diff --git a/cmd-invoke.c b/cmd-invoke.c
index ce3759a2d..d47649bc0 100644
--- a/cmd-invoke.c
+++ b/cmd-invoke.c
@@ -337,11 +337,12 @@ static void
 cmd_invoke_error(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is,
     struct cmd_parse_node *node, const char *cause)
 {
+	struct client		*c = cmdq_get_client(item);
 	struct cmd_parse_tree	*tree = cmd_invoke_tree(is);
 	const char		*file = cmd_parse_file(tree);
 	u_int			 line = cmd_parse_node_line(node);
 
-	if (cmdq_get_client(item) != NULL) {
+	if (c != NULL && (~c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROL || file == NULL)) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "%s", cause);
 		return;
 	}
@@ -499,7 +500,9 @@ cmd_invoke_fire(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is)
 	struct cmd_parse_tree	*tree, *alias;
 	struct cmdq_item	*new_item, *next;
 	struct cmdq_state	*state;
+	struct client		*c;
 	struct cmd		*cmd;
+	const char		*file;
 	char			*cause;
 	int			 r;
 
@@ -547,7 +550,10 @@ cmd_invoke_fire(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is)
 				break;
 			}
 			if (r == -1) {
-				if (cmdq_get_client(item) != NULL)
+				c = cmdq_get_client(item);
+				file = cmd_parse_file(tree);
+				if (c != NULL &&
+				    (~c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROL || file == NULL))
 					cmdq_error(item, "%s", cause);
 				else
 					cfg_add_cause("%s", cause);
diff --git a/regress/cmd-parse-print.sh b/regress/cmd-parse-print.sh
index 8d46212f5..3a35d7004 100755
--- a/regress/cmd-parse-print.sh
+++ b/regress/cmd-parse-print.sh
@@ -15,7 +15,9 @@ PATH=/bin:/usr/bin
 TERM=screen
 
 [ -z "$TEST_TMUX" ] && TEST_TMUX=$(readlink -f ../tmux)
-TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -Ltest -f/dev/null"
+SOCKET=$(mktemp -u testXXXXXX)
+TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -L$SOCKET -f/dev/null"
+TMUX2=
 $TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
 
 TMP=$(mktemp)
@@ -23,7 +25,7 @@ CONF=$(mktemp)
 EXP=$(mktemp)
 RT1=$(mktemp)
 RT2=$(mktemp)
-trap "rm -f $TMP $CONF $EXP $RT1 $RT2" 0 1 15
+trap "[ -n \"\$TMUX\" ] && \$TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null; [ -n \"\$TMUX2\" ] && \$TMUX2 kill-server 2>/dev/null; rm -f $TMP $CONF $EXP $RT1 $RT2" 0 1 15
 
 cat <<'EOF' >$CONF
 bind -T parsetest a display-message hello
@@ -82,6 +84,7 @@ $TMUX -f/dev/null start \; new-session -d 2>/dev/null || exit 1
 $TMUX source-file $CONF || exit 1
 $TMUX set -g default-client-command 'display-message "hi there"' || exit 1
 
+set +x
 {
 	$TMUX list-keys -T parsetest
 	echo "--- options ---"
@@ -89,6 +92,7 @@ $TMUX set -g default-client-command 'display-message "hi there"' || exit 1
 	echo "--- multiline ---"
 	$TMUX list-keys -p -T parsetest
 } >$TMP 2>&1 || exit 1
+set -x
 
 cmp -s $TMP $EXP || {
 	echo "cmd-parse-print: output differs from expected" >&2
@@ -100,10 +104,12 @@ cmp -s $TMP $EXP || {
 # identical key list.
 $TMUX list-keys -T parsetest >$RT1 || exit 1
 $TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
-$TMUX -f/dev/null start \; new-session -d 2>/dev/null || exit 1
-$TMUX source-file $RT1 || exit 1
-$TMUX list-keys -T parsetest >$RT2 || exit 1
-$TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
+SOCKET2=$(mktemp -u testXXXXXX)
+TMUX2="$TEST_TMUX -L$SOCKET2 -f/dev/null"
+$TMUX2 -f/dev/null start \; new-session -d 2>/dev/null || exit 1
+$TMUX2 source-file $RT1 || exit 1
+$TMUX2 list-keys -T parsetest >$RT2 || exit 1
+$TMUX2 kill-server 2>/dev/null
 
 cmp -s $RT1 $RT2 || {
 	echo "cmd-parse-print: default form does not round-trip" >&2
diff --git a/regress/control-client-exit.sh b/regress/control-client-exit.sh
index ac08db5cc..9bbe727f5 100644
--- a/regress/control-client-exit.sh
+++ b/regress/control-client-exit.sh
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ PATH=/bin:/usr/bin
 TERM=screen
 
 [ -z "$TEST_TMUX" ] && TEST_TMUX=$(readlink -f ../tmux)
-TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -Ltest"
+SOCKET=$(mktemp -u testXXXXXX)
+TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -L$SOCKET"
 $TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
 
 DIR=$(mktemp -d)
diff --git a/regress/if-shell-error.sh b/regress/if-shell-error.sh
index 3b2dac753..ef9afdd41 100644
--- a/regress/if-shell-error.sh
+++ b/regress/if-shell-error.sh
@@ -7,24 +7,35 @@ PATH=/bin:/usr/bin
 TERM=screen
 
 [ -z "$TEST_TMUX" ] && TEST_TMUX=$(readlink -f ../tmux)
-TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -LtestA$$ -f/dev/null"
+SOCKET=$(mktemp -u testAXXXXXX)
+TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -L$SOCKET -f/dev/null"
 $TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
 
 TMP=$(mktemp)
 OUT=$(mktemp)
-trap "rm -f $TMP $OUT" 0 1 15
+cleanup() {
+	$TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
+	rm -f "$TMP" "$OUT"
+}
+trap cleanup 0 1 15
 
-cat <<EOF >$TMP
+cat <<EOF >"$TMP"
 if 'true' 'wibble wobble'
 EOF
 
-$TMUX -f$TMP -C new <<EOF >$OUT
+$TMUX -f"$TMP" -C new <<EOF >"$OUT"
 EOF
-grep -q "^%config-error $TMP:1: $TMP:1: unknown command: wibble$" $OUT
+if ! grep -q "^%config-error $TMP:1: unknown command: wibble$" "$OUT"; then
+	cat "$OUT" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi
 
-cat <<EOF >$TMP
+cat <<EOF >"$TMP"
 wibble wobble
 EOF
 
-echo "source $TMP" | $TMUX -C new  >$OUT
-grep -q "^%config-error $TMP:1: unknown command: wibble$" $OUT
+echo "source $TMP" | $TMUX -C new  >"$OUT"
+if ! grep -q "^%config-error $TMP:1: unknown command: wibble$" "$OUT"; then
+	cat "$OUT" >&2
+	exit 1
+fi