diff --git a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
index a0edf609d..13ff65695 100644
--- a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
@@ -185,16 +185,19 @@ Load a bookmark.
 
 [[buffer]]
 === buffer
-Syntax: +:buffer 'index'+
+Syntax: +:buffer ['index']+
 
 Select tab by index or url/title best match.
 
-Focuses window if necessary.
+Focuses window if necessary when index is given. If both index and count are given, use count.
 
 ==== positional arguments
 * +'index'+: The [win_id/]index of the tab to focus. Or a substring in which case the closest match will be focused.
 
 
+==== count
+The tab index to focus, starting with 1.
+
 [[close]]
 === close
 Close the current window.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index 11efccc11..24e7935fb 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -1011,29 +1011,38 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', scope='window')
     @cmdutils.argument('index', completion=miscmodels.buffer)
-    def buffer(self, index):
+    @cmdutils.argument('count', count=True)
+    def buffer(self, index=None, count=None):
         """Select tab by index or url/title best match.
 
-        Focuses window if necessary.
+        Focuses window if necessary when index is given. If both index and
+        count are given, use count.
 
         Args:
             index: The [win_id/]index of the tab to focus. Or a substring
                    in which case the closest match will be focused.
+            count: The tab index to focus, starting with 1.
         """
-        index_parts = index.split('/', 1)
+        if count is not None:
+            index_parts = [count]
+        elif index is None:
+            raise cmdexc.CommandError("buffer: Either a count or the argument "
+                                      "index must be specified.")
+        else:
+            index_parts = index.split('/', 1)
 
-        try:
-            for part in index_parts:
-                int(part)
-        except ValueError:
-            model = miscmodels.buffer()
-            model.set_pattern(index)
-            if model.count() > 0:
-                index = model.data(model.first_item())
-                index_parts = index.split('/', 1)
-            else:
-                raise cmdexc.CommandError(
-                    "No matching tab for: {}".format(index))
+            try:
+                for part in index_parts:
+                    int(part)
+            except ValueError:
+                model = miscmodels.buffer()
+                model.set_pattern(index)
+                if model.count() > 0:
+                    index = model.data(model.first_item())
+                    index_parts = index.split('/', 1)
+                else:
+                    raise cmdexc.CommandError(
+                        "No matching tab for: {}".format(index))
 
         if len(index_parts) == 2:
             win_id = int(index_parts[0])
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/tabs.feature b/tests/end2end/features/tabs.feature
index bcf7f15f0..02954dbcf 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/tabs.feature
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/tabs.feature
@@ -897,9 +897,9 @@ Feature: Tab management
 
     # :buffer
 
-    Scenario: :buffer without args
+    Scenario: :buffer without args or count
         When I run :buffer
-        Then the error "buffer: The following arguments are required: index" should be shown
+        Then the error "buffer: Either a count or the argument index must be specified." should be shown
 
     Scenario: :buffer with a matching title
         When I open data/title.html