diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index 23db4e84..9008a532 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -110,8 +110,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry *cmd_table[] = {
 	NULL
 };
 
-struct session	*cmd_newest_session(struct sessions *);
-struct client	*cmd_newest_client(struct clients *);
+struct session	*cmd_choose_session(struct sessions *);
+struct client	*cmd_choose_client(struct clients *);
 struct client	*cmd_lookup_client(const char *);
 struct session	*cmd_lookup_session(const char *, int *);
 struct winlink	*cmd_lookup_window(struct session *, const char *, int *);
@@ -285,9 +285,10 @@ cmd_print(struct cmd *cmd, char *buf, size_t len)
 
 /*
  * Figure out the current session. Use: 1) the current session, if the command
- * context has one; 2) the session containing the pty of the calling client, if
- * any 3) the session specified in the TMUX variable from the environment (as
- * passed from the client); 3) the newest session.
+ * context has one; 2) the most recently used session containing the pty of the
+ * calling client, if any; 3) the session specified in the TMUX variable from
+ * the environment (as passed from the client); 4) the most recently used
+ * session from all sessions.
  */
 struct session *
 cmd_current_session(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
@@ -329,7 +330,7 @@ cmd_current_session(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 				ARRAY_ADD(&ss, s);
 		}
 
-		s = cmd_newest_session(&ss);
+		s = cmd_choose_session(&ss);
 		ARRAY_FREE(&ss);
 		if (s != NULL)
 			return (s);
@@ -346,35 +347,35 @@ cmd_current_session(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 		return (s);
 	}
 
-	return (cmd_newest_session(&sessions));
+	return (cmd_choose_session(&sessions));
 }
 
-/* Find the newest session. */
+/* Find the most recently used session from a list. */
 struct session *
-cmd_newest_session(struct sessions *ss)
+cmd_choose_session(struct sessions *ss)
 {
-	struct session	*s, *snewest;
+	struct session	*s, *sbest;
 	struct timeval	*tv = NULL;
 	u_int		 i;
 
-	snewest = NULL;
+	sbest = NULL;
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(ss); i++) {
 		if ((s = ARRAY_ITEM(ss, i)) == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		if (tv == NULL || timercmp(&s->creation_time, tv, >)) {
-			snewest = s;
-			tv = &s->creation_time;
+		if (tv == NULL || timercmp(&s->activity_time, tv, >)) {
+			sbest = s;
+			tv = &s->activity_time;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return (snewest);
+	return (sbest);
 }
 
 /*
  * Find the current client. First try the current client if set, then pick the
- * newest of the clients attached to the current session if any, then the
- * newest client.
+ * most recently used of the clients attached to the current session if any,
+ * then of all clients.
  */
 struct client *
 cmd_current_client(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
@@ -401,37 +402,37 @@ cmd_current_client(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 				ARRAY_ADD(&cc, c);
 		}
 
-		c = cmd_newest_client(&cc);
+		c = cmd_choose_client(&cc);
 		ARRAY_FREE(&cc);
 		if (c != NULL)
 			return (c);
 	}
 
-	return (cmd_newest_client(&clients));
+	return (cmd_choose_client(&clients));
 }
 
-/* Find the newest client. */
+/* Choose the most recently used client from a list. */
 struct client *
-cmd_newest_client(struct clients *cc)
+cmd_choose_client(struct clients *cc)
 {
-	struct client	*c, *cnewest;
+	struct client	*c, *cbest;
 	struct timeval	*tv = NULL;
 	u_int		 i;
 
-	cnewest = NULL;
+	cbest = NULL;
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(cc); i++) {
 		if ((c = ARRAY_ITEM(cc, i)) == NULL)
 			continue;
 		if (c->session == NULL)
 			continue;
 
-		if (tv == NULL || timercmp(&c->creation_time, tv, >)) {
-			cnewest = c;
-			tv = &c->creation_time;
+		if (tv == NULL || timercmp(&c->activity_time, tv, >)) {
+			cbest = c;
+			tv = &c->activity_time;
 		}
 	}
 
-	return (cnewest);
+	return (cbest);
 }
 
 /* Find the target client or report an error and return NULL. */
diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index a337c6b2..3ff16e25 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ server_client_create(int fd)
 	
 	if (gettimeofday(&c->creation_time, NULL) != 0)
 		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
+	memcpy(&c->activity_time, &c->creation_time, sizeof c->activity_time);
 
 	ARRAY_INIT(&c->prompt_hdata);
 
@@ -287,6 +288,7 @@ server_client_handle_data(struct client *c)
 		oo = &c->session->options;
 
 		/* Update activity timer. */
+		memcpy(&c->activity_time, &tv_now, sizeof c->activity_time);
 		memcpy(&c->session->activity_time,
 		    &tv_now, sizeof c->session->activity_time);
 
@@ -583,9 +585,13 @@ server_client_msg_dispatch(struct client *c)
 				break;
 			c->flags &= ~CLIENT_SUSPENDED;
 
-			if (c->session != NULL &&
-			    gettimeofday(&c->session->activity_time, NULL) != 0)
-				fatal("gettimeofday failed");
+			if (gettimeofday(&c->activity_time, NULL) != 0)
+				fatal("gettimeofday");
+			if (c->session != NULL) {
+				memcpy(&c->session->activity_time,
+				    &c->activity_time,
+				    sizeof c->session->activity_time);
+			}
 
 			tty_start_tty(&c->tty);
 			server_redraw_client(c);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 0014e6a0..bd346529 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ pattern.
 If a single match is found, it is used as the target session; multiple matches
 produce an error.
 If a session is omitted, the current session is used if available; if no
-current session is available, the most recently created is chosen.
+current session is available, the most recently used is chosen.
 .Pp
 .Ar target-window
 specifies a window in the form
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index bdbdf405..15bc04dc 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1064,6 +1064,7 @@ struct client {
 	struct imsgbuf	 ibuf;
 
 	struct timeval	 creation_time;
+	struct timeval	 activity_time;
 
 	struct environ	 environ;