diff --git a/src/input_handler.cc b/src/input_handler.cc
index 16454499..b4fe225b 100644
--- a/src/input_handler.cc
+++ b/src/input_handler.cc
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ public:
                 DisplayCoord menu_pos{ context().ui().dimensions().line, 0_char };
                 context().ui().menu_show(candidates, menu_pos, MenuStyle::Prompt);
 
-                bool use_common_prefix = context().options()["complete_prefix"].get<int>();
+                bool use_common_prefix = context().options()["complete_prefix"].get<bool>();
                 String prefix = use_common_prefix ? common_prefix(candidates) : String();
                 if (m_completions.end - m_completions.start > prefix.length())
                     prefix = line.substr(m_completions.start,
diff --git a/src/main.cc b/src/main.cc
index 2e8692bd..3dff00f2 100644
--- a/src/main.cc
+++ b/src/main.cc
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ void do_search(Context& context)
                         RegisterManager::instance()['/'] = ex;
                     context.push_jump();
                 }
-                else if (ex.empty() or not context.options()["incsearch"].get<int>())
+                else if (ex.empty() or not context.options()["incsearch"].get<bool>())
                     return;
 
                 context.editor().select(std::bind(select_next_match<forward>, _1, ex), mode);
diff --git a/src/option_manager.cc b/src/option_manager.cc
index f08a23e9..477deab6 100644
--- a/src/option_manager.cc
+++ b/src/option_manager.cc
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ template class TypedOption<int>;
 template const int& Option::get<int>() const;
 template void Option::set<int>(const int&);
 
+// TypedOption<bool> specializations;
+template<> String TypedOption<bool>::get_as_string() const { return m_value ? "true" : "false"; }
+template<> void   TypedOption<bool>::set_from_string(const String& str)
+{
+    if (str == "true" or str == "yes")
+        m_value = true;
+    else if (str == "false" or str == "no")
+        m_value = false;
+    else
+        throw runtime_error("boolean values are either true, yes, false or no");
+}
+template class TypedOption<bool>;
+template const bool& Option::get<bool>() const;
+template void Option::set<bool>(const bool&);
+
 OptionManager::OptionManager(OptionManager& parent)
     : m_parent(&parent)
 {
@@ -164,8 +179,8 @@ GlobalOptions::GlobalOptions()
     declare_option<String>("eolformat", "lf");
     declare_option<String>("BOM", "no");
     declare_option<String>("shell", "sh");
-    declare_option<int>("complete_prefix", 1);
-    declare_option<int>("incsearch", 1);
+    declare_option<bool>("complete_prefix", true);
+    declare_option<bool>("incsearch", true);
     declare_option<String>("ignored_files", R"(^(\..*|.*\.(o|so|a)))$)");
     declare_option<String>("filetype", "");
 }