diff --git i/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp w/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
index 80891e682f..614925ff6d 100644
--- i/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
+++ w/qmake/generators/mac/pbuilder_pbx.cpp
@@ -1879,8 +1879,9 @@ ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator::openOutput(QFile &file, const QString &build) c
     QFileInfo fi(fileInfo(file.fileName()));
     if(fi.suffix() != "pbxproj" || file.fileName().isEmpty()) {
         QString output = file.fileName();
-        if(fi.isDir())
-            output += QDir::separator();
+        if (output.endsWith(QDir::separator()))
+            output.chop(1);
+        qDebug() << "outut" << output;
         if(!output.endsWith(projectSuffix())) {
             if(file.fileName().isEmpty() || fi.isDir()) {
                 if(project->first("TEMPLATE") == "subdirs" || project->isEmpty("QMAKE_ORIG_TARGET"))
@@ -1889,19 +1890,22 @@ ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator::openOutput(QFile &file, const QString &build) c
                     output += project->first("QMAKE_ORIG_TARGET").toQString();
             }
             output += projectSuffix() + QDir::separator();
-        } else if(output[(int)output.length() - 1] != QDir::separator()) {
+        } else {
             output += QDir::separator();
         }
         output += QString("project.pbxproj");
         file.setFileName(output);
-        bool ret = UnixMakefileGenerator::openOutput(file, build);
-        ((ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator*)this)->pbx_dir = Option::output_dir.section(Option::dir_sep, 0, -1);
-        Option::output_dir = pbx_dir.section(Option::dir_sep, 0, -2);
-        return ret;
+        qDebug() << "messed with output" << output;
     }

-    ((ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator*)this)->pbx_dir = Option::output_dir;
-    return UnixMakefileGenerator::openOutput(file, build);
+    bool ret = UnixMakefileGenerator::openOutput(file, build);
+    ((ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator*)this)->pbx_dir = Option::output_dir.section(Option::dir_sep, 0, -1);
+    Option::output_dir = pbx_dir.section(Option::dir_sep, 0, -2);
+
+    qDebug() << "ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator::openOutput resolved (and fixed) output_dir ="
+        << Option::output_dir << ", pbx_dir =" << ((ProjectBuilderMakefileGenerator*)this)->pbx_dir
+        << "output =" << Option::output;
+    return ret;
 }

 int
diff --git i/qmake/main.cpp w/qmake/main.cpp
index 85709dc9bf..10ea94c12c 100644
--- i/qmake/main.cpp
+++ w/qmake/main.cpp
@@ -457,6 +457,7 @@ int runQMake(int argc, char **argv)
     Option::output_dir = oldpwd; //for now this is the output dir
     if(Option::output.fileName() != "-") {
         QFileInfo fi(Option::output);
+        qDebug() << "runQMake messing with output filePath =" << fi.filePath() << fi.isDir() << "path=" << fi.path();
         QString dir;
         if(fi.isDir()) {
             dir = fi.filePath();
@@ -465,20 +466,31 @@ int runQMake(int argc, char **argv)
             if(!tmp_dir.isEmpty() && QFile::exists(tmp_dir))
                 dir = tmp_dir;
         }
+        qDebug() << "\tdir =" << dir;
 #ifdef Q_OS_MAC
         if (fi.fileName().endsWith(QLatin1String(".pbxproj"))
-            && dir.endsWith(QLatin1String(".xcodeproj")))
-            dir += QStringLiteral("/..");
+            || fi.fileName().endsWith(QLatin1String(".xcodeproj"))) {
+            // Logic too complex to resolve here, defer to the (assumed) Xcode generator
+            dir = QString();
+            qDebug() << "nope!";
+        }
 #endif
-        if(!dir.isNull() && dir != ".")
+        if(!dir.isNull() && dir != ".") {
             Option::output_dir = dir;
+            qDebug() << "new output dir is" << dir;
+        }
         if (QDir::isRelativePath(Option::output_dir)) {
+            qDebug() << "adjusting out filename" << Option::output;
             Option::output.setFileName(fi.fileName());
+            qDebug() << "\t output -->" << Option::output;
             Option::output_dir.prepend(oldpwd + QLatin1Char('/'));
+            qDebug() << "\t outut_dir -->" << Option::output_dir;
         }
         Option::output_dir = QDir::cleanPath(Option::output_dir);
     }

+    qDebug() << "runQMake resolved output_dir=" << Option::output_dir << "and output:" << Option::output;
+
     QMakeProperty prop;
     if(Option::qmake_mode == Option::QMAKE_QUERY_PROPERTY ||
        Option::qmake_mode == Option::QMAKE_SET_PROPERTY ||