diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 8382d78e..de6827a7 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		cause = xstrdup("pane too small");
 		goto error;
 	}
-	new_wp = window_add_pane(w, hlimit);
+	new_wp = window_add_pane(w, wp, hlimit);
 	layout_assign_pane(lc, new_wp);
 
 	path = NULL;
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index fddddca3..5422c8eb 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2130,7 +2130,8 @@ int		 window_has_pane(struct window *, struct window_pane *);
 int		 window_set_active_pane(struct window *, struct window_pane *);
 void		 window_redraw_active_switch(struct window *,
 		     struct window_pane *);
-struct window_pane *window_add_pane(struct window *, u_int);
+struct window_pane *window_add_pane(struct window *, struct window_pane *,
+		     u_int);
 void		 window_resize(struct window *, u_int, u_int);
 int		 window_zoom(struct window_pane *);
 int		 window_unzoom(struct window *);
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 9870fbd5..a252629d 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -323,7 +323,7 @@ window_create(const char *name, int argc, char **argv, const char *path,
 	struct window_pane	*wp;
 
 	w = window_create1(sx, sy);
-	wp = window_add_pane(w, hlimit);
+	wp = window_add_pane(w, NULL, hlimit);
 	layout_init(w, wp);
 
 	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, argc, argv, path, shell, cwd, env, tio,
@@ -553,15 +553,19 @@ window_unzoom(struct window *w)
 }
 
 struct window_pane *
-window_add_pane(struct window *w, u_int hlimit)
+window_add_pane(struct window *w, struct window_pane *after, u_int hlimit)
 {
 	struct window_pane	*wp;
 
 	wp = window_pane_create(w, w->sx, w->sy, hlimit);
 	if (TAILQ_EMPTY(&w->panes))
 		TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&w->panes, wp, entry);
-	else
-		TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&w->panes, w->active, wp, entry);
+	else {
+		if (after == NULL)
+			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&w->panes, w->active, wp, entry);
+		else
+			TAILQ_INSERT_AFTER(&w->panes, after, wp, entry);
+	}
 	return (wp);
 }