diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index 77811e0e4..9c031f116 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             self._tabbed_browser.setUpdatesEnabled(True)
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', scope='window',
-                       maxsplit=0)
+                       maxsplit=0, no_replace_variables=True)
     def spawn(self, cmdline, userscript=False, verbose=False, detach=False):
         """Spawn a command in a shell.
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/command.py b/qutebrowser/commands/command.py
index aa75e2748..c06afe646 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/command.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/command.py
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ class Command:
         no_cmd_split: If true, ';;' to split sub-commands is ignored.
         backend: Which backend the command works with (or None if it works with
                  both)
+        no_replace_variables: Whether or not to replace variables like {url}
         _qute_args: The saved data from @cmdutils.argument
         _needs_js: Whether the command needs javascript enabled
         _modes: The modes the command can be executed in.
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ class Command:
                  hide=False, modes=None, not_modes=None, needs_js=False,
                  debug=False, ignore_args=False, deprecated=False,
                  no_cmd_split=False, star_args_optional=False, scope='global',
-                 backend=None):
+                 backend=None, no_replace_variables=False):
         # I really don't know how to solve this in a better way, I tried.
         # pylint: disable=too-many-locals
         if modes is not None and not_modes is not None:
@@ -127,6 +128,7 @@ class Command:
         self.handler = handler
         self.no_cmd_split = no_cmd_split
         self.backend = backend
+        self.no_replace_variables = no_replace_variables
 
         self.docparser = docutils.DocstringParser(handler)
         self.parser = argparser.ArgumentParser(
diff --git a/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py b/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
index d1f15a415..7d2ecdd7a 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/commands/runners.py
@@ -52,16 +52,16 @@ def replace_variables(win_id, arglist):
     args = []
     tabbed_browser = objreg.get('tabbed-browser', scope='window',
                                 window=win_id)
-    if '{url}' in arglist:
+    if any('{url}' in arg for arg in arglist):
         url = _current_url(tabbed_browser).toString(QUrl.FullyEncoded |
                                                     QUrl.RemovePassword)
-    if '{url:pretty}' in arglist:
+    if any('{url:pretty}' in arg for arg in arglist):
         pretty_url = _current_url(tabbed_browser).toString(QUrl.RemovePassword)
     for arg in arglist:
-        if arg == '{url}':
-            args.append(url)
-        elif arg == '{url:pretty}':
-            args.append(pretty_url)
+        if '{url}' in arg:
+            args.append(arg.replace('{url}', url))
+        elif '{url:pretty}' in arg:
+            args.append(arg.replace('{url:pretty}', pretty_url))
         else:
             args.append(arg)
     return args
@@ -279,7 +279,10 @@ class CommandRunner(QObject):
                                       window=self._win_id)
             cur_mode = mode_manager.mode
 
-            args = replace_variables(self._win_id, result.args)
+            if result.cmd.no_replace_variables:
+                args = result.args
+            else:
+                args = replace_variables(self._win_id, result.args)
             if count is not None:
                 if result.count is not None:
                     raise cmdexc.CommandMetaError("Got count via command and "
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/parsers/keyconf.py b/qutebrowser/config/parsers/keyconf.py
index b2596fb62..d1c2c7ad1 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/parsers/keyconf.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/parsers/keyconf.py
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ class KeyConfigParser(QObject):
             data = str(self)
             f.write(data)
 
-    @cmdutils.register(instance='key-config', maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True)
+    @cmdutils.register(instance='key-config', maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True,
+                       no_replace_variables=True)
     @cmdutils.argument('win_id', win_id=True)
     @cmdutils.argument('key', completion=usertypes.Completion.empty)
     @cmdutils.argument('command', completion=usertypes.Completion.command)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/command.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/command.py
index 68eb615df..781df81ad 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/command.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/statusbar/command.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import pyqtSignal, pyqtSlot, Qt, QSize
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QSizePolicy
 
 from qutebrowser.keyinput import modeman, modeparsers
-from qutebrowser.commands import cmdexc, cmdutils, runners
+from qutebrowser.commands import cmdexc, cmdutils
 from qutebrowser.misc import cmdhistory, split
 from qutebrowser.misc import miscwidgets as misc
 from qutebrowser.utils import usertypes, log, objreg
@@ -109,7 +109,6 @@ class Command(misc.MinimalLineEditMixin, misc.CommandLineEdit):
             append: If given, the text is appended to the current text.
         """
         args = split.simple_split(text)
-        args = runners.replace_variables(self._win_id, args)
         text = ' '.join(args)
 
         if space:
diff --git a/qutebrowser/misc/utilcmds.py b/qutebrowser/misc/utilcmds.py
index e1d7c6a61..05d3fa7c8 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/misc/utilcmds.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/misc/utilcmds.py
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from PyQt5.QtCore import QUrl
 from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QApplication  # pylint: disable=unused-import
 
 
-@cmdutils.register(maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True)
+@cmdutils.register(maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True, no_replace_variables=True)
 @cmdutils.argument('win_id', win_id=True)
 def later(ms: int, command, win_id):
     """Execute a command after some time.
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ def later(ms: int, command, win_id):
         raise
 
 
-@cmdutils.register(maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True)
+@cmdutils.register(maxsplit=1, no_cmd_split=True, no_replace_variables=True)
 @cmdutils.argument('win_id', win_id=True)
 def repeat(times: int, command, win_id):
     """Repeat a given command.