diff --git a/src/expand.cpp b/src/expand.cpp
index 5bcd896e7..591d8e94f 100644
--- a/src/expand.cpp
+++ b/src/expand.cpp
@@ -328,9 +328,10 @@ static bool expand_variables(const wcstring &instr, std::vector<completion_t> *o
     history_t *history = nullptr;
     maybe_t<env_var_t> var{};
     if (var_name == L"history") {
-        // We do this only on the main thread, matching env.cpp.
+        // Note reader_get_history may return null, if we are running non-interactively (e.g. from
+        // web_config).
         if (is_main_thread()) {
-            history = reader_get_history();
+            history = &history_t::history_with_name(history_session_id());
         }
     } else if (var_name != wcstring{VARIABLE_EXPAND_EMPTY}) {
         var = env_get(var_name);
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index e8d013f3d..188d7b40e 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -2026,7 +2026,7 @@ static parser_test_error_bits_t default_test(const wcstring &b) {
     return 0;
 }
 
-void reader_change_history(const wchar_t *name) {
+void reader_change_history(const wcstring &name) {
     // We don't need to _change_ if we're not initialized yet.
     reader_data_t *data = current_data_or_null();
     if (data && data->history) {
diff --git a/src/reader.h b/src/reader.h
index cf5f2029d..1de190852 100644
--- a/src/reader.h
+++ b/src/reader.h
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ const wchar_t *reader_current_filename();
 void reader_push_current_filename(const wchar_t *fn);
 
 /// Change the history file for the current command reading context.
-void reader_change_history(const wchar_t *fn);
+void reader_change_history(const wcstring &name);
 
 /// Pop the current filename from the stack of read files.
 void reader_pop_current_filename();