diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
index 87ff31995..f38192c85 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.py
@@ -481,11 +481,11 @@ def data(readonly=False):
 
             ('show',
              SettingValue(typ.TabBarShow(), 'always'),
-             "The tab bar showing strategy."),
+             "When to show the tab bar"),
 
             ('show-switching-delay',
              SettingValue(typ.Int(), '800'),
-             "Time to show tab bar before hide it when tabs->show is switching."),
+             "Time to show the tab bar before hiding it when tabs->show is set to 'switching'."),
 
             ('wrap',
              SettingValue(typ.Bool(), 'true'),
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
index c054d1779..8541b81c4 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
@@ -1568,12 +1568,9 @@ class UserAgent(BaseType):
         return out
 
 class TabBarShow(BaseType):
-
-    """How to format the question when downloading."""
+    """When to show the tab bar."""
 
     valid_values = ValidValues(('always', "Always show the tab bar."),
                                ('never', "Always hide the tab bar."),
                                ('multiple', "Hide the tab bar if only one tab is open."),
-                               ('switching', "Show the tab bar only when current tab changed."))
-
-
+                               ('switching', "Show the tab bar when switching tabs."))
diff --git a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
index 14e428fe9..18efe5df5 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/mainwindow/tabwidget.py
@@ -221,13 +221,16 @@ class TabBar(QTabBar):
         config_obj = objreg.get('config')
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.set_font)
         self.vertical = False
-        self.autoHideTimer = None
+        self._auto_hide_timer = QTimer()
+        self._auto_hide_timer.setSingleShot(True)
+        self._auto_hide_timer.setInterval(config.get('tabs', 'show-switching-delay'))
+        self._auto_hide_timer.timeout.connect(self._tabhide)
         self.setAutoFillBackground(True)
         self.set_colors()
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.set_colors)
         QTimer.singleShot(0, self._tabhide)
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.on_tab_colors_changed)
-        config_obj.changed.connect(self.showswitchingdelay)
+        config_obj.changed.connect(self.show_switching_delay)
         config_obj.changed.connect(self.tabs_show)
 
     def __repr__(self):
@@ -239,30 +242,24 @@ class TabBar(QTabBar):
         self._tabhide()
 
     @config.change_filter('tabs', 'show-switching-delay')
-    def showswitchingdelay(self):
-        """Reset auto hide timer when tabs->show-switching-delay got changed."""
-        self.autoHideTimer = None
+    def show_switching_delay(self):
+        """Set timer interval when tabs->show-switching-delay got changed."""
+        self._auto_hide_timer.setInterval(config.get('tabs', 'show-switching-delay'))
 
     def on_change(self):
         """Show tab bar when current tab got changed."""
         show = config.get('tabs', 'show')
-        show_switching_delay = config.get('tabs', 'show-switching-delay')
         if show == 'switching':
             self.show()
-            if not self.autoHideTimer:
-                self.autoHideTimer = QTimer()
-                self.autoHideTimer.setInterval(show_switching_delay)
-                self.autoHideTimer.setSingleShot(True)
-                self.autoHideTimer.timeout.connect(self._tabhide)
-            self.autoHideTimer.start()
+            self._auto_hide_timer.start()
 
     def _tabhide(self):
         """Hide the tab bar if needed."""
         show = config.get('tabs', 'show')
-        showNever = show == 'never'
-        showSwitching = show == 'switching'
-        showMultiple = show == 'multiple'
-        if showNever or (showMultiple and self.count() == 1) or showSwitching:
+        show_never = show == 'never'
+        switching = show == 'switching'
+        multiple = show == 'multiple'
+        if show_never or (multiple and self.count() == 1) or switching:
             self.hide()
         else:
             self.show()