diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry.cpp b/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry.cpp
index 47fb1fb6b8..0e7eaeea76 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry.cpp
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry.cpp
@@ -317,13 +317,12 @@ void QLoggingRegistry::init()
 
     const QMutexLocker locker(&registryMutex);
 
-    envRules = std::move(er);
-    qtConfigRules = std::move(qr);
-    configRules = std::move(cr);
+    ruleSets[EnvironmentRules] = std::move(er);
+    ruleSets[QtConfigRules] = std::move(qr);
+    ruleSets[ConfigRules] = std::move(cr);
 
-    if (!envRules.isEmpty() || !qtConfigRules.isEmpty() || !configRules.isEmpty()) {
+    if (!ruleSets[EnvironmentRules].isEmpty() || !ruleSets[QtConfigRules].isEmpty() || !ruleSets[ConfigRules].isEmpty())
         updateRules();
-    }
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -367,7 +366,7 @@ void QLoggingRegistry::setApiRules(const QString &content)
 
     const QMutexLocker locker(&registryMutex);
 
-    apiRules = parser.rules();
+    ruleSets[ApiRules] = parser.rules();
 
     updateRules();
 }
@@ -380,13 +379,6 @@ void QLoggingRegistry::setApiRules(const QString &content)
 */
 void QLoggingRegistry::updateRules()
 {
-    rules.clear();
-    rules.reserve(qtConfigRules.size() + configRules.size() + apiRules.size() + envRules.size()),
-    rules += qtConfigRules;
-    rules += configRules;
-    rules += apiRules;
-    rules += envRules;
-
     for (auto it = categories.keyBegin(), end = categories.keyEnd(); it != end; ++it)
         (*categoryFilter)(*it);
 }
@@ -406,8 +398,7 @@ QLoggingRegistry::installFilter(QLoggingCategory::CategoryFilter filter)
     QLoggingCategory::CategoryFilter old = categoryFilter;
     categoryFilter = filter;
 
-    for (auto it = categories.keyBegin(), end = categories.keyEnd(); it != end; ++it)
-        (*categoryFilter)(*it);
+    updateRules();
 
     return old;
 }
@@ -446,19 +437,22 @@ void QLoggingRegistry::defaultCategoryFilter(QLoggingCategory *cat)
     }
 
     QString categoryName = QLatin1String(cat->categoryName());
-    for (const QLoggingRule &item : reg->rules) {
-        int filterpass = item.pass(categoryName, QtDebugMsg);
-        if (filterpass != 0)
-            debug = (filterpass > 0);
-        filterpass = item.pass(categoryName, QtInfoMsg);
-        if (filterpass != 0)
-            info = (filterpass > 0);
-        filterpass = item.pass(categoryName, QtWarningMsg);
-        if (filterpass != 0)
-            warning = (filterpass > 0);
-        filterpass = item.pass(categoryName, QtCriticalMsg);
-        if (filterpass != 0)
-            critical = (filterpass > 0);
+
+    for (const auto &ruleSet : reg->ruleSets) {
+        for (const auto &rule : ruleSet) {
+            int filterpass = rule.pass(categoryName, QtDebugMsg);
+            if (filterpass != 0)
+                debug = (filterpass > 0);
+            filterpass = rule.pass(categoryName, QtInfoMsg);
+            if (filterpass != 0)
+                info = (filterpass > 0);
+            filterpass = rule.pass(categoryName, QtWarningMsg);
+            if (filterpass != 0)
+                warning = (filterpass > 0);
+            filterpass = rule.pass(categoryName, QtCriticalMsg);
+            if (filterpass != 0)
+                critical = (filterpass > 0);
+        }
     }
 
     cat->setEnabled(QtDebugMsg, debug);
diff --git a/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry_p.h b/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry_p.h
index 69fc6ea4ec..a68b993cca 100644
--- a/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry_p.h
+++ b/src/corelib/io/qloggingregistry_p.h
@@ -130,14 +130,20 @@ private:
 
     static void defaultCategoryFilter(QLoggingCategory *category);
 
+    enum RuleSet {
+        // sorted by order in which defaultCategoryFilter considers them:
+        QtConfigRules,
+        ConfigRules,
+        ApiRules,
+        EnvironmentRules,
+
+        NumRuleSets
+    };
+
     QMutex registryMutex;
 
     // protected by mutex:
-    QVector<QLoggingRule> qtConfigRules;
-    QVector<QLoggingRule> configRules;
-    QVector<QLoggingRule> envRules;
-    QVector<QLoggingRule> apiRules;
-    QVector<QLoggingRule> rules;
+    QVector<QLoggingRule> ruleSets[NumRuleSets];
     QHash<QLoggingCategory*,QtMsgType> categories;
     QLoggingCategory::CategoryFilter categoryFilter;
 
diff --git a/tests/auto/corelib/io/qloggingregistry/tst_qloggingregistry.cpp b/tests/auto/corelib/io/qloggingregistry/tst_qloggingregistry.cpp
index 0a74dc64c0..1643eed3d2 100644
--- a/tests/auto/corelib/io/qloggingregistry/tst_qloggingregistry.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/corelib/io/qloggingregistry/tst_qloggingregistry.cpp
@@ -202,18 +202,15 @@ private slots:
         QLoggingRegistry registry;
         registry.init();
 
-        QCOMPARE(registry.apiRules.size(), 0);
-        QCOMPARE(registry.configRules.size(), 0);
-        QCOMPARE(registry.envRules.size(), 1);
-
-        QCOMPARE(registry.rules.size(), 1);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ApiRules].size(), 0);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ConfigRules].size(), 0);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::EnvironmentRules].size(), 1);
 
         // check that QT_LOGGING_RULES take precedence
         qputenv("QT_LOGGING_RULES", "Digia.*=true");
         registry.init();
-        QCOMPARE(registry.envRules.size(), 2);
-        QCOMPARE(registry.envRules.at(1).enabled, true);
-        QCOMPARE(registry.rules.size(), 2);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::EnvironmentRules].size(), 2);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::EnvironmentRules].at(1).enabled, true);
     }
 
     void QLoggingRegistry_config()
@@ -238,7 +235,7 @@ private slots:
 
         QLoggingRegistry registry;
         registry.init();
-        QCOMPARE(registry.configRules.size(), 1);
+        QCOMPARE(registry.ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ConfigRules].size(), 1);
 
         // remove file again
         QVERIFY(file.remove());
@@ -260,10 +257,9 @@ private slots:
         QLoggingRegistry *registry = QLoggingRegistry::instance();
 
         // empty all rules , check default
-        registry->rules.clear();
-        registry->apiRules.clear();
-        registry->configRules.clear();
-        registry->envRules.clear();
+        registry->ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ApiRules].clear();
+        registry->ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ConfigRules].clear();
+        registry->ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::EnvironmentRules].clear();
         registry->updateRules();
 
         QVERIFY(cat.isWarningEnabled());
@@ -271,7 +267,7 @@ private slots:
         // set Config rule
         QLoggingSettingsParser parser;
         parser.setContent("[Rules]\nDigia.*=false");
-        registry->configRules=parser.rules();
+        registry->ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::ConfigRules] = parser.rules();
         registry->updateRules();
 
         QVERIFY(!cat.isWarningEnabled());
@@ -283,7 +279,7 @@ private slots:
 
         // set Env rule, should overwrite Config one
         parser.setContent("Digia.*=false");
-        registry->envRules=parser.rules();
+        registry->ruleSets[QLoggingRegistry::EnvironmentRules] = parser.rules();
         registry->updateRules();
 
         QVERIFY(!cat.isWarningEnabled());