diff --git a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
index 434260b20..fe91f5011 100644
--- a/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/help/settings.asciidoc
@@ -255,6 +255,7 @@
 |<<hints.dictionary,hints.dictionary>>|Dictionary file to be used by the word hints.
 |<<hints.find_implementation,hints.find_implementation>>|Which implementation to use to find elements to hint.
 |<<hints.hide_unmatched_rapid_hints,hints.hide_unmatched_rapid_hints>>|Hide unmatched hints in rapid mode.
+|<<hints.labels,hints.labels>>|Labels for hint characters.
 |<<hints.leave_on_load,hints.leave_on_load>>|Leave hint mode when starting a new page load.
 |<<hints.min_chars,hints.min_chars>>|Minimum number of characters used for hint strings.
 |<<hints.mode,hints.mode>>|Mode to use for hints.
@@ -264,7 +265,6 @@
 |<<hints.radius,hints.radius>>|Rounding radius (in pixels) for the edges of hints.
 |<<hints.scatter,hints.scatter>>|Scatter hint key chains (like Vimium) or not (like dwb).
 |<<hints.selectors,hints.selectors>>|CSS selectors used to determine which elements on a page should have hints.
-|<<hints.uppercase,hints.uppercase>>|Make characters in hint strings uppercase.
 |<<history_gap_interval,history_gap_interval>>|Maximum time (in minutes) between two history items for them to be considered being from the same browsing session.
 |<<input.escape_quits_reporter,input.escape_quits_reporter>>|Allow Escape to quit the crash reporter.
 |<<input.forward_unbound_keys,input.forward_unbound_keys>>|Which unbound keys to forward to the webview in normal mode.
@@ -3359,6 +3359,15 @@ Type: <<types,Bool>>
 
 Default: +pass:[true]+
 
+[[hints.labels]]
+=== hints.labels
+Labels for hint characters.
+To replace the deprecated `hints.uppercase` setting set `c.hints.labels = c.hints.chars.upper()` in `config.py`.
+
+Type: <<types,UniqueCharString>>
+
+Default: empty
+
 [[hints.leave_on_load]]
 === hints.leave_on_load
 Leave hint mode when starting a new page load.
@@ -3528,14 +3537,6 @@ Default:
 * +pass:[[src\]]+
 * +pass:[[href\]]+
 
-[[hints.uppercase]]
-=== hints.uppercase
-Make characters in hint strings uppercase.
-
-Type: <<types,Bool>>
-
-Default: +pass:[false]+
-
 [[history_gap_interval]]
 === history_gap_interval
 Maximum time (in minutes) between two history items for them to be considered being from the same browsing session.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
index b3f45610d..11c7307af 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
@@ -110,10 +110,13 @@ class HintLabel(QLabel):
             matched: The part of the text which was typed.
             unmatched: The part of the text which was not typed yet.
         """
-        if (config.cache['hints.uppercase'] and
+        if (config.cache['hints.labels'] and
                 self._context.hint_mode in ['letter', 'word']):
-            matched = html.escape(matched.upper())
-            unmatched = html.escape(unmatched.upper())
+            chars = config.val.hints.chars
+            labels = config.val.hints.labels
+            table = str.maketrans(dict(zip(chars, labels)))
+            matched = html.escape(matched.translate(table))
+            unmatched = html.escape(unmatched.translate(table))
         else:
             matched = html.escape(matched)
             unmatched = html.escape(unmatched)
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
index b221a70dc..164513240 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configdata.yml
@@ -1719,9 +1719,25 @@ hints.chars:
     completions:
       - ['asdfghjkl', "Home row"]
       - ['aoeuidnths', "Home row (Dvorak)"]
+      - ['hjkl', "Directional keys (Vim)"]
+      - ['hjklyubn', "Directional keys (roguelike)"]
       - ['abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', "All letters"]
   desc: Characters used for hint strings.
 
+hints.labels:
+  default:
+  type:
+    name: UniqueCharString
+    none_ok: true
+    completions:
+      - ['←↓↑→', "Arrows for directional keys (Vim)"]
+      - ['←↓↑→↖↗↙↘', "Arrows for directional keys (roguelike)"]
+  desc: >-
+    Labels for hint characters.
+
+    To replace the removed `hints.uppercase` setting, set `c.hints.labels =
+    c.hints.chars.upper()` in `config.py`.
+
 hints.dictionary:
   default: /usr/share/dict/words
   type:
@@ -1875,11 +1891,6 @@ hints.selectors:
   desc: CSS selectors used to determine which elements on a page should have
     hints.
 
-hints.uppercase:
-  default: false
-  type: Bool
-  desc: Make characters in hint strings uppercase.
-
 hints.leave_on_load:
   default: false
   type: Bool
diff --git a/qutebrowser/config/configfiles.py b/qutebrowser/config/configfiles.py
index 3fcdd53d8..945c4ba7c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/config/configfiles.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/config/configfiles.py
@@ -450,6 +450,7 @@ class YamlMigrations(QObject):
         self._migrate_bindings_default()
         self._migrate_font_default_family()
         self._migrate_font_replacements()
+        self._migrate_hints_uppercase()
 
         self._migrate_bool('tabs.favicons.show', 'always', 'never')
         self._migrate_bool('scrolling.bar', 'always', 'overlay')
@@ -540,6 +541,23 @@ class YamlMigrations(QObject):
         del self._settings['bindings.default']
         self.changed.emit()
 
+    def _migrate_hints_uppercase(self) -> None:
+        if 'hints.uppercase' not in self._settings:
+            return
+
+        self._settings['hints.labels'] = {}
+
+        for scope, val in self._settings['hints.uppercase'].items():
+            if val and 'hints.chars' in self._settings:
+                labels = self._settings['hints.chars'][scope].upper()
+                self._settings['hints.labels'][scope] = labels
+            elif val and 'hints.chars' not in self._settings:
+                labels = configdata.DATA['hints.chars'].default.upper()
+                self._settings['hints.labels'][scope] = labels
+
+        del self._settings['hints.uppercase']
+        self.changed.emit()
+
     def _migrate_font_default_family(self) -> None:
         old_name = 'fonts.monospace'
         new_name = 'fonts.default_family'
diff --git a/tests/unit/config/test_configfiles.py b/tests/unit/config/test_configfiles.py
index d01a0e721..dfe66d567 100644
--- a/tests/unit/config/test_configfiles.py
+++ b/tests/unit/config/test_configfiles.py
@@ -866,6 +866,40 @@ class TestYamlMigrations:
                         'content.media.video_capture']:
             assert data[setting]['global'] == val
 
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize('chars, uppercase', [
+        ('aoeuidnths', True),
+        ('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', True),
+        (None, True),
+        ('aoeuidnths', False),
+        ('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', False),
+        (None, False),
+        ('aoeuidnths', None),
+        ('abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz', None),
+        (None, None),
+    ])
+    def test_hints_uppercase(self, yaml, autoconfig, chars, uppercase):
+        settings = {}
+        if chars is not None:
+            settings['hints.chars'] = {'global': chars}
+        if uppercase is not None:
+            settings['hints.uppercase'] = {'global': uppercase}
+
+        autoconfig.write(settings)
+
+        yaml.load()
+        yaml._save()
+
+        data = autoconfig.read()
+        if uppercase:
+            if 'hints.chars' in data:
+                labels = data['hints.chars']['global'].upper()
+                assert data['hints.labels']['global'] == labels
+            else:
+                labels = configdata.DATA['hints.chars'].default.upper()
+                assert data['hints.labels']['global'] == labels
+        else:
+            assert 'hints.labels' not in data
+
     def test_empty_pattern(self, yaml, autoconfig):
         valid_pattern = 'https://example.com/*'
         invalid_pattern = '*://*./*'