diff --git a/src/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview.cpp b/src/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview.cpp
index 26d7c5472a..708b9b44ca 100644
--- a/src/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview.cpp
+++ b/src/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview.cpp
@@ -2163,9 +2163,11 @@ void QHeaderViewPrivate::_q_sectionsAboutToBeChanged()
     layoutChangePersistentSections.clear();
     layoutChangePersistentSections.reserve(std::min(10, sectionItems.count()));
     // after layoutChanged another section can be last stretched section
-    if (stretchLastSection) {
+    if (stretchLastSection && lastSectionLogicalIdx >= 0 && lastSectionLogicalIdx < sectionItems.count()) {
         const int visual = visualIndex(lastSectionLogicalIdx);
-        sectionItems[visual].size = lastSectionSize;
+        if (visual >= 0 && visual < sectionItems.size()) {
+            sectionItems[visual].size = lastSectionSize;
+        }
     }
     for (int i = 0; i < sectionItems.size(); ++i) {
         auto s = sectionItems.at(i);
diff --git a/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview/tst_qheaderview.cpp b/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview/tst_qheaderview.cpp
index 97aa8a0299..812ca4b223 100644
--- a/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview/tst_qheaderview.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/widgets/itemviews/qheaderview/tst_qheaderview.cpp
@@ -2363,6 +2363,7 @@ void tst_QHeaderView::checkLayoutChangeEmptyModel()
     QtTestModel tm;
     tm.cols = 11;
     QTableView tv;
+    tv.verticalHeader()->setStretchLastSection(true);
     tv.setModel(&tm);
 
     const int section4Size = tv.horizontalHeader()->sectionSize(4) + 1;