diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 262f0dc6..07a991d8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -35,6 +35,13 @@
 * Renamed man page for `footrc` from **foot**(5) to **footrc**(5).
 
 
+### Fixed
+
+* Command lines for **pipe-visible** and **pipe-scrollback** are now
+  tokenized (i.e. syntax checked) when the configuration is loaded,
+  instead of every time the key binding is executed.
+
+
 ### Security
 ### Contributors
 
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 799d8ec4..d03fb519 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 #define LOG_ENABLE_DBG 0
 #include "log.h"
 #include "input.h"
+#include "tokenize.h"
 #include "util.h"
 #include "wayland.h"
 
@@ -624,7 +625,8 @@ parse_section_key_bindings(
     const char *key, const char *value, struct config *conf,
     const char *path, unsigned lineno)
 {
-    const char *pipe_cmd = NULL;
+    char *pipe_cmd = NULL;
+    char **pipe_argv = NULL;
     size_t pipe_len = 0;
 
     if (value[0] == '[') {
@@ -634,10 +636,18 @@ parse_section_key_bindings(
             return false;
         }
 
-        pipe_cmd = &value[1];
         pipe_len = pipe_cmd_end - pipe_cmd;
+        pipe_cmd = strndup(&value[1], pipe_len);
+
+        if (!tokenize_cmdline(pipe_cmd, &pipe_argv)) {
+            LOG_ERR("%s:%d: syntax error in command line", path, lineno);
+            free(pipe_cmd);
+            return false;
+        }
 
         value = pipe_cmd_end + 1;
+        while (isspace(*value))
+            value++;
     }
 
     for (enum bind_action_normal action = 0;
@@ -654,31 +664,37 @@ parse_section_key_bindings(
             tll_foreach(conf->bindings.key, it) {
                 if (it->item.action == action) {
                     free(it->item.key);
-                    free(it->item.pipe_cmd);
+                    free(it->item.pipe.cmd);
+                    free(it->item.pipe.argv);
                     tll_remove(conf->bindings.key, it);
                 }
             }
+            free(pipe_argv);
+            free(pipe_cmd);
             return true;
         }
 
         if (!verify_key_combo(conf, action, binding_action_map, value, path, lineno)) {
+            free(pipe_argv);
+            free(pipe_cmd);
             return false;
         }
 
         bool already_added = false;
         tll_foreach(conf->bindings.key, it) {
             if (it->item.action == action &&
-                ((it->item.pipe_cmd == NULL && pipe_cmd == NULL) ||
-                 (it->item.pipe_cmd != NULL && pipe_cmd != NULL &&
-                  strncmp(it->item.pipe_cmd, pipe_cmd, pipe_len) == 0)))
+                ((it->item.pipe.argv == NULL && pipe_argv == NULL) ||
+                 (it->item.pipe.argv != NULL && pipe_argv != NULL &&
+                  argv_compare(it->item.pipe.argv, pipe_argv) == 0)))
             {
 
                 free(it->item.key);
-                free(it->item.pipe_cmd);
+                free(it->item.pipe.cmd);
+                free(it->item.pipe.argv);
 
                 it->item.key = strdup(value);
-                it->item.pipe_cmd = pipe_cmd != NULL
-                    ? strndup(pipe_cmd, pipe_len) : NULL;
+                it->item.pipe.cmd = pipe_cmd;
+                it->item.pipe.argv = pipe_argv;
                 already_added = true;
                 break;
             }
@@ -688,7 +704,10 @@ parse_section_key_bindings(
             struct config_key_binding_normal binding = {
                 .action = action,
                 .key = strdup(value),
-                .pipe_cmd = pipe_cmd != NULL ? strndup(pipe_cmd, pipe_len) : NULL,
+                .pipe = {
+                    .cmd = pipe_cmd,
+                    .argv = pipe_argv,
+                },
             };
             tll_push_back(conf->bindings.key, binding);
         }
@@ -705,24 +724,6 @@ parse_section_search_bindings(
     const char *key, const char *value, struct config *conf,
     const char *path, unsigned lineno)
 {
-#if 0
-    const char *pipe_cmd = NULL;
-    size_t pipe_len = 0;
-
-    if (value[0] == '[') {
-        const char *pipe_cmd_end = strrchr(value, ']');
-        if (pipe_cmd_end == NULL) {
-            LOG_ERR("%s:%d: unclosed '['", path, lineno);
-            return false;
-        }
-
-        pipe_cmd = &value[1];
-        pipe_len = pipe_cmd_end - pipe_cmd;
-
-        value = pipe_cmd_end + 1;
-    }
-#endif
-
     for (enum bind_action_search action = 0;
          action < BIND_ACTION_SEARCH_COUNT;
          action++)
@@ -737,7 +738,6 @@ parse_section_search_bindings(
             tll_foreach(conf->bindings.search, it) {
                 if (it->item.action == action) {
                     free(it->item.key);
-                    // free(it->item.pipe_cmd);
                     tll_remove(conf->bindings.search, it);
                 }
             }
@@ -750,24 +750,11 @@ parse_section_search_bindings(
 
         bool already_added = false;
         tll_foreach(conf->bindings.search, it) {
-            if (it->item.action == action
-#if 0
-                &&
-                ((it->item.pipe_cmd == NULL && pipe_cmd == NULL) ||
-                 (it->item.pipe_cmd != NULL && pipe_cmd != NULL &&
-                  strncmp(it->item.pipe_cmd, pipe_cmd, pipe_len) == 0))
-#endif
-                )
-            {
+            if (it->item.action == action) {
 
                 free(it->item.key);
-                // free(it->item.pipe_cmd);
 
                 it->item.key = strdup(value);
-#if 0
-                it->item.pipe_cmd = pipe_cmd != NULL
-                    ? strndup(pipe_cmd, pipe_len) : NULL;
-#endif
                 already_added = true;
                 break;
             }
@@ -777,7 +764,6 @@ parse_section_search_bindings(
             struct config_key_binding_search binding = {
                 .action = action,
                 .key = strdup(value),
-                // .pipe_cmd = pipe_cmd != NULL ? strndup(pipe_cmd, pipe_len) : NULL,
             };
             tll_push_back(conf->bindings.search, binding);
         }
@@ -1289,7 +1275,8 @@ config_free(struct config conf)
 
     tll_foreach(conf.bindings.key, it) {
         free(it->item.key);
-        free(it->item.pipe_cmd);
+        free(it->item.pipe.cmd);
+        free(it->item.pipe.argv);
     }
     tll_foreach(conf.bindings.search, it)
         free(it->item.key);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index aaaa3591..65fedf08 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@ struct config_font {
 struct config_key_binding_normal {
     enum bind_action_normal action;
     char *key;
-    char *pipe_cmd;
+    struct {
+        char *cmd;
+        char **argv;
+    } pipe;
 };
 
 struct config_key_binding_search {
diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index 67661eee..fcf79111 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pipe_closed:
 
 static void
 execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
-                enum bind_action_normal action, const char *pipe_cmd,
+                enum bind_action_normal action, char *const *pipe_argv,
                 uint32_t serial)
 {
     switch (action) {
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
 
     case BIND_ACTION_PIPE_SCROLLBACK:
     case BIND_ACTION_PIPE_VIEW: {
-        if (pipe_cmd == NULL)
+        if (pipe_argv == NULL)
             break;
 
         struct pipe_context *ctx = NULL;
@@ -158,12 +158,6 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
         char *text = NULL;
         size_t len = 0;
 
-        char *cmd = strdup(pipe_cmd);
-        char **argv = NULL;
-
-        if (!tokenize_cmdline(cmd, &argv))
-            goto pipe_err;
-
         if (pipe(pipe_fd) < 0) {
             LOG_ERRNO("failed to create pipe");
             goto pipe_err;
@@ -207,13 +201,9 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
             }
         }
 
-        if (!spawn(term->reaper, NULL, argv, pipe_fd[0], stdout_fd, stderr_fd))
+        if (!spawn(term->reaper, NULL, pipe_argv, pipe_fd[0], stdout_fd, stderr_fd))
             goto pipe_err;
 
-        /* Not needed anymore */
-        free(argv); argv = NULL;
-        free(cmd); cmd = NULL;
-
         /* Close read end */
         close(pipe_fd[0]);
 
@@ -239,8 +229,6 @@ execute_binding(struct seat *seat, struct terminal *term,
         if (pipe_fd[1] >= 0)
             close(pipe_fd[1]);
         free(text);
-        free(argv);
-        free(cmd);
         free(ctx);
         break;
     }
@@ -426,7 +414,7 @@ keyboard_keymap(void *data, struct wl_keyboard *wl_keyboard,
                 ((struct key_binding_normal){
                     .bind = it2->item,
                     .action = it->item.action,
-                    .pipe_cmd = it->item.pipe_cmd}));
+                    .pipe_argv = it->item.pipe.argv}));
         }
         tll_free(bindings);
     }
@@ -743,14 +731,14 @@ keyboard_key(void *data, struct wl_keyboard *wl_keyboard, uint32_t serial,
 
         /* Match symbol */
         if (it->item.bind.sym == sym) {
-            execute_binding(seat, term, it->item.action, it->item.pipe_cmd, serial);
+            execute_binding(seat, term, it->item.action, it->item.pipe_argv, serial);
             goto maybe_repeat;
         }
 
         /* Match raw key code */
         tll_foreach(it->item.bind.key_codes, code) {
             if (code->item == key) {
-                execute_binding(seat, term, it->item.action, it->item.pipe_cmd, serial);
+                execute_binding(seat, term, it->item.action, it->item.pipe_argv, serial);
                 goto maybe_repeat;
             }
         }
diff --git a/wayland.h b/wayland.h
index 3c39fe5d..3b815b6a 100644
--- a/wayland.h
+++ b/wayland.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ enum bind_action_normal {
 struct key_binding_normal {
     struct key_binding bind;
     enum bind_action_normal action;
-    const char *pipe_cmd;
+    char **pipe_argv;
 };
 
 struct mouse_binding {