diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index 0f95c1c5d..ecfd456be 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ def init(args, crash_handler):
     QDesktopServices.setUrlHandler('https', open_desktopservices_url)
     QDesktopServices.setUrlHandler('qute', open_desktopservices_url)
 
-    _import_history()
+    objreg.get('history').import_txt()
 
     log.init.debug("Init done!")
     crash_handler.raise_crashdlg()
@@ -479,27 +479,6 @@ def _init_modules(args, crash_handler):
     browsertab.init()
 
 
-def _import_history():
-    """Import a history text file into sqlite if it exists.
-
-    In older versions of qutebrowser, history was stored in a text format.
-    This converts that file into the new sqlite format and removes it.
-    """
-    path = os.path.join(standarddir.data(), 'history')
-    if not os.path.isfile(path):
-        return
-
-    def action():
-        with debug.log_time(log.init, 'Converting old history file to sqlite'):
-            objreg.get('web-history').read(path)
-            message.info('History import complete. Removing {}'.format(path))
-            os.remove(path)
-
-    # delay to give message time to appear before locking down for import
-    message.info('Converting {} to sqlite...'.format(path))
-    QTimer.singleShot(100, action)
-
-
 class Quitter:
 
     """Utility class to quit/restart the QApplication.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/history.py b/qutebrowser/browser/history.py
index c64674fdf..cb10c2bb2 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/history.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/history.py
@@ -22,10 +22,11 @@
 import os
 import time
 
-from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot, QUrl
+from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot, QUrl, QTimer
 
 from qutebrowser.commands import cmdutils
-from qutebrowser.utils import utils, objreg, log, qtutils, usertypes, message
+from qutebrowser.utils import (utils, objreg, log, qtutils, usertypes, message,
+                               debug, standarddir)
 from qutebrowser.misc import objects, sql
 
 
@@ -217,7 +218,28 @@ class WebHistory(sql.SqlTable):
 
         return (url, title, float(atime), bool(redirect))
 
-    def read(self, path):
+    def import_txt(self):
+        """Import a history text file into sqlite if it exists.
+
+        In older versions of qutebrowser, history was stored in a text format.
+        This converts that file into the new sqlite format and removes it.
+        """
+        path = os.path.join(standarddir.data(), 'history')
+        if not os.path.isfile(path):
+            return
+
+        def action():
+            with debug.log_time(log.init, 'Import old history file to sqlite'):
+                self._read(path)
+                message.info('History import complete. Removing {}'
+                             .format(path))
+                os.remove(path)
+
+        # delay to give message time to appear before locking down for import
+        message.info('Converting {} to sqlite...'.format(path))
+        QTimer.singleShot(100, action)
+
+    def _read(self, path):
         """Import a text file into the sql database."""
         with open(path, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
             rows = []
diff --git a/tests/helpers/stubs.py b/tests/helpers/stubs.py
index b852426d2..717ce4c18 100644
--- a/tests/helpers/stubs.py
+++ b/tests/helpers/stubs.py
@@ -385,6 +385,10 @@ class InstaTimer(QObject):
     def setInterval(self, interval):
         pass
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def singleShot(_interval, fun):
+        fun()
+
 
 class FakeConfigType:
 
diff --git a/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_history.py b/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_history.py
index 16b86ca4a..5386dddd9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_history.py
+++ b/tests/unit/browser/webkit/test_history.py
@@ -230,8 +230,9 @@ def test_init(backend, qapp, tmpdir, monkeypatch, cleanup_init):
         assert default_interface is None
 
 
-def test_read(hist, tmpdir):
-    histfile = tmpdir / 'history'
+def test_read(hist, data_tmpdir, monkeypatch, stubs):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(history, 'QTimer', stubs.InstaTimer)
+    histfile = data_tmpdir / 'history'
     # empty line is deliberate, to test skipping empty lines
     histfile.write('''12345 http://example.com/ title
                       12346 http://qutebrowser.org/
@@ -239,7 +240,7 @@ def test_read(hist, tmpdir):
 
                       68891-r http://example.com/path/other ''')
 
-    hist.read(str(histfile))
+    hist.import_txt()
 
     assert list(hist) == [
         ('http://example.com/', 'title', 12345, False),
@@ -248,6 +249,8 @@ def test_read(hist, tmpdir):
         ('http://example.com/path/other', '', 68891, True)
     ]
 
+    assert not histfile.exists()
+
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('line', [
     'xyz http://example.com/bad-timestamp',
@@ -255,12 +258,15 @@ def test_read(hist, tmpdir):
     'http://example.com/no-timestamp',
     '68891-r-r http://example.com/double-flag',
 ])
-def test_read_invalid(hist, tmpdir, line):
-    histfile = tmpdir / 'history'
+def test_read_invalid(hist, data_tmpdir, line, monkeypatch, stubs):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(history, 'QTimer', stubs.InstaTimer)
+    histfile = data_tmpdir / 'history'
     histfile.write(line)
 
     with pytest.raises(Exception):
-        hist.read(str(histfile))
+        hist.import_txt()
+
+    assert histfile.exists()
 
 
 def test_debug_dump_history(hist, tmpdir):