diff --git a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
index bd040a7a8..b0e757957 100644
--- a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@
 |<<colors-tabs.bg.selected.odd,tabs.bg.selected.odd>>|Background color of selected odd tabs.
 |<<colors-tabs.fg.selected.even,tabs.fg.selected.even>>|Foreground color of selected even tabs.
 |<<colors-tabs.bg.selected.even,tabs.bg.selected.even>>|Background color of selected even tabs.
+|<<colors-tabs.bg.bar,tabs.bg.bar>>|Background color of the tab bar.
 |<<colors-tabs.indicator.start,tabs.indicator.start>>|Color gradient start for the tab indicator.
 |<<colors-tabs.indicator.stop,tabs.indicator.stop>>|Color gradient end for the tab indicator.
 |<<colors-tabs.indicator.error,tabs.indicator.error>>|Color for the tab indicator on errors..
@@ -1833,6 +1834,12 @@ Background color of selected even tabs.
 
 Default: +pass:[${tabs.bg.selected.odd}]+
 
+[[colors-tabs.bg.bar]]
+=== tabs.bg.bar
+Background color of the tab bar.
+
+Default: +pass:[#555555]+
+
 [[colors-tabs.indicator.start]]
 === tabs.indicator.start
 Color gradient start for the tab indicator.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/config.py b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
index 1d537d44a..9dbcaf4cf 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/config.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/config.py
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@ class ConfigManager(QObject):
         ('colors', 'tab.bg.even'): 'tabs.bg.even',
         ('colors', 'tab.bg.selected'): 'tabs.bg.selected.odd',
         ('colors', 'tabs.bg.selected'): 'tabs.bg.selected.odd',
+        ('colors', 'tab.bg.bar'): 'tabs.bg.bar',
         ('colors', 'tab.indicator.start'): 'tabs.indicator.start',
         ('colors', 'tab.indicator.stop'): 'tabs.indicator.stop',
         ('colors', 'tab.indicator.error'): 'tabs.indicator.error',
@@ -348,8 +349,6 @@ class ConfigManager(QObject):
         ('tabs', 'indicator-space'),
         ('tabs', 'hide-auto'),
         ('tabs', 'hide-always'),
-        ('colors', 'tab.bg.bar'),
-        ('colors', 'tabs.bg.bar'),
     ]
     CHANGED_OPTIONS = {
         ('content', 'cookies-accept'):
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
index 1085866de..1517280a8 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
@@ -997,6 +997,10 @@ def data(readonly=False):
              SettingValue(typ.QtColor(), '${tabs.bg.selected.odd}'),
              "Background color of selected even tabs."),
 
+            ('tabs.bg.bar',
+             SettingValue(typ.QtColor(), '#555555'),
+             "Background color of the tab bar."),
+
             ('tabs.indicator.start',
              SettingValue(typ.QtColor(), '#0000aa'),
              "Color gradient start for the tab indicator."),
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
index 853b9004a..46a8e48d6 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
@@ -235,6 +235,8 @@ class TabBar(QTabBar):
             config.get('tabs', 'show-switching-delay'))
         self._auto_hide_timer.timeout.connect(self._tabhide)
         self.setAutoFillBackground(True)
+        self.set_colors()
+        config_obj.changed.connect(self.set_colors)
         QTimer.singleShot(0, self._tabhide)
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.on_tab_colors_changed)
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.on_show_switching_delay_changed)
@@ -318,6 +320,13 @@ class TabBar(QTabBar):
         size = self.fontMetrics().height() - 2
         self.setIconSize(QSize(size, size))
 
+    @config.change_filter('colors', 'tabs.bg.bar')
+    def set_colors(self):
+        """Set the tab bar colors."""
+        p = self.palette()
+        p.setColor(QPalette.Window, config.get('colors', 'tabs.bg.bar'))
+        self.setPalette(p)
+
     @pyqtSlot(str, str)
     def on_tab_colors_changed(self, section, option):
         """Set the tab colors."""