diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/curcommand.py b/qutebrowser/browser/curcommand.py
index 4ae3a9341..d1e122558 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/curcommand.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/curcommand.py
@@ -17,14 +17,21 @@
 
 """The main tabbed browser widget."""
 
+import os
+import logging
+from tempfile import mkstemp
+from functools import partial
+
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication
-from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot, Qt, QObject
+from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSlot, Qt, QObject, QProcess
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QClipboard
 from PyQt5.QtPrintSupport import QPrinter, QPrintDialog, QPrintPreviewDialog
 
 import qutebrowser.utils.url as urlutils
 import qutebrowser.utils.message as message
 import qutebrowser.commands.utils as cmdutils
+import qutebrowser.utils.webelem as webelem
+import qutebrowser.config.config as config
 
 
 class CurCommandDispatcher(QObject):
@@ -331,3 +338,51 @@ class CurCommandDispatcher(QObject):
         """
         tab = self._tabs.currentWidget()
         tab.zoom(-count)
+
+    @cmdutils.register(instance='mainwindow.tabs.cur', modes=['insert'],
+                       name='open_editor', hide=True)
+    def editor(self):
+        """Open an external editor with the current form field."""
+        frame = self._tabs.currentWidget().page_.currentFrame()
+        elem = frame.findFirstElement(webelem.SELECTORS['editable_focused'])
+        if elem.isNull():
+            message.error("No editable element focused!")
+            return
+        oshandle, filename = mkstemp(text=True)
+        text = elem.evaluateJavaScript('this.value')
+        if text:
+            with open(filename, 'w') as f:
+                f.write(text)
+        proc = QProcess(self)
+        proc.finished.connect(partial(self.on_editor_closed, elem, oshandle,
+                                      filename))
+        editor = config.get('general', 'editor')
+        executable = editor[0]
+        args = [arg.replace('{}', filename) for arg in editor[1:]]
+        logging.debug("Calling \"{}\" with args {}".format(executable, args))
+        proc.start(executable, args)
+
+    def on_editor_closed(self, elem, oshandle, filename, exitcode,
+                         exitstatus):
+        """Gets called by QProcess when the editor was closed.
+
+        Writes the editor text into the form field.
+        """
+        logging.debug("Editor closed")
+        if exitcode != 0 or exitstatus != QProcess.NormalExit:
+            message.error("Editor did quit abnormally (status {})!".format(
+                exitcode))
+            return
+        if elem.isNull():
+            message.error("Element vanished while editing!")
+            return
+        with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+            text = ''.join(f.readlines())
+            text = webelem.javascript_escape(text)
+        logging.debug("Read back: {}".format(text))
+        elem.evaluateJavaScript("this.value='{}'".format(text))
+        os.close(oshandle)
+        try:
+            os.remove(filename)
+        except PermissionError:
+            message.error("Failed to delete tempfile...")
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/_conftypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/_conftypes.py
index 64fe83e4a..d4c458591 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/_conftypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/_conftypes.py
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@
 
 """Setting options used for qutebrowser."""
 
+import shlex
+
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QColor
 
 import qutebrowser.commands.utils as cmdutils
@@ -168,6 +170,29 @@ class String(BaseType):
                                   self.maxlen))
 
 
+class ShellCommand(String):
+
+    """A shellcommand which is split via shlex.
+
+    Attributes:
+        placeholder: If there should be a placeholder.
+    """
+
+    typestr = 'shell-cmd'
+
+    def __init__(self, placeholder=False):
+        self.placeholder = placeholder
+        super().__init__()
+
+    def validate(self, value):
+        super().validate(value)
+        if self.placeholder and '{}' not in value:
+            raise ValidationError(value, "needs to contain a {}-placeholder.")
+
+    def transform(self, value):
+        return shlex.split(value)
+
+
 class Bool(BaseType):
 
     """Base class for a boolean setting.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
index 48ccdaf21..b5af4337f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ SECTION_DESC = {
         "Keybindings for insert mode.\n"
         "Since normal keypresses are passed through, only special keys are "
         "supported in this mode.\n"
-        "An useful command to map here is the hidden command leave_mode."),
+        "Useful hidden commands to map in this section:\n"
+        "  open_editor: Open a texteditor with the focused field.\n"
+        "  leave_mode: Leave the command mode."),
     'keybind.hint': (
         "Keybindings for hint mode.\n"
         "Since normal keypresses are passed through, only special keys are "
@@ -177,6 +179,11 @@ DATA = OrderedDict([
         ('background-tabs',
          SettingValue(types.Bool(), 'false'),
          "Whether to open new tabs (middleclick/ctrl+click) in background"),
+
+        ('editor',
+         SettingValue(types.ShellCommand(placeholder=True), 'gvim -f "{}"'),
+         "The editor (and arguments) to use for the open_editor binding. "
+         "Use {} for the filename. Gets split via shutils."),
     )),
 
     ('completion', sect.KeyValue(
@@ -468,6 +475,7 @@ DATA = OrderedDict([
     ('keybind.insert', sect.ValueList(
         types.KeyBindingName(), types.KeyBinding(),
         ('<Escape>', 'leave_mode'),
+        ('<Ctrl-E>', 'open_editor'),
     )),
 
     ('keybind.hint', sect.ValueList(
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/webelem.py b/qutebrowser/utils/webelem.py
index 69f09eae0..7847a2f3f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/webelem.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/webelem.py
@@ -72,3 +72,24 @@ def is_visible(e, frame=None):
         # out of screen
         return False
     return True
+
+
+def javascript_escape(text):
+    """Escapes special values in strings.
+
+    This maybe makes them work with QWebElement::evaluateJavaScript.
+    Maybe.
+    """
+    # This is a list of tuples because order matters, and using OrderedDict
+    # makes no sense because we don't actually need dict-like properties.
+    replacements = [
+        ('\\', r'\\'),
+        ('\n', r'\n'),
+        ('\t', r'\t'),
+        ("'", r"\'"),
+        ('"', r'\"'),
+    ]
+    text = text.rstrip('\n')
+    for orig, repl in replacements:
+        text = text.replace(orig, repl)
+    return text