diff --git a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
index 95caf24f1..0fb99f260 100644
--- a/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/commands.asciidoc
@@ -1083,7 +1083,7 @@ Syntax: +:session-save [*--current*] [*--quiet*] [*--force*] [*--only-active-win
 Save a session.
 
 ==== positional arguments
-* +'name'+: The name of the session. If not given, the session configured in session_default_name is saved.
+* +'name'+: The name of the session. If not given, the session configured in session.default_name is saved.
 
 
 ==== optional arguments
diff --git a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
index 3f6a8a016..2da7a5008 100644
--- a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@
 |<<qt.highdpi,qt.highdpi>>|Turn on Qt HighDPI scaling.
 |<<scrolling.bar,scrolling.bar>>|Show a scrollbar.
 |<<scrolling.smooth,scrolling.smooth>>|Enable smooth scrolling for web pages.
-|<<session_default_name,session_default_name>>|Name of the session to save by default.
+|<<session.default_name,session.default_name>>|Name of the session to save by default.
 |<<spellcheck.languages,spellcheck.languages>>|Languages to use for spell checking.
 |<<statusbar.hide,statusbar.hide>>|Hide the statusbar unless a message is shown.
 |<<statusbar.padding,statusbar.padding>>|Padding (in pixels) for the statusbar.
@@ -2556,8 +2556,8 @@ Type: <<types,Bool>>
 
 Default: +pass:[false]+
 
-[[session_default_name]]
-=== session_default_name
+[[session.default_name]]
+=== session.default_name
 Name of the session to save by default.
 If this is set to null, the session which was last loaded is saved.
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
index 3fb6459a5..e6262a007 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/qutescheme.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import os
 import time
 import textwrap
 import mimetypes
+import urllib
 
 import pkg_resources
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QUrlQuery, QUrl
@@ -425,6 +426,18 @@ def qute_settings(url):
     return 'text/html', html
 
 
+@add_handler('back')
+def qute_back(url):
+    """Handler for qute://back.
+
+    Simple page to free ram / lazy load a site, goes back on focusing the tab.
+    """
+    html = jinja.render(
+        'back.html',
+        title='Suspended: ' + urllib.parse.unquote(url.fragment()))
+    return 'text/html', html
+
+
 @add_handler('configdiff')
 def qute_configdiff(url):
     """Handler for qute://configdiff."""
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
index 08c854ed3..2cae54993 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ new_instance_open_target_window:
     When `new_instance_open_target` is not set to `window`, this is ignored.
 
 session_default_name:
+  renamed: session.default_name
+
+session.default_name:
   type:
     name: SessionName
     none_ok: true
@@ -88,6 +91,11 @@ session_default_name:
 
     If this is set to null, the session which was last loaded is saved.
 
+session.lazy_restore:
+  type: Bool
+  default: false
+  desc: Load a restored tab as soon as it takes focus.
+
 backend:
   type:
     name: String
diff --git a/qutebrowser/html/back.html b/qutebrowser/html/back.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..46945ab65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qutebrowser/html/back.html
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block script %}
+const STATE_BACK = "back";
+const STATE_FORWARD = "forward";
+
+function switch_state(new_state) {
+	history.replaceState(
+		new_state,
+		document.title,
+		location.pathname + location.hash);
+}
+
+function go_back() {
+	switch_state(STATE_FORWARD);
+	history.back();
+}
+
+function go_forward() {
+	switch_state(STATE_BACK);
+	history.forward();
+}
+
+function prepare_restore() {
+	if (!document.hidden) {
+		go_back();
+		return;
+	}
+		
+	document.addEventListener("visibilitychange", go_back);
+}
+
+// there are three states
+// default: register focus listener,
+//	    on focus: go back and switch to the state forward
+// back: user came from a later history entry
+//	 -> switch to the state forward,
+//	    forward him to the previous history entry
+// forward: user came from a previous history entry
+//	 -> switch to the state back,
+//	    forward him to the next history entry
+switch (history.state) {
+	case STATE_BACK:
+		go_back();
+		break;
+	case STATE_FORWARD:
+		go_forward();
+		break;
+	default:
+		setTimeout(prepare_restore, 1000);
+		break;
+}
+{% endblock %}
+
+{% block content %}
+<noscript><p>Javascript isn't enabled. So you need to manually go back in history to restore this tab.</p></noscript>
+<p>Loading suspended page...<br>
+<br>
+If nothing happens, something went wrong or you disabled JavaScript.</p>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/qutebrowser/misc/sessions.py b/qutebrowser/misc/sessions.py
index 064d8c9e9..237e46189 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/misc/sessions.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/misc/sessions.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 import os
 import os.path
+import itertools
+import urllib
 
 import sip
 from PyQt5.QtCore import QUrl, QObject, QPoint, QTimer
@@ -205,7 +207,13 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
         for idx, item in enumerate(tab.history):
             qtutils.ensure_valid(item)
             item_data = self._save_tab_item(tab, idx, item)
-            data['history'].append(item_data)
+            if item.url().scheme() == 'qute' and item.url().host() == 'back':
+                # don't add qute://back to the session file
+                if item_data.get('active', False) and data['history']:
+                    # mark entry before qute://back as active
+                    data['history'][-1]['active'] = True
+            else:
+                data['history'].append(item_data)
         return data
 
     def _save_all(self, *, only_window=None, with_private=False):
@@ -251,7 +259,7 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
                   object.
         """
         if name is default:
-            name = config.val.session_default_name
+            name = config.val.session.default_name
             if name is None:
                 if self._current is not None:
                     name = self._current
@@ -323,7 +331,18 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
     def _load_tab(self, new_tab, data):
         """Load yaml data into a newly opened tab."""
         entries = []
-        for histentry in data['history']:
+        lazy_load = []
+        # use len(data['history'])
+        # -> dropwhile empty if not session.lazy_session
+        lazy_index = len(data['history'])
+        gen = itertools.chain(
+            itertools.takewhile(lambda _: not lazy_load,
+                                enumerate(data['history'])),
+            enumerate(lazy_load),
+            itertools.dropwhile(lambda i: i[0] < lazy_index,
+                                enumerate(data['history'])))
+
+        for i, histentry in gen:
             user_data = {}
 
             if 'zoom' in data:
@@ -347,6 +366,20 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
             if 'pinned' in histentry:
                 new_tab.data.pinned = histentry['pinned']
 
+            if (config.val.session.lazy_restore and
+                    histentry.get('active', False) and
+                    not histentry['url'].startswith('qute://back')):
+                # remove "active" mark and insert back page marked as active
+                lazy_index = i + 1
+                lazy_load.append({
+                    'title': histentry['title'],
+                    'url':
+                        'qute://back#' +
+                        urllib.parse.quote(histentry['title']),
+                    'active': True
+                })
+                histentry['active'] = False
+
             active = histentry.get('active', False)
             url = QUrl.fromEncoded(histentry['url'].encode('ascii'))
             if 'original-url' in histentry:
@@ -360,6 +393,7 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
             entries.append(entry)
             if active:
                 new_tab.title_changed.emit(histentry['title'])
+
         try:
             new_tab.history.load_items(entries)
         except ValueError as e:
@@ -460,7 +494,7 @@ class SessionManager(QObject):
 
         Args:
             name: The name of the session. If not given, the session configured
-                  in session_default_name is saved.
+                  in session.default_name is saved.
             current: Save the current session instead of the default.
             quiet: Don't show confirmation message.
             force: Force saving internal sessions (starting with an underline).
diff --git a/tests/unit/misc/test_sessions.py b/tests/unit/misc/test_sessions.py
index 771430d5b..b2cb8a3dd 100644
--- a/tests/unit/misc/test_sessions.py
+++ b/tests/unit/misc/test_sessions.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ class TestSaveAll:
 ])
 def test_get_session_name(config_stub, sess_man, arg, config, current,
                           expected):
-    config_stub.val.session_default_name = config
+    config_stub.val.session.default_name = config
     sess_man._current = current
     assert sess_man._get_session_name(arg) == expected