diff --git a/mkspecs/features/vcsubdirs.pri b/mkspecs/features/vcsubdirs.pri
index a75bdbd09..dc7c347ca 100644
--- a/mkspecs/features/vcsubdirs.pri
+++ b/mkspecs/features/vcsubdirs.pri
@@ -8,16 +8,25 @@ equals(TEMPLATE, "vcsubdirs") {
     #   This function returns the absolute path of the .pro file referenced by subdir.
     #   \param subdir Any value which is valid to appear in the SUBDIRS variable.
     #   \param basedir The absolute directory of the .pro file containing the SUBDIRS variable.
-    #   \note For now, it only supports .file and .subdir modifiers in the top-level project.
+    #   \param profile The .pro file containing the SUBDIRS variable (empty if it is this very project).
     defineReplace(subdirToProjectFile) {
         SUBDIR = $$1
         BASEDIR = $$2
+        PROFILE = $$3
         BASENAME = $$basename(SUBDIR)
         SUFFIX = $$section(SUBDIR, ".", -1, -1)
-        !isEmpty($${SUBDIR}.file):   return($$BASEDIR/$$eval($${SUBDIR}.file))
-        !isEmpty($${SUBDIR}.subdir): return($$BASEDIR/$$eval($${SUBDIR}.subdir)/$${BASENAME}.pro)
-        equals(SUFFIX, "pro"):       return($$BASEDIR/$$SUBDIR)
-        else:                        return($$BASEDIR/$$SUBDIR/$${BASENAME}.pro)
+        isEmpty(PROFILE) {
+            file = $$eval($${SUBDIR}.file)
+            subdir = $$eval($${SUBDIR}.subdir)
+        }
+        else {
+            file = $$fromfile($$PROFILE, $${SUBDIR}.file)
+            subdir = $$fromfile($$PROFILE, $${SUBDIR}.subdir)
+        }
+        !isEmpty(file):        return($$BASEDIR/$$file)
+        !isEmpty(subdir):      return($$BASEDIR/$$subdir/$${BASENAME}.pro)
+        equals(SUFFIX, "pro"): return($$BASEDIR/$$SUBDIR)
+        else:                  return($$BASEDIR/$$SUBDIR/$${BASENAME}.pro)
     }
 
     # flattenSubdirs(subdirs, basedir)
@@ -26,11 +35,13 @@ equals(TEMPLATE, "vcsubdirs") {
     #   project, recursively.
     #   \param subdirs The value of a SUBDIRS variable.
     #   \param basedir The absolute directory of the .pro file containing the SUBDIRS variable.
+    #   \param profile The .pro file containing the SUBDIRS variable (empty if it is this very project).
     defineReplace(flattenSubdirs) {
         SUBDIRS = $$1
         BASEDIR = $$2
+        PROFILE = $$3
         for(subdir, SUBDIRS) {
-            SUBDIR_PROJECT = $$subdirToProjectFile($$subdir, $$BASEDIR)
+            SUBDIR_PROJECT = $$subdirToProjectFile($$subdir, $$BASEDIR, $$PROFILE)
             INNER_REQUIRES = $$fromfile($$SUBDIR_PROJECT, REQUIRES)
             REQUIRES_OK = 1
             for(req, INNER_REQUIRES): !if($${req}): REQUIRES_OK = 0
@@ -38,7 +49,7 @@ equals(TEMPLATE, "vcsubdirs") {
                 INNER_TEMPLATE = $$fromfile($$SUBDIR_PROJECT, TEMPLATE)
                 equals(INNER_TEMPLATE, "vcsubdirs") {
                     INNER_SUBDIRS = $$fromfile($$SUBDIR_PROJECT, SUBDIRS)
-                    SUBDIRS_FLAT += $$flattenSubdirs($$INNER_SUBDIRS, $$dirname(SUBDIR_PROJECT))
+                    SUBDIRS_FLAT += $$flattenSubdirs($$INNER_SUBDIRS, $$dirname(SUBDIR_PROJECT), $$SUBDIR_PROJECT)
                 }
                 else: SUBDIRS_FLAT += $$SUBDIR_PROJECT
             }