diff --git a/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp b/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
index 62d51159cd..111c3e3f50 100644
--- a/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
+++ b/kdevplatform/project/tests/abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.cpp
@@ -1,155 +1,184 @@
 /* This file is part of KDevelop
     Copyright 2017 René J.V. Bertin <rjvbertin@gmail.com>
 
     This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU Library General Public
     License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
     version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 
     This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
     but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
     MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
     Library General Public License for more details.
 
     You should have received a copy of the GNU Library General Public License
     along with this library; see the file COPYING.LIB.  If not, write to
     the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
     Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
 */
 
+#include <interfaces/iplugin.h>
+#include <interfaces/icore.h>
+#include <interfaces/iplugincontroller.h>
+
 #include <project/abstractfilemanagerplugin.h>
 #include <project/projectmodel.h>
 
+#include <shell/projectcontroller.h>
+
 #include <tests/autotestshell.h>
 #include <tests/testcore.h>
 #include <tests/testproject.h>
+#include <tests/testplugincontroller.h>
 
 #include <util/path.h>
 
 #include <KJob>
 #include <KDirWatch>
 
-#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QApplication>
 #include <QList>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QElapsedTimer>
 #include <QMap>
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QTextStream>
 
 using namespace KDevelop;
 
 namespace KDevelop {
 
+// wrap the ProjectController to make its addProject() method public
+class ProjectControllerWrapper : public ProjectController
+{
+    Q_OBJECT
+public:
+    ProjectControllerWrapper(Core* core)
+        : ProjectController(core)
+    {}
+
+    using ProjectController::addProject;
+};
+
 class AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark : public QObject
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 public:
     AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark(AbstractFileManagerPlugin* manager, const QString& path,
-                                             QObject* parent)
-        : QObject(parent)
+                                             TestCore* core)
+        : QObject(core)
         , m_out(stdout)
+        , m_core(core)
     {
         m_manager = manager;
         m_project = new TestProject(Path(path));
     }
 
     void start()
     {
         m_projectNumber = s_numBenchmarksRunning++;
         m_out << "Starting import of project " << m_project->path().toLocalFile() << endl;
+        ProjectControllerWrapper *projectController = qobject_cast<ProjectControllerWrapper*>(m_core->projectController());
+        projectController->addProject(m_project);
         m_timer.start();
         auto root = m_manager->import(m_project);
         int elapsed = m_timer.elapsed();
         m_out << "\tcreating dirwatcher took "
             << elapsed / 1000.0 << " seconds" << endl;
         auto import = m_manager->createImportJob(root);
         connect(import, &KJob::finished,
             this, &AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::projectImportDone);
         m_timer.restart();
         import->start();
     }
 
     AbstractFileManagerPlugin* m_manager;
     TestProject* m_project;
     QElapsedTimer m_timer;
     int m_projectNumber;
     QTextStream m_out;
+    TestCore* m_core;
 
     static int s_numBenchmarksRunning;
 
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void finished();
 
 private Q_SLOTS:
     void projectImportDone(KJob* job)
     {
         Q_UNUSED(job);
         int elapsed = m_timer.elapsed();
-        m_out << "importing project " << m_projectNumber << " took "
-            << elapsed / 1000.0 << " seconds" << endl;
+        m_out << "importing " << m_project->fileSet().size()
+            << " items into project #" << m_projectNumber
+            << " took " << elapsed / 1000.0 << " seconds" << endl;
 
         s_numBenchmarksRunning -= 1;
         if (s_numBenchmarksRunning <= 0) {
             emit finished();
         }
     }
 
 };
 
 int AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::s_numBenchmarksRunning = 0;
 }
 
 int main(int argc, char** argv)
 {
     if (argc < 2) {
         qWarning() << "Usage:" << argv[0] << "projectDir1 [...projectDirN]";
         return 1;
     }
-    QCoreApplication app(argc, argv);
+    QApplication app(argc, argv);
     QTextStream qout(stdout);
     // measure the total test time, this provides an indication
     // of overhead and how well multiple projects are imported in parallel
     // (= how different is the total time from the import time of the largest
     // project). When testing a single project the difference between this
     // value and total runtime will provide an estimate of the time required
     // to destroy the dirwatcher.
     QElapsedTimer runTimer;
 
     AutoTestShell::init({"no plugins"});
-    auto core = TestCore::initialize(Core::NoUi);
+    auto core = TestCore::initialize();
+    // load/activate the "Project Filter" plugin (it won't be available to us without this step):
+    core->pluginController()->allPluginsForExtension(QStringLiteral("org.kdevelop.IProjectFilter"));
+    auto projectController = new ProjectControllerWrapper(core);
+    delete core->projectController();
+    core->setProjectController(projectController);
     auto manager = new AbstractFileManagerPlugin({}, core);
 
     const char *kdwMethod[] = {"FAM", "Inotify", "Stat", "QFSWatch"};
     qout << "KDirWatch backend: " << kdwMethod[KDirWatch().internalMethod()] << endl;
 
     QList<AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark*> benchmarks;
 
     for (int i = 1 ; i < argc ; ++i) {
         const QString path = QString::fromUtf8(argv[i]);
         if (QFileInfo(path).isDir()) {
             const auto benchmark = new AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark(manager, path, core);
             benchmarks << benchmark;
             QObject::connect(benchmark, &AbstractFileManagerPluginImportBenchmark::finished,
                              &app, [&runTimer, &qout] {
                                 qout << "Done in " << runTimer.elapsed() / 1000.0
                                     << " seconds total\n";
                                 QCoreApplication::instance()->quit();
                              });
         }
     }
 
     if (benchmarks.isEmpty()) {
         qWarning() << "no projects to import (arguments must be directories)";
         return 1;
     }
 
     runTimer.start();
     for (auto benchmark : benchmarks) {
         benchmark->start();
     }
 
     return app.exec();
 }
 
 #include "abstractfilemanagerpluginimportbenchmark.moc"