diff --git a/kitty/conf/utils.py b/kitty/conf/utils.py
index cff2bd854..8263b62ab 100644
--- a/kitty/conf/utils.py
+++ b/kitty/conf/utils.py
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ class ToCmdline:
         )
 
 
-to_cmdline = ToCmdline()
+to_cmdline_implementation = ToCmdline()
+
+
+def to_cmdline(x: str) -> List[str]:
+    return to_cmdline_implementation(x)
 
 
 def python_string(text: str) -> str:
diff --git a/kitty/config_data.py b/kitty/config_data.py
index ec1b43bed..d7ee1bc74 100644
--- a/kitty/config_data.py
+++ b/kitty/config_data.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from typing import (
 from . import fast_data_types as defines
 from .conf.definition import OptionOrAction, option_func
 from .conf.utils import (
-    choices, to_bool, to_cmdline as tc, to_color, to_color_or_none, unit_float
+    choices, to_bool, to_cmdline, to_color, to_color_or_none, unit_float
 )
 from .constants import config_dir, is_macos
 from .fast_data_types import CURSOR_BEAM, CURSOR_BLOCK, CURSOR_UNDERLINE
@@ -39,10 +39,6 @@ for x in 'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ':
     character_key_name_aliases_with_ascii_lowercase[x] = x.lower()
 
 
-def to_cmdline(x: str) -> List[str]:
-    return tc(x)
-
-
 def parse_mods(parts: Iterable[str], sc: str) -> Optional[int]:
 
     def map_mod(m: str) -> str:
diff --git a/kitty/open_actions.py b/kitty/open_actions.py
index a2635dbae..279f28072 100644
--- a/kitty/open_actions.py
+++ b/kitty/open_actions.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ from typing import (
 )
 from urllib.parse import ParseResult, unquote, urlparse
 
-from .conf.utils import to_cmdline
+from .conf.utils import to_cmdline_implementation
 from .config import KeyAction, parse_key_action
 from .constants import config_dir
 from .guess_mime_type import guess_type
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def parse(lines: Iterable[str]) -> Generator[OpenAction, None, None]:
         key, rest = parts
         key = key.lower()
         if key == 'action':
-            with to_cmdline.filter_env_vars('URL', 'FILE_PATH', 'FILE', 'FRAGMENT'):
+            with to_cmdline_implementation.filter_env_vars('URL', 'FILE_PATH', 'FILE', 'FRAGMENT'):
                 x = parse_key_action(rest)
             if x is not None:
                 actions.append(x)