diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index d6a839ea6..bb8b24838 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class QuteBrowser(QApplication):
         self.mainwindow.tabs.keypress.connect(self.keyparser.handle)
         self.keyparser.set_cmd_text.connect(self.mainwindow.status.cmd.set_cmd)
         self.mainwindow.status.cmd.got_cmd.connect(self.commandparser.run)
-        self.mainwindow.status.cmd.got_cmd.connect(
+        self.mainwindow.status.cmd.returnPressed.connect(
             self.mainwindow.tabs.setFocus)
         self.commandparser.error.connect(self.mainwindow.status.disp_error)
         self.keyparser.commandparser.error.connect(
diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/keys.py b/qutebrowser/commands/keys.py
index 83acf3598..d0ae0ce98 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/keys.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/keys.py
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import QObject, pyqtSignal
 from qutebrowser.commands.utils import (CommandParser, ArgumentCountError,
                                         NoSuchCommandError)
 
+# Possible chars for starting a commandline input
+startchars = ":/?"
+
 
 class KeyParser(QObject):
     """Parser for vim-like key sequences."""
@@ -61,8 +64,8 @@ class KeyParser(QObject):
 
         self.keystring += txt
 
-        if self.keystring == ':':
-            self.set_cmd_text.emit('')
+        if any(self.keystring == c for c in startchars):
+            self.set_cmd_text.emit(self.keystring)
             self.keystring = ''
             return
 
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ class KeyParser(QObject):
         except ArgumentCountError:
             logging.debug('Filling statusbar with partial command {}'.format(
                 cmdstr_hay))
-            self.set_cmd_text.emit(cmdstr_hay + ' ')
+            self.set_cmd_text.emit(':{} '.format(cmdstr_hay))
         return
 
     def _match_key(self, cmdstr_needle):
diff --git a/qutebrowser/widgets/statusbar/command.py b/qutebrowser/widgets/statusbar/command.py
index a05239753..18ca7af92 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/widgets/statusbar/command.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/widgets/statusbar/command.py
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QLineEdit, QShortcut
 from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSignal, Qt
 from PyQt5.QtGui import QValidator, QKeySequence
 
+import qutebrowser.commands.keys as keys
+
 
 class Command(QLineEdit):
     """The commandline part of the statusbar."""
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ class Command(QLineEdit):
         self.statusbar = statusbar
         self.setStyleSheet("border: 0px; padding-left: 1px")
         self.setValidator(Validator())
-        self.returnPressed.connect(self.process_cmd)
+        self.returnPressed.connect(self.process_cmdline)
         self.textEdited.connect(self._histbrowse_stop)
 
         for (key, handler) in [
@@ -43,18 +45,19 @@ class Command(QLineEdit):
             sc.setContext(Qt.WidgetWithChildrenShortcut)
             sc.activated.connect(handler)
 
-    def process_cmd(self):
+    def process_cmdline(self):
         """Handle the command in the status bar."""
         self._histbrowse_stop()
-        text = self.text().lstrip(':')
+        text = self.text()
         if not self.history or text != self.history[-1]:
             self.history.append(text)
         self.setText('')
-        self.got_cmd.emit(text)
+        if text[0] == ':':
+            self.got_cmd.emit(text.lstrip(':'))
 
     def set_cmd(self, text):
         """Preset the statusbar to some text."""
-        self.setText(':' + text)
+        self.setText(text)
         self.setFocus()
 
     def append_cmd(self, text):
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ class Command(QLineEdit):
         history already.
         """
 
-        pre = self.text().strip().lstrip(':')
+        pre = self.text().strip()
         logging.debug('Preset text: "{}"'.format(pre))
         if pre:
             self._tmphist = [e for e in self.history if e.startswith(pre)]
@@ -138,8 +141,7 @@ class Validator(QValidator):
 
         Returns a tuple (status, string, pos) as a QValidator should.\
         """
-
-        if string.startswith(':'):
+        if any(string.startswith(c) for c in keys.startchars):
             return (QValidator.Acceptable, string, pos)
         else:
             return (QValidator.Invalid, string, pos)