diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/config.py b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
index 57837084f..77270b765 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/config.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
@@ -140,9 +140,10 @@ def _init_main_config(parent=None):
         parent: The parent to pass to ConfigManager.
     """
     args = objreg.get('args')
+    config_obj = ConfigManager(parent=parent)
     try:
-        config_obj = ConfigManager(standarddir.config(), 'qutebrowser.conf',
-                                   args.relaxed_config, parent=parent)
+        config_obj.read(standarddir.config(), 'qutebrowser.conf',
+                        relaxed=args.relaxed_config)
     except (configexc.Error, configparser.Error, UnicodeDecodeError) as e:
         log.init.exception(e)
         errstr = "Error while reading config:"
@@ -362,24 +363,16 @@ class ConfigManager(QObject):
     changed = pyqtSignal(str, str)
     style_changed = pyqtSignal(str, str)
 
-    def __init__(self, configdir, fname, relaxed=False, parent=None):
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
         self._initialized = False
+        self._configdir = None
+        self._fname = None
         self.sections = configdata.data()
         self._interpolation = configparser.ExtendedInterpolation()
         self._proxies = {}
         for sectname in self.sections:
             self._proxies[sectname] = SectionProxy(self, sectname)
-        self._fname = fname
-        if configdir is None:
-            self._configdir = None
-            self._initialized = True
-        else:
-            self._configdir = configdir
-            parser = ini.ReadConfigParser(configdir, fname)
-            self._from_cp(parser, relaxed)
-            self._initialized = True
-            self._validate_all()
 
     def __getitem__(self, key):
         """Get a section from the config."""
@@ -571,6 +564,19 @@ class ConfigManager(QObject):
                         option.value()):
                     self._changed(sectname, optname)
 
+    def read(self, configdir, fname, relaxed=False):
+        """Read the config from the given directory/file."""
+        self._fname = fname
+        if configdir is None:
+            self._configdir = None
+            self._initialized = True
+        else:
+            self._configdir = configdir
+            parser = ini.ReadConfigParser(configdir, fname)
+            self._from_cp(parser, relaxed)
+            self._initialized = True
+            self._validate_all()
+
     def items(self, sectname, raw=True):
         """Get a list of (optname, value) tuples for a section.
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
index 4f46ade29..8b54988d7 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
+++ b/tests/unit/config/test_config.py
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ class TestConfigParser:
         cp = configparser.ConfigParser(interpolation=None,
                                        comment_prefixes='#')
         cp.optionxform = lambda opt: opt  # be case-insensitive
-        cfg = config.ConfigManager(None, None)
+        cfg = config.ConfigManager()
+        cfg.read(None, None)
         return self.Objects(cp=cp, cfg=cfg)
 
     def test_simple(self, objects):
@@ -272,7 +273,7 @@ class TestDefaultConfig:
     @pytest.mark.usefixtures('qapp')
     def test_default_config(self):
         """Test validating of the default config."""
-        conf = config.ConfigManager(None, None)
+        conf = config.ConfigManager()
         conf._validate_all()
 
     def test_default_key_config(self):