diff --git a/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.h b/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.h
--- a/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.h
+++ b/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.h
@@ -144,11 +144,18 @@
     /**
      * Sets the file name to preselect to @p name
      *
-     * This takes absolute URLs and relative file names.
+     * This method also handles absolute URLs for historical reasons, but
+     * for URLs you should use setSelectedUrl() instead.
      */
     void setSelection(const QString &name);
 
     /**
+     * Sets the URL to preselect to @p url
+     * @since 5.33
+     */
+    void setSelectedUrl(const QUrl &url);
+
+    /**
      * Sets the operational mode of the filedialog to @p Saving, @p Opening
      * or @p Other. This will set some flags that are specific to loading
      * or saving files. E.g. setKeepLocation() makes mostly sense for
diff --git a/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.cpp b/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.cpp
--- a/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.cpp
+++ b/src/filewidgets/kfilewidget.cpp
@@ -1571,12 +1571,16 @@
         return;
     }
 
+    setSelectedUrl(urlFromString(url));
+}
+
+void KFileWidget::setSelectedUrl(const QUrl &url)
+{
     // Honor protocols that do not support directory listing
-    if (!u.isRelative() && !KProtocolManager::supportsListing(u)) {
+    if (!url.isRelative() && !KProtocolManager::supportsListing(url)) {
         return;
     }
-
-    d->setLocationText(urlFromString(url));
+    d->setLocationText(url);
 }
 
 void KFileWidgetPrivate::_k_slotLoadingFinished()