diff --git a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
index 04444d607c..7a10729d93 100644
--- a/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/bitcoin.cpp
@@ -188,17 +188,6 @@ static bool InitSettings()
     return true;
 }
 
-/* qDebug() message handler --> debug.log */
-void DebugMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& context, const QString &msg)
-{
-    Q_UNUSED(context);
-    if (type == QtDebugMsg) {
-        LogPrint(BCLog::QT, "GUI: %s\n", msg.toStdString());
-    } else {
-        LogPrintf("GUI: %s\n", msg.toStdString());
-    }
-}
-
 static int qt_argc = 1;
 static const char* qt_argv = "bitcoin-qt";
 
@@ -591,8 +580,7 @@ int GuiMain(int argc, char* argv[])
     // Install global event filter for processing Windows session related Windows messages (WM_QUERYENDSESSION and WM_ENDSESSION)
     qApp->installNativeEventFilter(new WinShutdownMonitor());
 #endif
-    // Install qDebug() message handler to route to debug.log
-    qInstallMessageHandler(DebugMessageHandler);
+
     // Allow parameter interaction before we create the options model
     app.parameterSetup();
     GUIUtil::LogQtInfo();
diff --git a/src/qt/main.cpp b/src/qt/main.cpp
index cad1162243..9ef1bbfe0c 100644
--- a/src/qt/main.cpp
+++ b/src/qt/main.cpp
@@ -12,18 +12,24 @@
 #include <qt/bitcoin.h>
 #endif // USE_QML
 
+#include <logging.h>
 #include <noui.h>
 #include <util/system.h>
 #include <util/threadnames.h>
 #include <util/translation.h>
 #include <util/url.h>
 
-#include <QCoreApplication>
-
 #include <functional>
 #include <string>
 #include <tuple>
 
+#include <QCoreApplication>
+#include <QString>
+
+QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
+class QMessageLogContext;
+QT_END_NAMESPACE
+
 #if defined(QT_STATICPLUGIN)
 #include <QtPlugin>
 #if defined(QT_QPA_PLATFORM_XCB)
@@ -41,6 +47,19 @@ extern const std::function<std::string(const char*)> G_TRANSLATION_FUN = [](cons
 };
 UrlDecodeFn* const URL_DECODE = urlDecode;
 
+namespace {
+/* qDebug() message handler --> debug.log */
+void DebugMessageHandler(QtMsgType type, const QMessageLogContext& context, const QString& msg)
+{
+    Q_UNUSED(context);
+    if (type == QtDebugMsg) {
+        LogPrint(BCLog::QT, "GUI: %s\n", msg.toStdString());
+    } else {
+        LogPrintf("GUI: %s\n", msg.toStdString());
+    }
+}
+} // namespace
+
 int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
 #ifdef WIN32
@@ -54,6 +73,9 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
     // Subscribe to global signals from core.
     noui_connect();
 
+    // Install qDebug() message handler to route to debug.log
+    qInstallMessageHandler(DebugMessageHandler);
+
 #if USE_QML
     return QmlGuiMain(argc, argv);
 #else