diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.h b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.h
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.h
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.h
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@
 #define KDEVPLATFORM_PLUGIN_PROJECTMODELITEMDELEGATE_H
 
 #include <QItemDelegate>
+#include <QPointer>
+
+namespace KDevelop
+{
+class NavigationToolTip;
+}
 
 class ProjectModelItemDelegate : public QItemDelegate
 {
@@ -31,11 +37,17 @@
     void paint(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option, const QModelIndex& index) const override;
     void drawDisplay(QPainter *painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem &option,
                              const QRect &rect, const QString &text) const override;
+    bool helpEvent(QHelpEvent* event, QAbstractItemView* view, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option,
+                   const QModelIndex& index) override;
 
 private:
     void drawBranchName(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option, const QRect& rect,
                         const QString& branchName) const;
     void drawStyledBackground(QPainter* painter, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option) const;
+
+private:
+    QPointer<KDevelop::NavigationToolTip> m_tooltip;
+    QPersistentModelIndex m_tooltippedIndex;
 };
 
 #endif // KDEVPLATFORM_PLUGIN_PROJECTMODELITEMDELEGATE_H
diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.cpp b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.cpp
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.cpp
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projectmodelitemdelegate.cpp
@@ -20,9 +20,22 @@
 #include "projectmodelitemdelegate.h"
 
 #include "vcsoverlayproxymodel.h"
-
+#include <debug.h>
+
+#include <project/projectmodel.h>
+#include <language/duchain/duchainutils.h>
+#include <language/duchain/duchainlock.h>
+#include <language/duchain/duchain.h>
+#include <language/util/navigationtooltip.h>
+#include <util/path.h>
+
+#include <QHelpEvent>
+#include <QToolTip>
+#include <QAbstractItemView>
 #include <QPainter>
 
+using namespace KDevelop;
+
 ProjectModelItemDelegate::ProjectModelItemDelegate(QObject* parent)
     : QItemDelegate(parent)
 {}
@@ -158,3 +171,57 @@
     QFontMetrics fm(painter->fontMetrics());
     painter->drawText(rect, fm.elidedText(text, Qt::ElideRight, rect.width()));
 }
+
+bool ProjectModelItemDelegate::helpEvent(QHelpEvent* event,
+                                         QAbstractItemView* view, const QStyleOptionViewItem& option,
+                                         const QModelIndex& index)
+{
+    if (!event || !view) {
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    if (event->type() == QEvent::ToolTip) {
+        QHelpEvent* helpEvent = static_cast<QHelpEvent*>(event);
+
+        // explicitely close current tooltip, as its autoclose margins overlap items
+        if ((m_tooltippedIndex != index) && m_tooltip) {
+            m_tooltip->close();
+            m_tooltip.clear();
+        }
+
+        const ProjectBaseItem* it = index.data(ProjectModel::ProjectItemRole).value<ProjectBaseItem*>();
+
+        // show navigation tooltip for files
+        if (it && it->file()) {
+            if (!m_tooltip) {
+                m_tooltippedIndex = index;
+                KDevelop::DUChainReadLocker lock(KDevelop::DUChain::lock());
+                const TopDUContext* top = DUChainUtils::standardContextForUrl(it->file()->path().toUrl());
+
+                if (top) {
+                    QWidget* navigationWidget = top->createNavigationWidget();
+                    if (navigationWidget) {
+                        // force possible existing normal tooltip for other list item to hide
+                        // Seems that is still only done with a small delay though,
+                        // but the API seems not to allow more control.
+                        QToolTip::hideText();
+
+                        m_tooltip = new KDevelop::NavigationToolTip(view, helpEvent->globalPos() + QPoint(40, 0), navigationWidget);
+                        m_tooltip->resize(navigationWidget->sizeHint() + QSize(10, 10));
+                        auto rect = view->visualRect(m_tooltippedIndex);
+                        rect.moveTopLeft(view->mapToGlobal(rect.topLeft()));
+                        m_tooltip->setHandleRect(rect);
+                        ActiveToolTip::showToolTip(m_tooltip);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // tooltip successfully handled by us?
+            if (m_tooltip) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return QItemDelegate::helpEvent(event, view, option, index);
+}
diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.h
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@
 {
 class IProject;
 class ProjectBaseItem;
-class NavigationToolTip;
 class Path;
 }
 
@@ -43,8 +42,6 @@
 
         static QModelIndex mapFromSource(const QAbstractProxyModel* proxy, const QModelIndex& sourceIdx);
 
-        bool event(QEvent* event) override;
-
     Q_SIGNALS:
         void activate( const KDevelop::Path &url );
 
@@ -71,8 +68,6 @@
         KDevelop::IProject* getCurrentProject();
 
         QPointer<KDevelop::IProject> m_previousSelection;
-        QPointer<KDevelop::NavigationToolTip> m_tooltip;
-        QPersistentModelIndex m_idx;
 };
 
 #endif // KDEVPLATFORM_PLUGIN_PROJECTTREEVIEW_H
diff --git a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
--- a/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
+++ b/plugins/projectmanagerview/projecttreeview.cpp
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 #include <KLocalizedString>
 
 #include <project/projectmodel.h>
-#include <language/duchain/duchainutils.h>
 #include <interfaces/contextmenuextension.h>
 #include <interfaces/iprojectcontroller.h>
 #include <interfaces/iproject.h>
@@ -50,9 +49,6 @@
 #include "projectmodelsaver.h"
 #include "projectmodelitemdelegate.h"
 #include "debug.h"
-#include <language/duchain/duchainlock.h>
-#include <language/duchain/duchain.h>
-#include <language/util/navigationtooltip.h>
 #include <project/projectutils.h>
 #include <widgetcolorizer.h>
 
@@ -459,46 +455,6 @@
     }
 }
 
-bool ProjectTreeView::event(QEvent* event)
-{
-    if(event->type()==QEvent::ToolTip)
-    {
-        QHelpEvent* helpEvent = static_cast<QHelpEvent*>(event);
-        QModelIndex idxView = indexAt(helpEvent->pos());
-
-        ProjectBaseItem* it = idxView.data(ProjectModel::ProjectItemRole).value<ProjectBaseItem*>();
-        QModelIndex idx;
-        if(it)
-            idx = it->index();
-
-        if((m_idx!=idx || !m_tooltip) && it && it->file())
-        {
-            m_idx=idx;
-            ProjectFileItem* file=it->file();
-            KDevelop::DUChainReadLocker lock(KDevelop::DUChain::lock());
-            TopDUContext* top= DUChainUtils::standardContextForUrl(file->path().toUrl());
-
-            if(m_tooltip)
-                m_tooltip->close();
-
-            if(top)
-            {
-                QWidget* navigationWidget = top->createNavigationWidget();
-                if( navigationWidget )
-                {
-                    m_tooltip = new KDevelop::NavigationToolTip(this, helpEvent->globalPos() + QPoint(40, 0), navigationWidget);
-                    m_tooltip->resize( navigationWidget->sizeHint() + QSize(10, 10) );
-                    qCDebug(PLUGIN_PROJECTMANAGERVIEW) << "tooltip size" << m_tooltip->size();
-                    ActiveToolTip::showToolTip(m_tooltip);
-                    return true;
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    return QAbstractItemView::event(event);
-}
-
 void ProjectTreeView::keyPressEvent(QKeyEvent* event)
 {
     if (event->key() == Qt::Key_Return && currentIndex().isValid() && state()!=QAbstractItemView::EditingState)