diff --git a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
index 16390c0c0..1f5812811 100644
--- a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
@@ -2581,6 +2581,8 @@ CSS selectors used to determine which elements on a page should have hints.
 
 This setting supports URL patterns.
 
+This setting can only be set in config.py.
+
 Type: <<types,Dict>>
 
 Default: 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
index 0d4bed4a0..550d73c66 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
@@ -1163,6 +1163,7 @@ hints.scatter:
     Ignored for number hints.
 
 hints.selectors:
+  no_autoconfig: true
   default:
     all:
       - 'a'
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/hints.feature b/tests/end2end/features/hints.feature
index cf8527b03..cb146e1ae 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/hints.feature
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/hints.feature
@@ -202,14 +202,14 @@ Feature: Using hints
 
     Scenario: Custom hint group with URL pattern
         When I open data/hints/custom_group.html
-        And I run :set -u *://*/data/hints/custom_group.html hints.selectors '{"custom": [".clickable"]}'
+        And I run :set -tu *://*/data/hints/custom_group.html hints.selectors '{"custom": [".clickable"]}'
         And I hint with args "custom" and follow a
         Then the javascript message "beep!" should be logged
 
     Scenario: Fallback to global value with URL pattern set
         When I open data/hints/custom_group.html
         And I set hints.selectors to {"custom":[".clickable"]}
-        And I run :set -u *://*/data/hints/custom_group.html hints.selectors '{"other": [".other"]}'
+        And I run :set -tu *://*/data/hints/custom_group.html hints.selectors '{"other": [".other"]}'
         And I hint with args "custom" and follow a
         Then the javascript message "beep!" should be logged
 
diff --git a/tests/end2end/features/javascript.feature b/tests/end2end/features/javascript.feature
index b49d0dff2..9f0d2f14b 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/features/javascript.feature
+++ b/tests/end2end/features/javascript.feature
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ Feature: Javascript stuff
 
     Scenario: Per-URL localstorage setting
         When I set content.local_storage to false
-        And I run :set -u http://localhost:*/data2/* content.local_storage true
+        And I run :set -tu http://localhost:*/data2/* content.local_storage true
         And I open data/javascript/localstorage.html
         And I wait for "[*] local storage is not working" in the log
         And I open data2/javascript/localstorage.html
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ Feature: Javascript stuff
 
     Scenario: Per-URL JavaScript setting
         When I set content.javascript.enabled to false
-        And I run :set -u http://localhost:*/data2/* content.javascript.enabled true
+        And I run :set -tu http://localhost:*/data2/* content.javascript.enabled true
         And I open data2/javascript/enabled.html
         And I wait for "[*] JavaScript is enabled" in the log
         And I open data/javascript/enabled.html
diff --git a/tests/end2end/fixtures/quteprocess.py b/tests/end2end/fixtures/quteprocess.py
index 2df1077ab..3cb3ee89a 100644
--- a/tests/end2end/fixtures/quteprocess.py
+++ b/tests/end2end/fixtures/quteprocess.py
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@ class QuteProc(testprocess.Process):
         # \ and " in a value should be treated literally, so escape them
         value = value.replace('\\', r'\\')
         value = value.replace('"', '\\"')
-        self.send_cmd(':set "{}" "{}"'.format(option, value), escape=False)
+        self.send_cmd(':set -t "{}" "{}"'.format(option, value), escape=False)
         self.wait_for(category='config', message='Config option changed: *')
 
     @contextlib.contextmanager