diff --git a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
index b7cb0349b..7da6e543e 100644
--- a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
@@ -2960,7 +2960,7 @@ Default: +pass:[false]+
 === search.ignore_case
 When to find text on a page case-insensitively.
 
-Type: <<types,String>>
+Type: <<types,IgnoreCase>>
 
 Valid values:
 
@@ -3624,6 +3624,7 @@ Lists with duplicate flags are invalid. Each item is checked against the valid v
 |FontFamily|A Qt font family.
 |FormatString|A string with placeholders.
 |FuzzyUrl|A URL which gets interpreted as search if needed.
+|IgnoreCase|Whether to search case insensitively.
 |Int|Base class for an integer setting.
 |Key|A name of a key.
 |List|A list of values.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
index 3b39e52d1..0625b218e 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/browsertab.py
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@ class AbstractSearch(QObject):
         self.text = None  # type: typing.Optional[str]
         self.search_displayed = False
 
-    def _is_case_sensitive(self, ignore_case: str) -> bool:
+    def _is_case_sensitive(self, ignore_case: usertypes.IgnoreCase) -> bool:
         """Check if case-sensitivity should be used.
 
         This assumes self.text is already set properly.
@@ -307,21 +307,21 @@ class AbstractSearch(QObject):
         """
         assert self.text is not None
         mapping = {
-            'smart': not self.text.islower(),
-            'never': True,
-            'always': False,
+            usertypes.IgnoreCase.smart: not self.text.islower(),
+            usertypes.IgnoreCase.never: True,
+            usertypes.IgnoreCase.always: False,
         }
         return mapping[ignore_case]
 
     def search(self, text: str, *,
-               ignore_case: str = 'never',
+               ignore_case: usertypes.IgnoreCase = usertypes.IgnoreCase.never,
                reverse: bool = False,
                result_cb: _Callback = None) -> None:
         """Find the given text on the page.
 
         Args:
             text: The text to search for.
-            ignore_case: Search case-insensitively. ('always'/'never/'smart')
+            ignore_case: Search case-insensitively.
             reverse: Reverse search direction.
             result_cb: Called with a bool indicating whether a match was found.
         """
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
index 453b36974..fd380abae 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webengine/webenginetab.py
@@ -205,8 +205,8 @@ class WebEngineSearch(browsertab.AbstractSearch):
 
         self._widget.findText(text, flags, wrapped_callback)
 
-    def search(self, text, *, ignore_case='never', reverse=False,
-               result_cb=None):
+    def search(self, text, *, ignore_case=usertypes.IgnoreCase.never,
+               reverse=False, result_cb=None):
         # Don't go to next entry on duplicate search
         if self.text == text and self.search_displayed:
             log.webview.debug("Ignoring duplicate search request"
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
index 2c7083c25..44dc76f9d 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkittab.py
@@ -125,8 +125,8 @@ class WebKitSearch(browsertab.AbstractSearch):
         self._widget.findText('')
         self._widget.findText('', QWebPage.HighlightAllOccurrences)
 
-    def search(self, text, *, ignore_case='never', reverse=False,
-               result_cb=None):
+    def search(self, text, *, ignore_case=usertypes.IgnoreCase.never,
+               reverse=False, result_cb=None):
         # Don't go to next entry on duplicate search
         if self.text == text and self.search_displayed:
             log.webview.debug("Ignoring duplicate search request"
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
index ff43cc156..bed4d9659 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
@@ -39,12 +39,7 @@ ignore_case:
   renamed: search.ignore_case
 
 search.ignore_case:
-  type:
-    name: String
-    valid_values:
-      - always: Search case-insensitively.
-      - never: Search case-sensitively.
-      - smart: Search case-sensitively if there are capital characters.
+  type: IgnoreCase
   default: smart
   desc: When to find text on a page case-insensitively.
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
index 691584801..c0f3bec9f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QTabWidget, QTabBar
 
 from qutebrowser.misc import objects
 from qutebrowser.config import configexc, configutils
-from qutebrowser.utils import standarddir, utils, qtutils, urlutils, urlmatch
+from qutebrowser.utils import (standarddir, utils, qtutils, urlutils, urlmatch,
+                               usertypes)
 from qutebrowser.keyinput import keyutils
 
 
@@ -911,6 +912,26 @@ class ColorSystem(MappingType):
     }
 
 
+class IgnoreCase(MappingType):
+
+    """Whether to search case insensitively."""
+
+    def __init__(self, none_ok=False):
+        super().__init__(
+            none_ok,
+            valid_values=ValidValues(
+                ('always', "Search case-insensitively."),
+                ('never', "Search case-sensitively."),
+                ('smart', ("Search case-sensitively if there are capital "
+                           "characters.")))),
+
+    MAPPING = {
+        'always': usertypes.IgnoreCase.always,
+        'never': usertypes.IgnoreCase.never,
+        'smart': usertypes.IgnoreCase.smart,
+    }
+
+
 class QtColor(BaseType):
 
     """A color value.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/usertypes.py b/qutebrowser/utils/usertypes.py
index cd36db49a..5bb8d3aa9 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/usertypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/usertypes.py
@@ -253,6 +253,9 @@ JsLogLevel = enum.Enum('JsLogLevel', ['unknown', 'info', 'warning', 'error'])
 MessageLevel = enum.Enum('MessageLevel', ['error', 'warning', 'info'])
 
 
+IgnoreCase = enum.Enum('IgnoreCase', ['smart', 'never', 'always'])
+
+
 class Question(QObject):
 
     """A question asked to the user, e.g. via the status bar.