diff --git a/kdevplatform/interfaces/iruntime.h b/kdevplatform/interfaces/iruntime.h
--- a/kdevplatform/interfaces/iruntime.h
+++ b/kdevplatform/interfaces/iruntime.h
@@ -75,6 +75,13 @@
      */
     virtual Path pathInHost(const Path& runtimePath) const = 0;
 
+    /**
+     * Analogous to QStandardPaths::findExecutable(), searches for the executable
+     * named @p executableName in the runtime system paths.
+     * @returns the absolute file path to the executable, or an empty string if not found.
+     */
+    virtual QString findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const = 0;
+
     /**
      * @returns the value for an environment variable in the runtime
      */
diff --git a/kdevplatform/shell/runtimecontroller.cpp b/kdevplatform/shell/runtimecontroller.cpp
--- a/kdevplatform/shell/runtimecontroller.cpp
+++ b/kdevplatform/shell/runtimecontroller.cpp
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@
     }
     KDevelop::Path pathInHost(const KDevelop::Path & runtimePath) const override { return runtimePath; }
     KDevelop::Path pathInRuntime(const KDevelop::Path & localPath) const override { return localPath; }
+    QString findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const override
+    {
+        return QStandardPaths::findExecutable(executableName);
+    }
     void setEnabled(bool /*enabled*/) override {}
     QByteArray getenv(const QByteArray & varname) const override { return qgetenv(varname.constData()); }
     KDevelop::Path buildPath() const override { return {}; }
diff --git a/plugins/android/androidruntime.h b/plugins/android/androidruntime.h
--- a/plugins/android/androidruntime.h
+++ b/plugins/android/androidruntime.h
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     KDevelop::Path pathInHost(const KDevelop::Path & runtimePath) const override { return runtimePath; }
     KDevelop::Path pathInRuntime(const KDevelop::Path & localPath) const override { return localPath; }
     QByteArray getenv(const QByteArray &varname) const override;
+    QString findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const override;
     KDevelop::Path buildPath() const override { return {}; }
 
     static AndroidPreferencesSettings* s_settings;
diff --git a/plugins/android/androidruntime.cpp b/plugins/android/androidruntime.cpp
--- a/plugins/android/androidruntime.cpp
+++ b/plugins/android/androidruntime.cpp
@@ -89,3 +89,16 @@
 {
     return qgetenv(varname.constData());
 }
+
+QString AndroidRuntime::findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const
+{
+    QStringList rtPaths;
+
+    auto envPaths = getenv(QByteArrayLiteral("PATH")).split(':');
+    std::transform(envPaths.begin(), envPaths.end(), std::back_inserter(rtPaths),
+                    [this](QByteArray p) {
+                        return pathInHost(Path(QString::fromLocal8Bit(p))).toLocalFile();
+                    });
+
+    return QStandardPaths::findExecutable(executableName, rtPaths);
+}
diff --git a/plugins/custom-definesandincludes/compilerprovider/compilerprovider.cpp b/plugins/custom-definesandincludes/compilerprovider/compilerprovider.cpp
--- a/plugins/custom-definesandincludes/compilerprovider/compilerprovider.cpp
+++ b/plugins/custom-definesandincludes/compilerprovider/compilerprovider.cpp
@@ -261,15 +261,10 @@
         return m_defaultProvider;
 
     auto rt = ICore::self()->runtimeController()->currentRuntime();
-    const auto path = QFile::decodeName(rt->getenv("PATH")).split(QDir::listSeparator());
 
     for ( const CompilerPointer& compiler : m_compilers ) {
-        const bool absolutePath = QDir::isAbsolutePath(compiler->path());
-        if ((absolutePath && QFileInfo::exists(rt->pathInHost(Path(compiler->path())).toLocalFile()))
-            || QStandardPaths::findExecutable( compiler->path(), path).isEmpty() ) {
+        if (rt->findExecutable(compiler->path()).isEmpty())
             continue;
-        }
-
         m_defaultProvider = compiler;
         break;
     }
diff --git a/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.h b/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.h
--- a/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.h
+++ b/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@
      */
     KDevelop::Path pathInRuntime(const KDevelop::Path & localPath) const override;
 
+    QString findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const override;
+
     /**
      * @returns the environment variable with @p varname set by the recipe (usually the Dockerfile)
      */
diff --git a/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.cpp b/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.cpp
--- a/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.cpp
+++ b/plugins/docker/dockerruntime.cpp
@@ -249,3 +249,15 @@
     return localPath;
 }
 
+QString DockerRuntime::findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const
+{
+    QStringList rtPaths;
+
+    auto envPaths = getenv(QByteArrayLiteral("PATH")).split(':');
+    std::transform(envPaths.begin(), envPaths.end(), std::back_inserter(rtPaths),
+                    [this](QByteArray p) {
+                        return pathInHost(Path(QString::fromLocal8Bit(p))).toLocalFile();
+                    });
+
+    return QStandardPaths::findExecutable(executableName, rtPaths);
+}
diff --git a/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.h b/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.h
--- a/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.h
+++ b/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@
     void startProcess(QProcess *process) const override;
     KDevelop::Path pathInHost(const KDevelop::Path & runtimePath) const override;
     KDevelop::Path pathInRuntime(const KDevelop::Path & localPath) const override;
+    QString findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const override;
     QByteArray getenv(const QByteArray &varname) const override;
 
     static KJob* createBuildDirectory(const KDevelop::Path &path, const KDevelop::Path &file, const QString &arch);
diff --git a/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.cpp b/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.cpp
--- a/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.cpp
+++ b/plugins/flatpak/flatpakruntime.cpp
@@ -230,6 +230,19 @@
     return ret;
 }
 
+QString FlatpakRuntime::findExecutable(const QString& executableName) const
+{
+    QStringList rtPaths;
+
+    auto envPaths = getenv(QByteArrayLiteral("PATH")).split(':');
+    std::transform(envPaths.begin(), envPaths.end(), std::back_inserter(rtPaths),
+                    [this](QByteArray p) {
+                        return pathInHost(Path(QString::fromLocal8Bit(p))).toLocalFile();
+                    });
+
+    return QStandardPaths::findExecutable(executableName, rtPaths);
+}
+
 QByteArray FlatpakRuntime::getenv(const QByteArray& varname) const
 {
     if (varname == "KDEV_DEFAULT_INSTALL_PREFIX")