diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
index 177f55456..65ea745c1 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configtypes.py
@@ -1094,7 +1094,7 @@ class ShellCommand(BaseType):
             shlex.split(value)
         except ValueError as e:
             raise configexc.ValidationError(value, str(e))
-        if self.placeholder and '{}' not in self.transform(value):
+        if self.placeholder and '{}' not in value:
             raise configexc.ValidationError(value, "needs to contain a "
                                             "{}-placeholder.")
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py b/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
index 2fa9791e9..d844cdc80 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/misc/editor.py
@@ -124,6 +124,6 @@ class ExternalEditor(QObject):
         self._proc.error.connect(self.on_proc_error)
         editor = config.get('general', 'editor')
         executable = editor[0]
-        args = [self._filename if arg == '{}' else arg for arg in editor[1:]]
+        args = [arg.replace('{}', self._filename) if '{}' in arg else arg for arg in editor[1:]]
         log.procs.debug("Calling \"{}\" with args {}".format(executable, args))
         self._proc.start(executable, args)