diff --git a/regress/screen-redraw-fill-character.sh b/regress/screen-redraw-fill-character.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..deb7b0a11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regress/screen-redraw-fill-character.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# Exercise fill-character as a format. The window is smaller than the attached
+# client so OUTSIDE spans exist, then the only tiled pane is removed so EMPTY
+# spans exist inside the window around a floating pane.
+
+PATH=/bin:/usr/bin
+TERM=screen
+LC_ALL=C.UTF-8
+export TERM LC_ALL
+
+[ -z "$TEST_TMUX" ] && TEST_TMUX=$(readlink -f ../tmux)
+TMUX="$TEST_TMUX -LtestA$$ -f/dev/null"
+TMUX2="$TEST_TMUX -LtestB$$ -f/dev/null"
+
+TMP=$(mktemp)
+trap "rm -f $TMP; $TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null; $TMUX2 kill-server 2>/dev/null" \
+	0 1 15
+
+fail() {
+	echo "$*" >&2
+	exit 1
+}
+
+must_equal() {
+	if [ "$1" != "$2" ]; then
+		fail "expected '$2', got '$1'"
+	fi
+}
+
+$TMUX kill-server 2>/dev/null
+$TMUX2 kill-server 2>/dev/null
+
+$TMUX2 new -d -x40 -y12 "sh -c 'printf base; exec sleep 100'" || exit 1
+$TMUX2 set -g status off || exit 1
+$TMUX2 set -g window-size manual || exit 1
+$TMUX2 setw fill-character '#{?is_inside,I,#{?is_outside,O,X}}' || exit 1
+$TMUX2 resizew -x28 -y8 || exit 1
+$TMUX2 new-pane -x12 -y4 -X8 -Y2 "sh -c 'printf FLOAT; exec sleep 100'" || exit 1
+tiled=$($TMUX2 list-panes -F '#{pane_floating_flag} #{pane_id}' | \
+	awk '$1==0{print $2; exit}') || exit 1
+$TMUX2 kill-pane -t "$tiled" || exit 1
+
+$TMUX new -d -x40 -y12 || exit 1
+$TMUX set -g status off || exit 1
+$TMUX set -g window-size manual || exit 1
+$TMUX set -g default-terminal "tmux-256color" || exit 1
+$TMUX send -l "$TMUX2 attach" || exit 1
+$TMUX send Enter || exit 1
+sleep 1
+
+$TMUX capturep -p >$TMP || exit 1
+
+must_equal "$(sed -n '1p' $TMP | cut -c1-28)" \
+    "IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII"
+must_equal "$(sed -n '1p' $TMP | cut -c29-40)" "OOOOOOOOOOOO"
+must_equal "$(sed -n '9p' $TMP)" "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"
+
+if grep -q X "$TMP"; then
+	fail "fill-character used neither inside nor outside"
+fi
+
+exit 0
diff --git a/regress/screen-redraw-floating.sh b/regress/screen-redraw-floating.sh
index d0b03fc7f..a7b389fef 100644
--- a/regress/screen-redraw-floating.sh
+++ b/regress/screen-redraw-floating.sh
@@ -215,9 +215,9 @@ $TMUX2 new-pane -x20 -y6 -X8 -Y7 "sh -c 'printf OVERST; exec sleep 100'" || exit
 compare floating-over-status
 
 # A window left with only a floating pane: killing the single tiled pane removes
-# it from the layout, so the area it occupied is no longer owned by any pane and
-# is drawn as EMPTY cells (middle dots) around the float. This is the only way to
-# produce a REDRAW_SPAN_EMPTY span.
+# it from the layout, so the area it occupied is no longer owned by any pane.
+# Use a visible fill character for the EMPTY cells around the float.
+$TMUX2 set -g fill-character '#[acs]~' || exit 1
 new_scene 40 12
 $TMUX2 new-pane -x20 -y6 -X8 -Y3 "sh -c 'printf FLOAT; exec sleep 100'" || exit 1
 tiled=$($TMUX2 list-panes -F '#{pane_floating_flag} #{pane_id}' | \
diff --git a/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-clip-window-edge.result b/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-clip-window-edge.result
index 751c4ef5d..97bc394d1 100644
--- a/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-clip-window-edge.result
+++ b/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-clip-window-edge.result
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-01:abcdefghijklmnopq        │···········
-02:abcdefghijklmnopq        │···········
-03:abcdefghijklmnop┌────────│···········
-04:abcdefghijklmnop│EDGE    │···········
-05:abcdefghijklmnop│        │···········
-06:abcdefghijklmnop│        │···········
-07:abcdefghijklmnop└────────│···········
-                            │···········
-────────────────────────────┘···········
+01:abcdefghijklmnopq        ············
+02:abcdefghijklmnopq        ············
+03:abcdefghijklmnop┌────────············
+04:abcdefghijklmnop│EDGE    ············
+05:abcdefghijklmnop│        ············
+06:abcdefghijklmnop│        ············
+07:abcdefghijklmnop└────────············
+                            ············
+········································
 ········································
 ········································
 ········································
diff --git a/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-outside.result b/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-outside.result
index e7de24533..e5ab711c4 100644
--- a/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-outside.result
+++ b/regress/screen-redraw-results/floating-outside.result
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-base                        │···········
-                            │···········
-                            │···········
-                            │···········
-                  ┌─────────│···········
-                  │OUT      │···········
-                  │         │···········
-                  │         │···········
-────────────────────────────┘···········
+base                        ············
+                            ············
+                            ············
+                            ············
+                  ┌─────────············
+                  │OUT      ············
+                  │         ············
+                  │         ············
+········································
 ········································
 ········································
 ········································