diff --git a/debugger/CMakeLists.txt b/debugger/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/debugger/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/debugger/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
     variable/variablewidget.cpp
     variable/variablecollection.cpp
     variable/variabletooltip.cpp
+    variable/variablesortmodel.cpp
     framestack/framestackmodel.cpp
     framestack/framestackwidget.cpp
 )
diff --git a/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.h b/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.h
--- a/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.h
+++ b/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include <QSortFilterProxyModel>
 
 class QModelIndex;
+class QCollator;
 
 namespace KDevelop
 {
@@ -35,9 +36,12 @@
 
 public:
     VariableSortProxyModel(QObject *parent = nullptr);
+    ~VariableSortProxyModel();
 
 protected:
     bool lessThan(const QModelIndex &left, const QModelIndex &right) const override;
+private:
+    QCollator *m_collator;
 };
 
 }
diff --git a/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.cpp b/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.cpp
--- a/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.cpp
+++ b/debugger/variable/variablesortmodel.cpp
@@ -30,16 +30,21 @@
 VariableSortProxyModel::VariableSortProxyModel(QObject *parent)
     : QSortFilterProxyModel(parent)
 {
+    m_collator = new QCollator();
+    m_collator->setNumericMode(true);
+    m_collator->setCaseSensitivity(Qt::CaseInsensitive);
+}
+
+VariableSortProxyModel::~VariableSortProxyModel()
+{
+    delete m_collator;
 }
 
 bool VariableSortProxyModel::lessThan(const QModelIndex &left, const QModelIndex &right) const
 {
-    QCollator collator;
-    collator.setNumericMode(true);
-    collator.setCaseSensitivity(Qt::CaseInsensitive);
     const QString leftString = sourceModel()->data(left).toString();
     const QString rightString = sourceModel()->data(right).toString();
-    int result = collator.compare(leftString, rightString);
+    int result = m_collator->compare(leftString, rightString);
     return result < 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/debugger/variable/variablewidget.cpp b/debugger/variable/variablewidget.cpp
--- a/debugger/variable/variablewidget.cpp
+++ b/debugger/variable/variablewidget.cpp
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 #include <interfaces/idebugcontroller.h>
 #include "../interfaces/ivariablecontroller.h"
 #include "variablecollection.h"
+#include "variablesortmodel.h"
 #include "util/debug.h"
 
 /** The variables widget is passive, and is invoked by the rest of the
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@
     setWindowIcon(QIcon::fromTheme("debugger"));
     setWindowTitle(i18n("Debugger Variables"));
 
-    m_proxy = new QSortFilterProxyModel;
+    m_proxy = new VariableSortProxyModel;
     varTree_ = new VariableTree(controller, this, m_proxy);
     setFocusProxy(varTree_);