diff --git a/src/mode/katemodemenulist.cpp b/src/mode/katemodemenulist.cpp
--- a/src/mode/katemodemenulist.cpp
+++ b/src/mode/katemodemenulist.cpp
@@ -504,7 +504,7 @@
     for (const auto &ext : m_type->wildcards) {
         // File extension
         if (ext.startsWith(QLatin1String("*."))) {
-            if (text.length() == ext.length() - 2 && text.compare(ext.mid(2), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0) {
+            if (text.length() == ext.length() - 2 && text.compare(ext.midRef(2), Qt::CaseInsensitive) == 0) {
                 return true;
             }
         } else if (text.length() != ext.length() || ext.endsWith(QLatin1Char('*'))) {
diff --git a/src/utils/katesedcmd.cpp b/src/utils/katesedcmd.cpp
--- a/src/utils/katesedcmd.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/katesedcmd.cpp
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
         } else {
             // isn't a slash
             if (!evenCount) {
-                if (haystack.mid(index, searchlen) == needle) {
+                if (haystack.midRef(index, searchlen) == needle) {
                     return index - 1;
                 }
             }
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
         return false;
     }
 
-    const QString searchParamsString = cmd.mid(cmd.lastIndexOf(delimiter));
+    const QStringRef searchParamsString = cmd.midRef(cmd.lastIndexOf(delimiter));
     const bool noCase = searchParamsString.contains(QLatin1Char('i'));
     const bool repeat = searchParamsString.contains(QLatin1Char('g'));
     const bool interactive = searchParamsString.contains(QLatin1Char('c'));
diff --git a/src/vimode/config/configtab.cpp b/src/vimode/config/configtab.cpp
--- a/src/vimode/config/configtab.cpp
+++ b/src/vimode/config/configtab.cpp
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@
         } else if (line.size() == 4 && line[0] == QLatin1String("let") &&
                     line[2] == QLatin1String("=") &&
                     mapleader.match(line[1]).hasMatch()) {
-            const QString &leader = line[3].mid(1, line[3].length() - 2);
+            const QStringRef leader = line[3].midRef(1, line[3].length() - 2);
             if (!leader.isEmpty()) {
                 m_mappings->setLeader(leader[0]);
             }
diff --git a/src/vimode/emulatedcommandbar/commandmode.cpp b/src/vimode/emulatedcommandbar/commandmode.cpp
--- a/src/vimode/emulatedcommandbar/commandmode.cpp
+++ b/src/vimode/emulatedcommandbar/commandmode.cpp
@@ -310,9 +310,9 @@
     const QString command = m_edit->text();
     ParsedSedExpression parsedSedExpression = parseAsSedExpression();
     Q_ASSERT(parsedSedExpression.parsedSuccessfully);
-    return command.mid(0, parsedSedExpression.findBeginPos) +
+    return command.midRef(0, parsedSedExpression.findBeginPos) +
     newFindTerm +
-    command.mid(parsedSedExpression.findEndPos + 1);
+    command.midRef(parsedSedExpression.findEndPos + 1);
 }
 
 QString CommandMode::withSedDelimiterEscaped ( const QString& text )
diff --git a/src/vimode/keyparser.cpp b/src/vimode/keyparser.cpp
--- a/src/vimode/keyparser.cpp
+++ b/src/vimode/keyparser.cpp
@@ -601,7 +601,7 @@
             if (c == QLatin1Char('<')) {
                 // If there's no closing '>', or if there is an opening '<' before the next '>', interpret as a literal '<'
                 // If we are <space>, encode as a literal " ".
-                QString rest = keys.mid(i);
+                const QStringRef rest = keys.midRef(i);
                 if (rest.indexOf(QLatin1Char('>'), 1) != -1 && rest.mid(1, rest.indexOf(QLatin1Char('>'), 1) - 1) == QLatin1String("space")) {
                     encodedSequence.append(QLatin1Char(' '));
                     i += rest.indexOf(QLatin1Char('>'), 1);
diff --git a/src/vimode/modes/modebase.cpp b/src/vimode/modes/modebase.cpp
--- a/src/vimode/modes/modebase.cpp
+++ b/src/vimode/modes/modebase.cpp
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@
     } else if (base == 8) {
         basePrefix = QStringLiteral("0");
     }
-    const QString withoutBase = numberAsString.mid(basePrefix.length());
+    const QStringRef withoutBase = numberAsString.midRef(basePrefix.length());
 
     const int newNumber = originalNumber + count;