diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
index bca93e3c8..accdab4ba 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
@@ -276,15 +276,10 @@ def qute_history(url):
 
         return 'text/html', json.dumps(history_data(start_time))
     else:
-        try:
-            from PyQt5.QtWebKit import qWebKitVersion
-            is_webkit_ng = qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(qWebKitVersion())
-        except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-            is_webkit_ng = False
-
         if (
             config.get('content', 'allow-javascript') and
-            (objects.backend == usertypes.Backend.QtWebEngine or is_webkit_ng)
+            (objects.backend == usertypes.Backend.QtWebEngine or
+             qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng())
         ):
             return 'text/html', jinja.render(
                 'history.html',
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/tabhistory.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/tabhistory.py
index d2efca257..3f80676a9 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/tabhistory.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/tabhistory.py
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QByteArray, QDataStream, QIODevice, QUrl
-from PyQt5.QtWebKit import qWebKitVersion
 
 from qutebrowser.utils import qtutils
 
@@ -181,7 +180,7 @@ def serialize(items):
     else:
         current_idx = 0
 
-    if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(qWebKitVersion()):
+    if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng():
         _serialize_ng(items, current_idx, stream)
     else:
         _serialize_old(items, current_idx, stream)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
index caeef296f..747af9b5d 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/webkit/webkitsettings.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ Module attributes:
 
 import os.path
 
-from PyQt5.QtWebKit import QWebSettings, qWebKitVersion
+from PyQt5.QtWebKit import QWebSettings
 
 from qutebrowser.config import config, websettings
 from qutebrowser.utils import standarddir, objreg, urlutils, qtutils, message
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ def _set_user_stylesheet():
 
 def _init_private_browsing():
     if config.get('general', 'private-browsing'):
-        if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(qWebKitVersion()):
+        if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng():
             message.warning("Private browsing is not fully implemented by "
                             "QtWebKit-NG!")
         QWebSettings.setIconDatabasePath('')
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/qtutils.py b/qutebrowser/utils/qtutils.py
index adf0b2737..72092cfee 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/qtutils.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/qtutils.py
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ import contextlib
 from PyQt5.QtCore import (qVersion, QEventLoop, QDataStream, QByteArray,
                           QIODevice, QSaveFile, QT_VERSION_STR)
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication
+try:
+    from PyQt5.QtWebKit import qWebKitVersion
+except ImportError:
+    pass
 
 from qutebrowser.utils import log
 
@@ -100,13 +104,9 @@ def version_check(version, exact=False, strict=False):
     return result
 
 
-def is_qtwebkit_ng(version):
-    """Check if the given version is  QtWebKit-NG.
-
-    This is typically used as is_webkit_ng(qWebKitVersion) but we don't want to
-    have QtWebKit imports in here.
-    """
-    return (pkg_resources.parse_version(version) >
+def is_qtwebkit_ng():
+    """Check if the given version is QtWebKit-NG."""
+    return (pkg_resources.parse_version(qWebKitVersion()) >
             pkg_resources.parse_version('538.1'))
 
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
index e6a011f44..0565281bc 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
@@ -257,8 +257,7 @@ def _backend():
     """Get the backend line with relevant information."""
     if objects.backend == usertypes.Backend.QtWebKit:
         return 'QtWebKit{} (WebKit {})'.format(
-            '-NG' if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(qWebKitVersion()) else '',
-            qWebKitVersion())
+            '-NG' if qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng() else '', qWebKitVersion())
     else:
         webengine = usertypes.Backend.QtWebEngine
         assert objects.backend == webengine, objects.backend
diff --git a/tests/end2end/conftest.py b/tests/end2end/conftest.py
index 7d1c0e90d..b374f53dd 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/conftest.py
+++ b/tests/end2end/conftest.py
@@ -136,16 +136,6 @@ if not getattr(sys, 'frozen', False):
 
 def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config, items):
     """Apply @qtwebengine_* markers; skip unittests with QUTE_BDD_WEBENGINE."""
-    if config.webengine:
-        qtwebkit_ng_used = False
-    else:
-        try:
-            from PyQt5.QtWebKit import qWebKitVersion
-        except ImportError:
-            qtwebkit_ng_used = False
-        else:
-            qtwebkit_ng_used = qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(qWebKitVersion())
-
     markers = [
         ('qtwebengine_todo', 'QtWebEngine TODO', pytest.mark.xfail,
          config.webengine),
@@ -154,9 +144,9 @@ def pytest_collection_modifyitems(config, items):
         ('qtwebkit_skip', 'Skipped with QtWebKit', pytest.mark.skipif,
          not config.webengine),
         ('qtwebkit_ng_xfail', 'Failing with QtWebKit-NG', pytest.mark.xfail,
-         qtwebkit_ng_used),
+         not config.webengine and qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng()),
         ('qtwebkit_ng_skip', 'Skipped with QtWebKit-NG', pytest.mark.skipif,
-         qtwebkit_ng_used),
+         not config.webengine and qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng()),
         ('qtwebengine_flaky', 'Flaky with QtWebEngine', pytest.mark.skipif,
          config.webengine),
         ('qtwebengine_osx_xfail', 'Fails on OS X with QtWebEngine',
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/test_qtutils.py b/tests/unit/utils/test_qtutils.py
index 74da2ac4f..e0b4bf934 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/test_qtutils.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/test_qtutils.py
@@ -88,8 +88,9 @@ def test_version_check(monkeypatch, qversion, compiled, version, exact,
     ('538.1', False),   # Qt 5.8
     ('602.1', True)     # QtWebKit-NG TP5
 ])
-def test_is_qtwebkit_ng(version, ng):
-    assert qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng(version) == ng
+def test_is_qtwebkit_ng(monkeypatch, version, ng):
+    monkeypatch.setattr(qtutils, 'qWebKitVersion', lambda: version)
+    assert qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng() == ng
 
 
 class TestCheckOverflow:
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils/test_version.py b/tests/unit/utils/test_version.py
index c6e629ef1..13c0a5d13 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils/test_version.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils/test_version.py
@@ -725,13 +725,13 @@ def test_version_output(git_commit, frozen, style, with_webkit, stubs,
         patches['objects.backend'] = usertypes.Backend.QtWebKit
         patches['QWebEngineProfile'] = None
         if with_webkit == 'ng':
-            patches['qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng'] = lambda v: True
+            patches['qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng'] = lambda: True
             substitutions['backend'] = 'QtWebKit-NG (WebKit WEBKIT VERSION)'
         else:
-            patches['qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng'] = lambda v: False
+            patches['qtutils.is_qtwebkit_ng'] = lambda: False
             substitutions['backend'] = 'QtWebKit (WebKit WEBKIT VERSION)'
     else:
-        patches['qWebKitVersion'] = None
+        monkeypatch.delattr(version, 'qtutils.qWebKitVersion', raising=False)
         patches['objects.backend'] = usertypes.Backend.QtWebEngine
         patches['QWebEngineProfile'] = FakeWebEngineProfile
         substitutions['backend'] = 'QtWebEngine (Chromium CHROMIUMVERSION)'