diff -up qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp.than qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp
--- qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp.than	2017-07-17 18:01:15.412236821 +0200
+++ qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qfactoryloader.cpp	2017-07-17 18:02:15.109007120 +0200
@@ -187,10 +187,12 @@ void QFactoryLoader::update()
                     ++keyUsageCount;
                 }
             }
-            if (keyUsageCount || keys.isEmpty())
+            if (keyUsageCount || keys.isEmpty()) {
+                library->setLoadHints(QLibrary::PreventUnloadHint); // once loaded, don't unload
                 d->libraryList += library;
-            else
+            } else {
                 library->release();
+            }
         }
     }
 #else
diff -up qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp.than qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp
--- qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp.than	2017-07-17 18:02:31.655389105 +0200
+++ qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/corelib/plugin/qpluginloader.cpp	2017-07-17 18:04:34.596792308 +0200
@@ -154,6 +154,7 @@ QPluginLoader::QPluginLoader(const QStri
     : QObject(parent), d(0), did_load(false)
 {
     setFileName(fileName);
+    setLoadHints(QLibrary::PreventUnloadHint);
 }
 
 /*!
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@ static QString locatePlugin(const QStrin
 void QPluginLoader::setFileName(const QString &fileName)
 {
 #if defined(QT_SHARED)
-    QLibrary::LoadHints lh;
+    QLibrary::LoadHints lh = QLibrary::PreventUnloadHint;
     if (d) {
         lh = d->loadHints();
         d->release();
@@ -394,7 +395,7 @@ QString QPluginLoader::errorString() con
     \brief Give the load() function some hints on how it should behave.
 
     You can give hints on how the symbols in the plugin are
-    resolved. By default, none of the hints are set.
+    resolved. By default since Qt 5.7, QLibrary::PreventUnloadHint is set.
 
     See the documentation of QLibrary::loadHints for a complete
     description of how this property works.
diff -up qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.cpp.than qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.cpp
--- qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.cpp.than	2017-07-17 10:11:45.915973856 +0200
+++ qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.cpp	2017-07-17 10:15:08.622262320 +0200
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@
 #include "qnetworkconfigmanager_p.h"
 #include "qbearerplugin_p.h"
 
-#include <QtCore/private/qfactoryloader_p.h>
-
 #include <QtCore/qdebug.h>
 #include <QtCore/qtimer.h>
 #include <QtCore/qstringlist.h>
@@ -60,7 +58,9 @@
 QT_BEGIN_NAMESPACE
 
 QNetworkConfigurationManagerPrivate::QNetworkConfigurationManagerPrivate()
-    : QObject(), pollTimer(0), mutex(QMutex::Recursive), forcedPolling(0), firstUpdate(true)
+    : QObject(), pollTimer(0), mutex(QMutex::Recursive),
+      loader(QBearerEngineFactoryInterface_iid, QLatin1String("/bearer")),
+      forcedPolling(0), firstUpdate(true)
 {
     qRegisterMetaType<QNetworkConfiguration>();
     qRegisterMetaType<QNetworkConfigurationPrivatePointer>();
diff -up qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.h.than qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.h
--- qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.h.than	2017-07-17 10:31:53.723102056 +0200
+++ qtbase-opensource-src-5.7.1/src/network/bearer/qnetworkconfigmanager_p.h	2017-07-17 10:32:43.543213865 +0200
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
 #include "qnetworkconfigmanager.h"
 #include "qnetworkconfiguration_p.h"
 
+#include <QtCore/private/qfactoryloader_p.h>
 #include <QtCore/qmutex.h>
 #include <QtCore/qset.h>
 
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ private:
 private:
     mutable QMutex mutex;
 
+    QFactoryLoader loader;
     QList<QBearerEngine *> sessionEngines;
 
     QSet<QString> onlineConfigurations;