diff --git a/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py b/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
index 553c700e7..62d4a2d6f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@
 import os
 import tempfile
 
-from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot, QObject, QProcess
+from PyQt5.QtCore import (pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot, QObject, QProcess,
+    QFileSystemWatcher)
 
 from qutebrowser.config import config
 from qutebrowser.utils import message, log
@@ -39,6 +40,7 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
         _remove_file: Whether the file should be removed when the editor is
                       closed.
         _proc: The GUIProcess of the editor.
+        _watcher: A QFileSystemWatcher to watch the edited file for changes.
     """
 
     editing_finished = pyqtSignal(str)
@@ -48,10 +50,12 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
         self._filename = None
         self._proc = None
         self._remove_file = None
+        self._watcher = QFileSystemWatcher(parent=self)
 
     def _cleanup(self):
         """Clean up temporary files after the editor closed."""
         assert self._remove_file is not None
+        self._watcher.fileChanged.disconnect()
         if self._filename is None or not self._remove_file:
             # Could not create initial file.
             return
@@ -75,22 +79,7 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
             # No error/cleanup here, since we already handle this in
             # on_proc_error.
             return
-        try:
-            if exitcode != 0:
-                return
-            encoding = config.val.editor.encoding
-            try:
-                with open(self._filename, 'r', encoding=encoding) as f:
-                    text = f.read()
-            except OSError as e:
-                # NOTE: Do not replace this with "raise CommandError" as it's
-                # executed async.
-                message.error("Failed to read back edited file: {}".format(e))
-                return
-            log.procs.debug("Read back: {}".format(text))
-            self.editing_finished.emit(text)
-        finally:
-            self._cleanup()
+        self._cleanup()
 
     @pyqtSlot(QProcess.ProcessError)
     def on_proc_error(self, _err):
@@ -128,6 +117,19 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
         line, column = self._calc_line_and_column(text, caret_position)
         self._start_editor(line=line, column=column)
 
+    def _on_file_changed(self, path):
+        encoding = config.val.editor.encoding
+        try:
+            with open(path, 'r', encoding=encoding) as f:
+                text = f.read()
+        except OSError as e:
+            # NOTE: Do not replace this with "raise CommandError" as it's
+            # executed async.
+            message.error("Failed to read back edited file: {}".format(e))
+            return
+        log.procs.debug("Read back: {}".format(text))
+        self.editing_finished.emit(text)
+
     def edit_file(self, filename):
         """Edit the file with the given filename."""
         self._filename = filename
@@ -147,6 +149,9 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
         editor = config.val.editor.command
         executable = editor[0]
 
+        self._watcher.addPath(self._filename)
+        self._watcher.fileChanged.connect(self._on_file_changed)
+
         args = [self._sub_placeholder(arg, line, column) for arg in editor[1:]]
         log.procs.debug("Calling \"{}\" with args {}".format(executable, args))
         self._proc.start(executable, args)
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/editor.feature b/tests/end2end/features/editor.feature
index d01e3d229..489fc7200 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/editor.feature
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/editor.feature
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ Feature: Opening external editors
     # There's no guarantee that the tab gets deleted...
     @posix @flaky
     Scenario: Spawning an editor and closing the tab
-        When I set up a fake editor that waits
+        When I set up a fake editor that writes "foobar" on save
         And I open data/editor.html
         And I run :click-element id qute-textarea
         And I wait for "Entering mode KeyMode.insert (reason: clicking input)" in the log
@@ -129,6 +129,18 @@ Feature: Opening external editors
         And I kill the waiting editor
         Then the error "Edited element vanished" should be shown
 
+    # Could not get signals working on Windows
+    @posix
+    Scenario: Spawning an editor and saving
+        When I set up a fake editor that writes "foobar" on save
+        And I open data/editor.html
+        And I run :click-element id qute-textarea
+        And I wait for "Entering mode KeyMode.insert (reason: clicking input)" in the log
+        And I run :open-editor
+        And I save without exiting the editor
+        And I run :click-element id qute-button
+        Then the javascript message "text: foobar" should be logged
+
     Scenario: Spawning an editor in caret mode
         When I set up a fake editor returning "foobar"
         And I open data/editor.html
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/test_editor_bdd.py b/tests/end2end/features/test_editor_bdd.py
index 260197a46..18551271b 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/test_editor_bdd.py
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/test_editor_bdd.py
@@ -70,8 +70,9 @@ def set_up_editor_empty(quteproc, tmpdir):
     set_up_editor(quteproc, tmpdir, "")
 
 
-@bdd.when(bdd.parsers.parse('I set up a fake editor that waits'))
-def set_up_editor_wait(quteproc, tmpdir):
+@bdd.when(bdd.parsers.parse('I set up a fake editor that writes "{text}" on '
+                            'save'))
+def set_up_editor_wait(quteproc, tmpdir, text):
     """Set up editor.command to a small python script inserting a text."""
     assert not utils.is_windows
     pidfile = tmpdir / 'editor_pid'
@@ -82,12 +83,19 @@ def set_up_editor_wait(quteproc, tmpdir):
         import time
         import signal
 
+        def handle(sig, frame):
+            with open(sys.argv[1], 'w', encoding='utf-8') as f:
+                f.write({text!r})
+            if sig == signal.SIGUSR1:
+                sys.exit(0)
+
         with open(r'{pidfile}', 'w') as f:
             f.write(str(os.getpid()))
 
-        signal.signal(signal.SIGUSR1, lambda s, f: sys.exit(0))
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGUSR1, handle)
+        signal.signal(signal.SIGUSR2, handle)
         time.sleep(100)
-    """.format(pidfile=pidfile)))
+    """.format(pidfile=pidfile, text=text)))
     editor = json.dumps([sys.executable, str(script), '{}'])
     quteproc.set_setting('editor.command', editor)
 
@@ -101,3 +109,14 @@ def kill_editor_wait(tmpdir):
     # for posix, there IS a member so we need to ignore useless-suppression
     # pylint: disable=no-member,useless-suppression
     os.kill(pid, signal.SIGUSR1)
+
+
+@bdd.when(bdd.parsers.parse('I save without exiting the editor'))
+def save_editor_wait(tmpdir):
+    """Trigger the waiting editor to write without exiting."""
+    pidfile = tmpdir / 'editor_pid'
+    pid = int(pidfile.read())
+    # windows has no SIGUSR2, but we don't run this on windows anyways
+    # for posix, there IS a member so we need to ignore useless-suppression
+    # pylint: disable=no-member,useless-suppression
+    os.kill(pid, signal.SIGUSR2)