diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index b086eb111..ef94e1ed8 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ class Application(QApplication):
         """Helper function for process_args to get a window id."""
         if not via_ipc:
             return 0
-        open_target = config.get('general', 'ipc-open-target')
+        open_target = config.get('general', 'new-instance-open-target')
         if open_target in ('tab', 'tab-silent'):
             try:
                 window = objreg.get('last-main-window')
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
index 6e94f253c..11f51d691 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
@@ -182,8 +182,8 @@ DATA = collections.OrderedDict([
          '_utf-8_, _iso-8859-1_, etc. If left empty a default value will be '
          "used."),
 
-        ('ipc-open-target',
-         SettingValue(typ.IPCOpenTarget(), 'window'),
+        ('new-instance-open-target',
+         SettingValue(typ.NewInstanceOpenTarget(), 'window'),
          "How to open links in an existing instance if a new one is "
          "launched."),
     )),
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
index 6e6b75b31..b33e56aac 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
@@ -1256,7 +1256,7 @@ class IgnoreCase(Bool):
                  'chars')]
 
 
-class IPCOpenTarget(BaseType):
+class NewInstanceOpenTarget(BaseType):
 
     """How to open links in an existing instance if a new one is launched."""