diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
index de4c71cbb..f5d573cf8 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/basekeyparser.py
@@ -192,8 +192,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
                  passthrough: bool = False,
                  supports_count: bool = True,
                  allow_partial_timeout: bool = False,
-                 allow_forward: bool = True,
-                 forward_widget_name: str = None) -> None:
+                 allow_forward: bool = True) -> None:
         super().__init__(parent)
         self._win_id = win_id
         self._pure_sequence = keyutils.KeySequence()
@@ -206,7 +205,7 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
         self._supports_count = supports_count
         self.allow_partial_timeout = allow_partial_timeout
         self.allow_forward = allow_forward
-        self.forward_widget_name = forward_widget_name
+        self.forward_widget_name = None
         self.bindings = BindingTrie()
         self._read_config()
         config.instance.changed.connect(self._on_config_changed)
@@ -230,6 +229,17 @@ class BaseKeyParser(QObject):
                                                self._mode.name)
             log.keyboard.debug(prefix + msg)
 
+    def set_forward_widget_name(self,
+                                forward_widget_name: str) -> 'BaseKeyParser':
+        """Set forward_widget_name.
+
+        Args:
+            forward_widget_name: Name of the widget to which partial keys are
+                                 forwarded.
+        """
+        self.forward_widget_name = forward_widget_name
+        return self
+
     def get_do_log(self) -> bool:
         return self._do_log
 
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
index 6071288e5..4c71d5f1c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeman.py
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ def init(win_id: int, parent: QObject) -> 'ModeManager':
                 do_log=log_sensitive_keys,
                 supports_count=False,
                 allow_partial_timeout=True,
-                allow_forward=True,
-                forward_widget_name='status-command'),
+                allow_forward=True)
+            .set_forward_widget_name('status-command'),
 
         usertypes.KeyMode.prompt:
             modeparsers.CommandKeyParser(
@@ -118,8 +118,8 @@ def init(win_id: int, parent: QObject) -> 'ModeManager':
                 # Maybe in the future implement this, but for the time being its
                 # infeasible as 'prompt-container' is registered as command-only.
                 # Plus, I imagine the use case for such a thing is quite rare.
+                # (The forward_widget_name would be 'prompt-container')
                 allow_forward=False,
-                forward_widget_name=None,  # 'prompt-container'
                 allow_partial_timeout=False),
 
         usertypes.KeyMode.yesno:
@@ -131,7 +131,6 @@ def init(win_id: int, parent: QObject) -> 'ModeManager':
                 supports_count=False,
                 # Similar story to prompt mode
                 allow_forward=False,
-                forward_widget_name=None,
                 allow_partial_timeout=False),
 
         usertypes.KeyMode.caret:
diff --git a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
index 6cc787ce4..f2ab9fb0f 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/keyinput/modeparsers.py
@@ -54,14 +54,12 @@ class CommandKeyParser(basekeyparser.BaseKeyParser):
                  passthrough: bool = False,
                  supports_count: bool = True,
                  allow_partial_timeout: bool = True,
-                 allow_forward: bool = True,
-                 forward_widget_name: str = None) -> None:
+                 allow_forward: bool = True) -> None:
         super().__init__(mode=mode, win_id=win_id, parent=parent,
                          do_log=do_log, passthrough=passthrough,
                          supports_count=supports_count,
                          allow_partial_timeout=allow_partial_timeout,
-                         allow_forward=allow_forward,
-                         forward_widget_name=forward_widget_name)
+                         allow_forward=allow_forward)
         self._commandrunner = commandrunner
 
     def execute(self, cmdstr: str, count: int = None) -> None:
diff --git a/tests/unit/keyinput/test_modeman.py b/tests/unit/keyinput/test_modeman.py
index 4d50c67c7..7a762ac41 100644
--- a/tests/unit/keyinput/test_modeman.py
+++ b/tests/unit/keyinput/test_modeman.py
@@ -182,11 +182,9 @@ def modeman_with_basekeyparser(mode_manager, config_stub):
     }
     config_stub.val.bindings.key_mappings = {}
     mode = usertypes.KeyMode.normal
-    mode_manager.register(mode,
-        basekeyparser.BaseKeyParser(mode=mode,
-                                    win_id=0,
-                                    passthrough=True,
-                                    forward_widget_name='fake-event-filter'))
+    kp = basekeyparser.BaseKeyParser(mode=mode, win_id=0, passthrough=True)
+    kp.set_forward_widget_name('fake-event-filter')
+    mode_manager.register(mode, kp)
     yield mode_manager
     objreg.delete('fake-event-filter', scope='window', window=0)