diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
index cce1dcec0..612f0bd0c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
@@ -120,43 +120,61 @@ class WebKitSettings(websettings.AbstractSettings):
         QWebSettings.FantasyFont: QFont.Fantasy,
     }
 
+    def _set_user_stylesheet(self):
+        """Set the generated user-stylesheet."""
+        stylesheet = shared.get_user_stylesheet().encode('utf-8')
+        url = urlutils.data_url('text/css;charset=utf-8', stylesheet)
+        old = self._settings.userStyleSheetUrl()
 
-def _set_user_stylesheet(settings):
-    """Set the generated user-stylesheet."""
-    stylesheet = shared.get_user_stylesheet().encode('utf-8')
-    url = urlutils.data_url('text/css;charset=utf-8', stylesheet)
-    settings.setUserStyleSheetUrl(url)
+        if old == url:
+            return False
 
+        self._settings.setUserStyleSheetUrl(url)
+        return True
 
-def _set_cookie_accept_policy(settings):
-    """Update the content.cookies.accept setting."""
-    mapping = {
-        'all': QWebSettings.AlwaysAllowThirdPartyCookies,
-        'no-3rdparty': QWebSettings.AlwaysBlockThirdPartyCookies,
-        'never': QWebSettings.AlwaysBlockThirdPartyCookies,
-        'no-unknown-3rdparty': QWebSettings.AllowThirdPartyWithExistingCookies,
-    }
-    value = config.val.content.cookies.accept
-    settings.setThirdPartyCookiePolicy(mapping[value])
+    def _set_cookie_accept_policy(self, value):
+        """Update the content.cookies.accept setting."""
+        mapping = {
+            'all': QWebSettings.AlwaysAllowThirdPartyCookies,
+            'no-3rdparty': QWebSettings.AlwaysBlockThirdPartyCookies,
+            'never': QWebSettings.AlwaysBlockThirdPartyCookies,
+            'no-unknown-3rdparty': QWebSettings.AllowThirdPartyWithExistingCookies,
+        }
 
+        old = self._settings.thirdPartyCookiePolicy()
+        new = mapping[value]
 
-def _set_cache_maximum_pages(settings):
-    """Update the content.cache.maximum_pages setting."""
-    value = config.val.content.cache.maximum_pages
-    settings.setMaximumPagesInCache(value)
+        if old == new:
+            return False
 
+        self._settings.setThirdPartyCookiePolicy(new)
+        return True
 
-def _update_settings(option):
-    """Update global settings when qwebsettings changed."""
-    global_settings.update_setting(option)
+    def _set_cache_maximum_pages(self, value):
+        """Update the content.cache.maximum_pages setting."""
+        old = self._settings.maximumPagesInCache()
 
-    settings = QWebSettings.globalSettings()
-    if option in ['scrollbar.hide', 'content.user_stylesheets']:
-        _set_user_stylesheet(settings)
-    elif option == 'content.cookies.accept':
-        _set_cookie_accept_policy(settings)
-    elif option == 'content.cache.maximum_pages':
-        _set_cache_maximum_pages(settings)
+        if old == value:
+            return False
+
+        self._settings.setMaximumPagesInCache(value)
+        return True
+
+    def _update_setting(self, option, value):
+        if option in ['scrollbar.hide', 'content.user_stylesheets']:
+            return self._set_user_stylesheet()
+        elif option == 'content.cookies.accept':
+            return self._set_cookie_accept_policy(value)
+        elif option == 'content.cache.maximum_pages':
+            return self._set_cache_maximum_pages(value)
+        else:
+            return super()._update_setting(option, value)
+
+    def init_settings(self):
+        super().init_settings()
+        self.update_setting('content.user_stylesheets')
+        self.update_setting('content.cookies.accept')
+        self.update_setting('content.cache.maximum_pages')
 
 
 def init(_args):
@@ -172,16 +190,10 @@ def init(_args):
     QWebSettings.setOfflineStoragePath(
         os.path.join(data_path, 'offline-storage'))
 
-    settings = QWebSettings.globalSettings()
-    _set_user_stylesheet(settings)
-    _set_cookie_accept_policy(settings)
-    _set_cache_maximum_pages(settings)
-
-    config.instance.changed.connect(_update_settings)
-
     global global_settings
     global_settings = WebKitSettings(QWebSettings.globalSettings())
     global_settings.init_settings()
+    config.instance.changed.connect(global_settings.update_setting)
 
 
 def shutdown():