diff --git a/src/utils/kateglobal.cpp b/src/utils/kateglobal.cpp
--- a/src/utils/kateglobal.cpp
+++ b/src/utils/kateglobal.cpp
@@ -99,6 +99,16 @@
     // remember this
     staticInstance = this;
 
+#if QT_VERSION < QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 9, 1)
+    // disable the QML JIT compiler as a protection against an unknown bug
+    // in Qt's V4 engine which can provoke a crash in certain of our scripts.
+    // See https://bugreports.qt.io/browse/QTBUG-63045
+    // https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=384404
+    // and https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=385413
+    qputenv("QV4_FORCE_INTERPRETER", QByteArrayLiteral("1"));
+    qCDebug(LOG_KTE) << "QV4_FORCE_INTERPRETER set to 1";
+#endif
+
     // init libgit2, we require at least 0.22 which has this function!
 #if LIBGIT2_FOUND
     git_libgit2_init();