diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/cmdexc.py b/qutebrowser/commands/cmdexc.py
index 51e20fec7..bca2f0500 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/cmdexc.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/cmdexc.py
@@ -23,33 +23,33 @@ Defined here to avoid circular dependency hell.
 """
 
 
-class CommandError(Exception):
+class Error(Exception):
+
+    """Base class for all cmdexc errors."""
+
+
+class CommandError(Error):
 
     """Raised when a command encounters an error while running."""
 
     pass
 
 
-class CommandMetaError(Exception):
-
-    """Common base class for exceptions occurring before a command is run."""
-
-
-class NoSuchCommandError(CommandMetaError):
+class NoSuchCommandError(Error):
 
     """Raised when a command wasn't found."""
 
     pass
 
 
-class ArgumentTypeError(CommandMetaError):
+class ArgumentTypeError(Error):
 
     """Raised when an argument had an invalid type."""
 
     pass
 
 
-class PrerequisitesError(CommandMetaError):
+class PrerequisitesError(Error):
 
     """Raised when a cmd can't be used because some prerequisites aren't met.
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py b/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
index 2dc509e65..0928fa532 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ class CommandRunner(QObject):
         """Run a command and display exceptions in the statusbar."""
         try:
             self.run(text, count)
-        except (cmdexc.CommandMetaError, cmdexc.CommandError) as e:
+        except cmdexc.Error as e:
             message.error(str(e), stack=traceback.format_exc())
 
     @pyqtSlot(str, int)
@@ -322,5 +322,5 @@ class CommandRunner(QObject):
         """
         try:
             self.run(text, count)
-        except (cmdexc.CommandMetaError, cmdexc.CommandError) as e:
+        except cmdexc.Error as e:
             message.error(str(e), stack=traceback.format_exc())
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/keyparser.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/keyparser.py
index 4f2c8bad5..8fcb53035 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/keyparser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/keyparser.py
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class CommandKeyParser(BaseKeyParser):
     def execute(self, cmdstr, _keytype, count=None):
         try:
             self._commandrunner.run(cmdstr, count)
-        except (cmdexc.CommandMetaError, cmdexc.CommandError) as e:
+        except cmdexc.Error as e:
             message.error(str(e), stack=traceback.format_exc())
 
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
index 43ecd651d..635a265d9 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ class RegisterKeyParser(keyparser.CommandKeyParser):
             else:
                 raise ValueError(
                     "{} is not a valid register mode".format(self._mode))
-        except (cmdexc.CommandMetaError, cmdexc.CommandError) as err:
+        except cmdexc.Error as err:
             message.error(str(err), stack=traceback.format_exc())
 
         self.request_leave.emit(self._mode, "valid register key", True)