diff --git a/qutebrowser/completion/completer.py b/qutebrowser/completion/completer.py
index 2df964658..6cd11848a 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/completion/completer.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/completion/completer.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ from qutebrowser.config import config
 from qutebrowser.commands import cmdexc, cmdutils, runners
 from qutebrowser.utils import usertypes, log, objreg, utils
 from qutebrowser.completion.models import instances
+from qutebrowser.completion.models.sortfilter import CompletionFilterModel
 
 
 class Completer(QObject):
@@ -153,7 +154,19 @@ class Completer(QObject):
                 model = None
         else:
             model = instances.get(completion)
-        return model
+        return self._get_filter_completion_model(model)
+
+    def _get_filter_completion_model(self, model):
+        """Wrap the argument model with a CompletionFilterModel.
+
+        Args:
+            model: the source model.
+
+        Return:
+            A completion filter model.
+        """
+        filtermodel = CompletionFilterModel(source=model, parent=self)
+        return filtermodel
 
     def _filter_cmdline_parts(self, parts, cursor_part):
         """Filter a list of commandline parts to exclude flags.
@@ -202,7 +215,8 @@ class Completer(QObject):
                              "{}".format(parts, cursor_part))
         if cursor_part == 0:
             # '|' or 'set|'
-            return instances.get(usertypes.Completion.command)
+            model = instances.get(usertypes.Completion.command)
+            return self._get_filter_completion_model(model)
         # delegate completion to command
         try:
             completions = cmdutils.cmd_dict[parts[0]].completion
diff --git a/qutebrowser/completion/models/base.py b/qutebrowser/completion/models/base.py
index a35c7f063..3a0590bcd 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/completion/models/base.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/completion/models/base.py
@@ -43,9 +43,11 @@ class BaseCompletionModel(QStandardItemModel):
     Class Attributes:
         COLUMN_WIDTHS: The width percentages of the columns used in the
                         completion view.
+        DUMB_SORT: the dumb sorting used by the model
     """
 
     COLUMN_WIDTHS = (30, 70, 0)
+    DUMB_SORT = None
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/completion/models/instances.py b/qutebrowser/completion/models/instances.py
index 0fc683488..4e993995b 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/completion/models/instances.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/completion/models/instances.py
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@ Module attributes:
 
 import functools
 
-from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot, Qt
+from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot
 
 from qutebrowser.completion.models import miscmodels, urlmodel, configmodel
-from qutebrowser.completion.models.sortfilter import CompletionFilterModel
 from qutebrowser.utils import objreg, usertypes, log, debug
 from qutebrowser.config import configdata
 
@@ -38,7 +37,7 @@ from qutebrowser.config import configdata
 _instances = {}
 
 
-def _init_model(klass, *args, dumb_sort=None, **kwargs):
+def _init_model(klass, *args, **kwargs):
     """Helper to initialize a model.
 
     Args:
@@ -48,8 +47,7 @@ def _init_model(klass, *args, dumb_sort=None, **kwargs):
         dumb_sort: Passed to CompletionFilterModel.
     """
     app = objreg.get('app')
-    return CompletionFilterModel(klass(*args, parent=app, **kwargs),
-                                 dumb_sort=dumb_sort, parent=app)
+    return klass(*args, parent=app, **kwargs)
 
 
 def _init_command_completion():
@@ -70,8 +68,7 @@ def _init_url_completion():
     """Initialize the URL completion model."""
     log.completion.debug("Initializing URL completion.")
     with debug.log_time(log.completion, 'URL completion init'):
-        model = _init_model(urlmodel.UrlCompletionModel,
-                            dumb_sort=Qt.DescendingOrder)
+        model = _init_model(urlmodel.UrlCompletionModel)
         _instances[usertypes.Completion.url] = model
 
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/completion/models/sortfilter.py b/qutebrowser/completion/models/sortfilter.py
index 3c247a0a2..3312e3e7a 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/completion/models/sortfilter.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/completion/models/sortfilter.py
@@ -41,11 +41,13 @@ class CompletionFilterModel(QSortFilterProxyModel):
         _sort_order: The order to use for sorting if using dumb_sort.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, source, parent=None, *, dumb_sort=None):
+    def __init__(self, source, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
         super().setSourceModel(source)
         self.srcmodel = source
         self.pattern = ''
+
+        dumb_sort = self.srcmodel.DUMB_SORT
         if dumb_sort is None:
             # pylint: disable=invalid-name
             self.lessThan = self.intelligentLessThan
diff --git a/qutebrowser/completion/models/urlmodel.py b/qutebrowser/completion/models/urlmodel.py
index ca1ef31fe..9a2ffdfd2 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/completion/models/urlmodel.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/completion/models/urlmodel.py
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ class UrlCompletionModel(base.BaseCompletionModel):
     TIME_COLUMN = 2
 
     COLUMN_WIDTHS = (40, 50, 10)
+    DUMB_SORT = Qt.DescendingOrder
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)