diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
index b8f5235f4..e2d443280 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
@@ -1236,6 +1236,16 @@ input.insert_mode.plugins:
   type: Bool
   desc: Switch to insert mode when clicking flash and other plugins.
 
+input.insert_mode.leave_on_load:
+  default: true
+  type: Bool
+  supports_pattern: true
+  desc: >-
+    Leave insert mode when starting a new page load.
+
+    Patterns may be unreliable on this setting, and they may match the url you
+    are navigating to, or the URL you are navigating from.
+
 input.links_included_in_focus_chain:
   default: true
   type: Bool
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
index 1476d469d..11fe0b600 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabbedbrowser.py
@@ -586,10 +586,20 @@ class TabbedBrowser(QWidget):
     @pyqtSlot()
     def on_cur_load_started(self):
         """Leave insert/hint mode when loading started."""
-        modeman.leave(self._win_id, usertypes.KeyMode.insert, 'load started',
-                      maybe=True)
-        modeman.leave(self._win_id, usertypes.KeyMode.hint, 'load started',
-                      maybe=True)
+        try:
+            url = self.current_url()
+            if not url.isValid():
+                url = None
+        except qtutils.QtValueError:
+            url = None
+        if config.instance.get('input.insert_mode.leave_on_load',
+                               url=url):
+            modeman.leave(self._win_id, usertypes.KeyMode.insert,
+                          'load started', maybe=True)
+        else:
+            log.modes.debug("Ignoring leave_on_load request due to setting.")
+        modeman.leave(self._win_id, usertypes.KeyMode.hint,
+                      'load started', maybe=True)
 
     @pyqtSlot(browsertab.AbstractTab, str)
     def on_title_changed(self, tab, text):
diff --git a/tests/end2end/test_insert_mode.py b/tests/end2end/test_insert_mode.py
index d9b7c3513..54e011df6 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/test_insert_mode.py
+++ b/tests/end2end/test_insert_mode.py
@@ -85,3 +85,20 @@ def test_auto_leave_insert_mode(quteproc):
     # Select the disabled input box to leave insert mode
     quteproc.send_cmd(':follow-hint s')
     quteproc.wait_for(message='Clicked non-editable element!')
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('leave_on_load', [True, False])
+def test_auto_leave_insert_mode_reload(quteproc, leave_on_load):
+    url_path = 'data/hello.txt'
+    quteproc.open_path(url_path)
+
+    quteproc.set_setting('input.insert_mode.leave_on_load',
+                         str(leave_on_load).lower())
+    quteproc.send_cmd(':enter-mode insert')
+    quteproc.wait_for(message='Entering mode KeyMode.insert (reason: *)')
+    quteproc.send_cmd(':reload')
+    if leave_on_load:
+        quteproc.wait_for(message='Leaving mode KeyMode.insert (reason: *)')
+    else:
+        quteproc.wait_for(
+            message='Ignoring leave_on_load request due to setting.')