diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/config.py b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
index e9e1676e9..8e06fb63d 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/config.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
@@ -140,11 +140,12 @@ def init(args):
         sys.exit(1)
     else:
         objreg.register('config', config_obj)
-        filename = os.path.join(confdir, 'qutebrowser.conf')
-        save_manager.add_saveable('config', config_obj.save,
-                                  config_obj.changed,
-                                  config_opt=('general', 'auto-save-config'),
-                                  filename=filename)
+        if confdir is not None:
+            filename = os.path.join(confdir, 'qutebrowser.conf')
+            save_manager.add_saveable('config', config_obj.save,
+                                    config_obj.changed,
+                                    config_opt=('general', 'auto-save-config'),
+                                    filename=filename)
     try:
         key_config = keyconf.KeyConfigParser(confdir, 'keys.conf')
     except (keyconf.KeyConfigError, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
@@ -160,11 +161,12 @@ def init(args):
         sys.exit(1)
     else:
         objreg.register('key-config', key_config)
-        filename = os.path.join(confdir, 'keys.conf')
-        save_manager.add_saveable('key-config', key_config.save,
-                                  key_config.changed,
-                                  config_opt=('general', 'auto-save-config'),
-                                  filename=filename)
+        if confdir is not None:
+            filename = os.path.join(confdir, 'keys.conf')
+            save_manager.add_saveable('key-config', key_config.save,
+                                    key_config.changed,
+                                    config_opt=('general', 'auto-save-config'),
+                                    filename=filename)
 
     datadir = standarddir.get(QStandardPaths.DataLocation, args)
     state_config = ini.ReadWriteConfigParser(datadir, 'state')