diff --git a/cmd-new-window.c b/cmd-new-window.c
index bb6113fd6..6e6d70ccc 100644
--- a/cmd-new-window.c
+++ b/cmd-new-window.c
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_new_window_entry = {
 	.name = "new-window",
 	.alias = "neww",
 
-	.args = { "abc:de:F:kn:PSt:", 0, -1, NULL },
-	.usage = "[-abdkPS] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] "
+	.args = { "abc:de:EF:kn:PSt:", 0, -1, NULL },
+	.usage = "[-abdEkPS] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] [-F format] "
 		 "[-n window-name] " CMD_TARGET_WINDOW_USAGE
 		 " [shell-command [argument ...]]",
 
@@ -60,12 +60,19 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct client		*tc = cmdq_get_target_client(item);
 	struct session		*s = target->s;
 	struct winlink		*wl = target->wl, *new_wl = NULL;
-	int			 idx = target->idx, before;
+	int			 idx = target->idx, before, count = args_count(args);
 	char			*cause = NULL, *cp, *expanded, *wname = NULL;
 	const char		*template, *name;
 	struct cmd_find_state	 fs;
 	struct args_value	*av;
 
+	if (args_has(args, 'E') &&
+	    count != 0 &&
+	    (count != 1 || *args_string(args, 0) != '\0')) {
+		cmdq_error(item, "command cannot be given for empty pane");
+		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+	}
+
 	/*
 	 * If -S and -n are given and -t is not and a single window with this
 	 * name already exists, select it.
@@ -134,6 +141,8 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	sc.cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
 
 	sc.flags = 0;
+	if (args_has(args, 'E'))
+		sc.flags |= SPAWN_EMPTY;
 	if (args_has(args, 'd'))
 		sc.flags |= SPAWN_DETACHED;
 	if (args_has(args, 'k'))
diff --git a/cmd-respawn-pane.c b/cmd-respawn-pane.c
index 1e1dd4c6c..bf058a267 100644
--- a/cmd-respawn-pane.c
+++ b/cmd-respawn-pane.c
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_respawn_pane_entry = {
 	.name = "respawn-pane",
 	.alias = "respawnp",
 
-	.args = { "c:e:kt:", 0, -1, NULL },
-	.usage = "[-k] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
+	.args = { "c:e:Ekt:", 0, -1, NULL },
+	.usage = "[-Ek] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
 		 CMD_TARGET_PANE_USAGE " [shell-command [argument ...]]",
 
 	.target = { 't', CMD_FIND_PANE, 0 },
@@ -75,6 +75,8 @@ cmd_respawn_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	sc.cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
 
 	sc.flags = SPAWN_RESPAWN;
+	if (args_has(args, 'E'))
+		sc.flags |= SPAWN_EMPTY;
 	if (args_has(args, 'k'))
 		sc.flags |= SPAWN_KILL;
 
diff --git a/cmd-respawn-window.c b/cmd-respawn-window.c
index e1eae0afc..e67757e1b 100644
--- a/cmd-respawn-window.c
+++ b/cmd-respawn-window.c
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_respawn_window_entry = {
 	.name = "respawn-window",
 	.alias = "respawnw",
 
-	.args = { "c:e:kt:", 0, -1, NULL },
-	.usage = "[-k] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
+	.args = { "c:e:Ekt:", 0, -1, NULL },
+	.usage = "[-Ek] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
 		 CMD_TARGET_WINDOW_USAGE " [shell-command [argument ...]]",
 
 	.target = { 't', CMD_FIND_WINDOW, 0 },
@@ -74,6 +74,8 @@ cmd_respawn_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	sc.cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
 
 	sc.flags = SPAWN_RESPAWN;
+	if (args_has(args, 'E'))
+		sc.flags |= SPAWN_EMPTY;
 	if (args_has(args, 'k'))
 		sc.flags |= SPAWN_KILL;
 
diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 71e4c35ce..4a33f8265 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
 struct format_expand_state;
 
 static char	*format_job_get(struct format_expand_state *, const char *);
+static char	*format_quote_shell_single(const char *);
 static char	*format_expand1(struct format_expand_state *, const char *);
 static int	 format_replace(struct format_expand_state *, const char *,
 		     size_t, char **, size_t *, size_t *);
@@ -879,6 +880,37 @@ format_cb_start_command(struct format_tree *ft)
 	return (cmd_stringify_argv(wp->argc, wp->argv));
 }
 
+/* Callback for pane_start_command_list. */
+static void *
+format_cb_start_command_list(struct format_tree *ft)
+{
+	struct window_pane	*wp = ft->wp;
+	char			*buf = NULL, *s;
+	size_t			 len = 0;
+	int			 i;
+
+	if (wp == NULL)
+		return (NULL);
+	if (wp->argc == 0)
+		return (xstrdup(""));
+
+	for (i = 0; i < wp->argc; i++) {
+		s = format_quote_shell_single(wp->argv[i]);
+
+		len += strlen(s) + 1;
+		buf = xrealloc(buf, len);
+
+		if (i == 0)
+			*buf = '\0';
+		else
+			strlcat(buf, " ", len);
+		strlcat(buf, s, len);
+
+		free(s);
+	}
+	return (buf);
+}
+
 /* Callback for pane_start_path. */
 static void *
 format_cb_start_path(struct format_tree *ft)
@@ -2307,7 +2339,7 @@ format_cb_pane_path(struct format_tree *ft)
 static void *
 format_cb_pane_pid(struct format_tree *ft)
 {
-	if (ft->wp != NULL)
+	if (ft->wp != NULL && ft->wp->fd != -1)
 		return (format_printf("%ld", (long)ft->wp->pid));
 	return (NULL);
 }
@@ -3558,6 +3590,9 @@ static const struct format_table_entry format_table[] = {
 	{ "pane_start_command", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
 	  format_cb_start_command
 	},
+	{ "pane_start_command_list", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
+	  format_cb_start_command_list
+	},
 	{ "pane_start_path", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
 	  format_cb_start_path
 	},
diff --git a/spawn.c b/spawn.c
index 91010d775..e1ef0090b 100644
--- a/spawn.c
+++ b/spawn.c
@@ -264,14 +264,20 @@ spawn_pane(struct spawn_context *sc, char **cause)
 			free(cwd);
 			return (NULL);
 		}
-		if (sc->wp0->fd != -1) {
+		if (sc->wp0->event != NULL) {
 			bufferevent_free(sc->wp0->event);
+			sc->wp0->event = NULL;
+		}
+		if (sc->wp0->fd != -1) {
 			close(sc->wp0->fd);
+			sc->wp0->fd = -1;
 		}
 		window_pane_reset_mode_all(sc->wp0);
 		screen_reinit(&sc->wp0->base);
-		input_free(sc->wp0->ictx);
-		sc->wp0->ictx = NULL;
+		if (sc->wp0->ictx != NULL) {
+			input_free(sc->wp0->ictx);
+			sc->wp0->ictx = NULL;
+		}
 		new_wp = sc->wp0;
 		new_wp->flags &= ~(PANE_STATUSREADY|PANE_STATUSDRAWN);
 	} else {
@@ -387,6 +393,7 @@ spawn_pane(struct spawn_context *sc, char **cause)
 		new_wp->base.mode |= MODE_CRLF;
 		goto complete;
 	}
+	new_wp->flags &= ~PANE_EMPTY;
 
 	/* Store current working directory and change to new one. */
 	if (getcwd(path, sizeof path) != NULL) {
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index ac0709c8f..a14b2ec69 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -3525,7 +3525,7 @@ the
 option.
 .Tg neww
 .It Xo Ic new\-window
-.Op Fl abdkPS
+.Op Fl abdEkPS
 .Op Fl c Ar start\-directory
 .Op Fl e Ar environment
 .Op Fl F Ar format
@@ -3549,6 +3549,9 @@ is the new window location.
 If
 .Fl d
 is given, the session does not make the new window the current window.
+If
+.Fl E
+is given, the initial pane is created without a running command.
 .Ar target\-window
 represents the window to be created; if the target already exists an error is
 shown, unless the
@@ -3848,7 +3851,7 @@ This command will automatically set
 to manual in the window options.
 .Tg respawnp
 .It Xo Ic respawn\-pane
-.Op Fl k
+.Op Fl Ek
 .Op Fl c Ar start\-directory
 .Op Fl e Ar environment
 .Op Fl t Ar target\-pane
@@ -3865,6 +3868,9 @@ executed.
 The pane must be already inactive, unless
 .Fl k
 is given, in which case any existing command is killed.
+If
+.Fl E
+is given, the pane is left without a running command.
 .Fl c
 specifies a new working directory for the pane.
 The
@@ -3874,7 +3880,7 @@ option has the same meaning as for the
 command.
 .Tg respawnw
 .It Xo Ic respawn\-window
-.Op Fl k
+.Op Fl Ek
 .Op Fl c Ar start\-directory
 .Op Fl e Ar environment
 .Op Fl t Ar target\-window
@@ -3891,6 +3897,9 @@ executed.
 The window must be already inactive, unless
 .Fl k
 is given, in which case any existing command is killed.
+If
+.Fl E
+is given, the window is left with one pane and without a running command.
 .Fl c
 specifies a new working directory for the window.
 The
@@ -7103,6 +7112,7 @@ The following variables are available, where appropriate:
 .It Li "pane_right" Ta "" Ta "Right of pane"
 .It Li "pane_search_string" Ta "" Ta "Last search string in copy mode"
 .It Li "pane_start_command" Ta "" Ta "Command pane started with"
+.It Li "pane_start_command_list" Ta "" Ta "Command pane started with, quoted"
 .It Li "pane_start_path" Ta "" Ta "Path pane started with"
 .It Li "pane_synchronized" Ta "" Ta "1 if pane is synchronized"
 .It Li "pane_tabs" Ta "" Ta "Pane tab positions"