diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index 68c8f533..18386b56 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ load_cfg(const char *path, struct client *c, struct cmdq_item *item, int flags,
 	memset(&pi, 0, sizeof pi);
 	pi.flags = flags;
 	pi.file = path;
+	pi.line = 1;
 
 	pr = cmd_parse_from_file(f, &pi);
 	fclose(f);
diff --git a/cmd-parse.y b/cmd-parse.y
index e576d776..e9ca376c 100644
--- a/cmd-parse.y
+++ b/cmd-parse.y
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ command		: assignment TOKEN
 
 			$$ = xcalloc(1, sizeof *$$);
 			$$->name = $2;
-			$$->line = ps->input->line;
+			$$->line = ps->input->line - 1;
 
 		}
 		| assignment TOKEN arguments
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ command		: assignment TOKEN
 
 			$$ = xcalloc(1, sizeof *$$);
 			$$->name = $2;
-			$$->line = ps->input->line;
+			$$->line = ps->input->line - 1;
 
 			$$->argc = $3.argc;
 			$$->argv = $3.argv;
diff --git a/cmd-show-options.c b/cmd-show-options.c
index 37a9ca7b..756f763c 100644
--- a/cmd-show-options.c
+++ b/cmd-show-options.c
@@ -208,8 +208,8 @@ cmd_show_options_print(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item,
 	if (args_has(self->args, 'v'))
 		cmdq_print(item, "%s", value);
 	else if (options_isstring(o)) {
-		utf8_stravis(&escaped, value, VIS_OCTAL|VIS_TAB|VIS_NL|VIS_DQ);
-		cmdq_print(item, "%s \"%s\"", name, escaped);
+		escaped = args_escape(value);
+		cmdq_print(item, "%s %s", name, escaped);
 		free(escaped);
 	} else
 		cmdq_print(item, "%s %s", name, value);
diff --git a/utf8.c b/utf8.c
index d342455a..d3220762 100644
--- a/utf8.c
+++ b/utf8.c
@@ -209,7 +209,9 @@ utf8_strvis(char *dst, const char *src, size_t len, int flag)
 			src -= ud.have;
 		}
 		if (src[0] == '$' && src < end - 1) {
-			if (isalpha((u_char)src[1]) || src[1] == '_')
+			if (isalpha((u_char)src[1]) ||
+			    src[1] == '_' ||
+			    src[1] == '{')
 				*dst++ = '\\';
 			*dst++ = '$';
 		} else if (src < end - 1)