diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index e5b01f233..b145b42a0 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -427,17 +427,7 @@ class QuteBrowser(QApplication):
         dlg = CrashDialog(pages, history, exc)
         ret = dlg.exec_()
         if ret == QDialog.Accepted:  # restore
-            os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = os.pathsep.join(sys.path)
-            argv = sys.argv[:]
-            for page in self._opened_urls:
-                try:
-                    argv.remove(page)
-                except ValueError:
-                    pass
-            argv = [sys.executable] + argv + pages
-            logging.debug("Running {} with args {}".format(sys.executable,
-                                                           argv))
-            subprocess.Popen(argv)
+            self.restart(shutdown=False, pages=pages)
         # We might risk a segfault here, but that's better than continuing to
         # run in some undefined state.
         sys.exit(1)
@@ -458,6 +448,31 @@ class QuteBrowser(QApplication):
             logging.debug("maybe_quit quitting.")
             self.quit()
 
+    @cmdutils.register(instance='', nargs=0)
+    def restart(self, shutdown=True, pages=None):
+        """Restart qutebrowser while keeping existing tabs open."""
+        # We don't use _recover_pages here as it's too forgiving when
+        # exceptions occur.
+        if pages is None:
+            pages = []
+            for tab in self.mainwindow.tabs.widgets:
+                url = tab.url().toString()
+                if url:
+                    pages.append(url)
+        os.environ['PYTHONPATH'] = os.pathsep.join(sys.path)
+        argv = sys.argv[:]
+        for page in self._opened_urls:
+            try:
+                argv.remove(page)
+            except ValueError:
+                pass
+        argv = [sys.executable] + argv + pages
+        logging.debug("Running {} with args {}".format(sys.executable,
+                                                       argv))
+        subprocess.Popen(argv)
+        if shutdown:
+            self.shutdown()
+
     @cmdutils.register(instance='', split=False)
     def pyeval(self, s):
         """Evaluate a python string and display the results as a webpage.