diff --git a/cmd-pipe-pane.c b/cmd-pipe-pane.c
index fde6baaa..df706432 100644
--- a/cmd-pipe-pane.c
+++ b/cmd-pipe-pane.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <paths.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <time.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -49,11 +50,14 @@ cmd_pipe_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 {
 	struct args		*args = self->args;
 	struct client		*c;
+	struct session		*s;
+	struct winlink		*wl;
 	struct window_pane	*wp;
-	char			*command;
+	char			*cmd;
 	int			 old_fd, pipe_fd[2], null_fd;
+	struct format_tree	*ft;
 
-	if (cmd_find_pane(cmdq, args_get(args, 't'), NULL, &wp) == NULL)
+	if ((wl = cmd_find_pane(cmdq, args_get(args, 't'), &s, &wp)) == NULL)
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	c = cmd_find_client(cmdq, NULL, 1);
 
@@ -84,10 +88,18 @@ cmd_pipe_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	}
 
+	/* Expand the command. */
+	ft = format_create();
+	format_defaults(ft, c, s, wl, wp);
+	cmd = format_expand_time(ft, args->argv[0], time(NULL));
+	format_free(ft);
+
 	/* Fork the child. */
 	switch (fork()) {
 	case -1:
 		cmdq_error(cmdq, "fork error: %s", strerror(errno));
+
+		free(cmd);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	case 0:
 		/* Child process. */
@@ -109,8 +121,7 @@ cmd_pipe_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 
 		closefrom(STDERR_FILENO + 1);
 
-		command = status_replace(c, NULL, args->argv[0], time(NULL), 0);
-		execl(_PATH_BSHELL, "sh", "-c", command, (char *) NULL);
+		execl(_PATH_BSHELL, "sh", "-c", cmd, (char *) NULL);
 		_exit(1);
 	default:
 		/* Parent process. */
@@ -124,6 +135,8 @@ cmd_pipe_pane_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		bufferevent_enable(wp->pipe_event, EV_WRITE);
 
 		setblocking(wp->pipe_fd, 0);
+
+		free(cmd);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index f7cd3596..01fa3ade 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -326,6 +326,33 @@ fail:
 	return (-1);
 }
 
+/* Expand keys in a template, passing through strftime first. */
+char *
+format_expand_time(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt, time_t t)
+{
+	char		*tmp, *expanded;
+	size_t		 tmplen;
+	struct tm	*tm;
+
+	if (fmt == NULL)
+		return (xstrdup(""));
+
+	tm = localtime(&t);
+
+	tmp = NULL;
+	tmplen = strlen(fmt);
+
+	do {
+		tmp = xreallocarray(tmp, 2, tmplen);
+		tmplen *= 2;
+	} while (strftime(tmp, tmplen, fmt, tm) == 0);
+
+	expanded = format_expand(ft, tmp);
+	free(tmp);
+
+	return (expanded);
+}
+
 /* Expand keys in a template. */
 char *
 format_expand(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt)
@@ -335,6 +362,9 @@ format_expand(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt)
 	size_t		 off, len, n;
 	int     	 ch, brackets;
 
+	if (fmt == NULL)
+		return (xstrdup(""));
+
 	len = 64;
 	buf = xmalloc(len);
 	off = 0;
diff --git a/status.c b/status.c
index 93dc0217..27556651 100644
--- a/status.c
+++ b/status.c
@@ -760,14 +760,20 @@ status_prompt_set(struct client *c, const char *msg, const char *input,
     int (*callbackfn)(void *, const char *), void (*freefn)(void *),
     void *data, int flags)
 {
-	int	keys;
+	struct format_tree	*ft;
+	int			 keys;
+	time_t			 t;
+
+	ft = format_create();
+	format_defaults(ft, c, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	t = time(NULL);
 
 	status_message_clear(c);
 	status_prompt_clear(c);
 
-	c->prompt_string = status_replace(c, NULL, msg, time(NULL), 0);
+	c->prompt_string = format_expand_time(ft, msg, time(NULL));
 
-	c->prompt_buffer = status_replace(c, NULL, input, time(NULL), 0);
+	c->prompt_buffer = format_expand_time(ft, input, time(NULL));
 	c->prompt_index = strlen(c->prompt_buffer);
 
 	c->prompt_callbackfn = callbackfn;
@@ -786,6 +792,8 @@ status_prompt_set(struct client *c, const char *msg, const char *input,
 
 	c->tty.flags |= (TTY_NOCURSOR|TTY_FREEZE);
 	c->flags |= CLIENT_STATUS;
+
+	format_free(ft);
 }
 
 /* Remove status line prompt. */
@@ -814,16 +822,25 @@ status_prompt_clear(struct client *c)
 void
 status_prompt_update(struct client *c, const char *msg, const char *input)
 {
+	struct format_tree	*ft;
+	time_t			 t;
+
+	ft = format_create();
+	format_defaults(ft, c, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	t = time(NULL);
+
 	free(c->prompt_string);
-	c->prompt_string = status_replace(c, NULL, msg, time(NULL), 0);
+	c->prompt_string = format_expand_time(ft, msg, time(NULL));
 
 	free(c->prompt_buffer);
-	c->prompt_buffer = status_replace(c, NULL, input, time(NULL), 0);
+	c->prompt_buffer = format_expand_time(ft, input, time(NULL));
 	c->prompt_index = strlen(c->prompt_buffer);
 
 	c->prompt_hindex = 0;
 
 	c->flags |= CLIENT_STATUS;
+
+	format_free(ft);
 }
 
 /* Draw client prompt on status line of present else on last line. */
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index c9be497a..72e417f9 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1512,6 +1512,7 @@ void		 format_free(struct format_tree *);
 void printflike(3, 4) format_add(struct format_tree *, const char *,
 		     const char *, ...);
 const char	*format_find(struct format_tree *, const char *);
+char		*format_expand_time(struct format_tree *, const char *, time_t);
 char		*format_expand(struct format_tree *, const char *);
 void		 format_defaults(struct format_tree *, struct client *,
 		     struct session *, struct winlink *, struct window_pane *);