828..62c15c98d5 100644
--- a/src/network/ssl/qsslsocket.cpp
+++ b/src/network/ssl/qsslsocket.cpp
@@ -2967,10 +2967,9 @@ QList<QByteArray> QSslSocketPrivate::unixRootCertDirectories()
     };
     QList<QByteArray> result = QList<QByteArray>::fromReadOnlyData(dirs);
     if constexpr (isVxworks) {
-        static QString vxworksCertsDir = qgetenv("VXWORKS_CERTS_DIR");
-        if (!vxworksCertsDir.isEmpty()) {
-            result.push_back(vxworksCertsDir.toLatin1());
-        }
+        static QByteArray vxworksCertsDir = qgetenv("VXWORKS_CERTS_DIR");
+        if (!vxworksCertsDir.isEmpty())
+            result.push_back(vxworksCertsDir);
     }
     return result;
 }