diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 98fc55d2..da939f04 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@
  * string.
  */
 
-int	format_replace(struct format_tree *, const char *, size_t, char **,
-	    size_t *, size_t *);
-void	format_window_pane_tabs(struct format_tree *, struct window_pane *);
+int	 format_replace(struct format_tree *, const char *, size_t, char **,
+	     size_t *, size_t *);
+char	*format_get_command(struct window_pane *);
+void	 format_window_pane_tabs(struct format_tree *, struct window_pane *);
 
 /* Format key-value replacement entry. */
 RB_GENERATE(format_tree, format_entry, entry, format_cmp);
@@ -348,6 +349,21 @@ format_expand(struct format_tree *ft, const char *fmt)
 	return (buf);
 }
 
+/* Get command name for format. */
+char *
+format_get_command(struct window_pane *wp)
+{
+	char	*cmd;
+
+	cmd = osdep_get_name(wp->fd, wp->tty);
+	if (cmd == NULL || *cmd == '\0') {
+		cmd = wp->cmd;
+		if (cmd == NULL || *cmd == '\0')
+			cmd = wp->shell;
+	}
+	return (parse_window_name(cmd));
+}
+
 /* Set default format keys for a session. */
 void
 format_session(struct format_tree *ft, struct session *s)
@@ -427,25 +443,38 @@ format_client(struct format_tree *ft, struct client *c)
 		format_add(ft, "client_last_session", "%s", s->name);
 }
 
+/* Set default format keys for a window. */
+void
+format_window(struct format_tree *ft, struct window *w)
+{
+	char	*layout;
+
+	layout = layout_dump(w);
+
+	format_add(ft, "window_id", "@%u", w->id);
+	format_add(ft, "window_name", "%s", w->name);
+	format_add(ft, "window_width", "%u", w->sx);
+	format_add(ft, "window_height", "%u", w->sy);
+	format_add(ft, "window_layout", "%s", layout);
+	format_add(ft, "window_panes", "%u", window_count_panes(w));
+
+	free(layout);
+}
+
 /* Set default format keys for a winlink. */
 void
 format_winlink(struct format_tree *ft, struct session *s, struct winlink *wl)
 {
 	struct window	*w = wl->window;
-	char		*layout, *flags;
+	char		*flags;
 
-	layout = layout_dump(w);
 	flags = window_printable_flags(s, wl);
 
-	format_add(ft, "window_id", "@%u", w->id);
+	format_window(ft, w);
+
 	format_add(ft, "window_index", "%d", wl->idx);
-	format_add(ft, "window_name", "%s", w->name);
-	format_add(ft, "window_width", "%u", w->sx);
-	format_add(ft, "window_height", "%u", w->sy);
 	format_add(ft, "window_flags", "%s", flags);
-	format_add(ft, "window_layout", "%s", layout);
 	format_add(ft, "window_active", "%d", wl == s->curw);
-	format_add(ft, "window_panes", "%u", window_count_panes(w));
 
 	format_add(ft, "window_bell_flag", "%u",
 	    !!(wl->flags & WINLINK_BELL));
@@ -456,8 +485,8 @@ format_winlink(struct format_tree *ft, struct session *s, struct winlink *wl)
 	format_add(ft, "window_silence_flag", "%u",
 	    !!(wl->flags & WINLINK_SILENCE));
 
+
 	free(flags);
-	free(layout);
 }
 
 /* Add window pane tabs. */
@@ -527,7 +556,7 @@ format_window_pane(struct format_tree *ft, struct window_pane *wp)
 		format_add(ft, "pane_start_path", "%s", wp->cwd);
 	if ((cwd = osdep_get_cwd(wp->fd)) != NULL)
 		format_add(ft, "pane_current_path", "%s", cwd);
-	if ((cmd = osdep_get_name(wp->fd, wp->tty)) != NULL) {
+	if ((cmd = format_get_command(wp)) != NULL) {
 		format_add(ft, "pane_current_command", "%s", cmd);
 		free(cmd);
 	}
diff --git a/names.c b/names.c
index f536d2fc..7c02961c 100644
--- a/names.c
+++ b/names.c
@@ -22,12 +22,10 @@
 #include <libgen.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
 void	 window_name_callback(unused int, unused short, void *);
-char	*parse_window_name(const char *);
 
 void
 queue_window_name(struct window *w)
@@ -47,7 +45,7 @@ void
 window_name_callback(unused int fd, unused short events, void *data)
 {
 	struct window	*w = data;
-	char		*name, *wname;
+	char		*name;
 
 	if (w->active == NULL)
 		return;
@@ -59,49 +57,39 @@ window_name_callback(unused int fd, unused short events, void *data)
 	}
 	queue_window_name(w);
 
-	if (w->active->screen != &w->active->base)
-		name = NULL;
-	else
-		name = osdep_get_name(w->active->fd, w->active->tty);
-	if (name == NULL)
-		wname = default_window_name(w);
-	else {
-		/*
-		 * If tmux is using the default command, it will be a login
-		 * shell and argv[0] may have a - prefix. Remove this if it is
-		 * present. Ick.
-		 */
-		if (w->active->cmd != NULL && *w->active->cmd == '\0' &&
-		    name != NULL && name[0] == '-' && name[1] != '\0')
-			wname = parse_window_name(name + 1);
-		else
-			wname = parse_window_name(name);
-		free(name);
-	}
-
-	if (w->active->fd == -1) {
-		xasprintf(&name, "%s[dead]", wname);
-		free(wname);
-		wname = name;
-	}
-
-	if (strcmp(wname, w->name)) {
-		window_set_name(w, wname);
+	name = format_window_name(w);
+	if (strcmp(name, w->name) != 0) {
+		window_set_name(w, name);
 		server_status_window(w);
 	}
-	free(wname);
+	free(name);
 }
 
 char *
 default_window_name(struct window *w)
 {
-	if (w->active->screen != &w->active->base)
-		return (xstrdup("[tmux]"));
 	if (w->active->cmd != NULL && *w->active->cmd != '\0')
 		return (parse_window_name(w->active->cmd));
 	return (parse_window_name(w->active->shell));
 }
 
+char *
+format_window_name(struct window *w)
+{
+	struct format_tree	*ft;
+	char			*fmt, *name;
+
+	ft = format_create();
+	format_window(ft, w);
+	format_window_pane(ft, w->active);
+
+	fmt = options_get_string(&w->options, "automatic-rename-format");
+	name = format_expand(ft, fmt);
+
+	format_free(ft);
+	return (name);
+}
+
 char *
 parse_window_name(const char *in)
 {
@@ -111,7 +99,7 @@ parse_window_name(const char *in)
 	if (strncmp(name, "exec ", (sizeof "exec ") - 1) == 0)
 		name = name + (sizeof "exec ") - 1;
 
-	while (*name == ' ')
+	while (*name == ' ' || *name == '-')
 		name++;
 	if ((ptr = strchr(name, ' ')) != NULL)
 		*ptr = '\0';
diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index 0b86ef7c..f6a15472 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -481,6 +481,11 @@ const struct options_table_entry window_options_table[] = {
 	  .default_num = 1
 	},
 
+	{ .name = "automatic-rename-format",
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
+	  .default_str = "#{?pane_in_mode,[tmux],#{pane_current_command}}#{?pane_dead,[dead],}"
+	},
+
 	{ .name = "c0-change-trigger",
 	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_NUMBER,
 	  .default_num = 250,
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 19ae4a9b..c93f4d97 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -2710,8 +2710,8 @@ The default is on.
 Control automatic window renaming.
 When this setting is enabled,
 .Nm
-will attempt - on supported platforms - to rename the window to reflect the
-command currently running in it.
+will rename the window automatically using the format specified by
+.Ic automatic-rename-format .
 This flag is automatically disabled for an individual window when a name
 is specified at creation with
 .Ic new-window
@@ -2725,6 +2725,13 @@ It may be switched off globally with:
 set-window-option -g automatic-rename off
 .Ed
 .Pp
+.It Ic automatic-rename-format Ar format
+The format (see
+.Sx FORMATS )
+used when the
+.Ic automatic-rename
+option is enabled.
+.Pp
 .It Ic c0-change-interval Ar interval
 .It Ic c0-change-trigger Ar trigger
 These two options configure a simple form of rate limiting for a pane.
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 1cb5cd8e..6ab9861b 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1549,16 +1549,19 @@ int		 format_cmp(struct format_entry *, struct format_entry *);
 RB_PROTOTYPE(format_tree, format_entry, entry, format_cmp);
 struct format_tree *format_create(void);
 void		 format_free(struct format_tree *);
-void printflike3 format_add(
-		     struct format_tree *, const char *, const char *, ...);
+void printflike3 format_add(struct format_tree *, const char *, const char *,
+		     ...);
 const char	*format_find(struct format_tree *, const char *);
 char		*format_expand(struct format_tree *, const char *);
 void		 format_session(struct format_tree *, struct session *);
 void		 format_client(struct format_tree *, struct client *);
-void		 format_winlink(
-		     struct format_tree *, struct session *, struct winlink *);
-void		 format_window_pane(struct format_tree *, struct window_pane *);
-void		 format_paste_buffer(struct format_tree *, struct paste_buffer *);
+void		 format_window(struct format_tree *, struct window *);
+void		 format_winlink(struct format_tree *, struct session *,
+		     struct winlink *);
+void		 format_window_pane(struct format_tree *,
+		     struct window_pane *);
+void		 format_paste_buffer(struct format_tree *,
+		     struct paste_buffer *);
 
 /* mode-key.c */
 extern const struct mode_key_table mode_key_tables[];
@@ -2272,8 +2275,10 @@ void	window_choose_collapse_all(struct window_pane *);
 void	window_choose_set_current(struct window_pane *, u_int);
 
 /* names.c */
-void		 queue_window_name(struct window *);
-char		*default_window_name(struct window *);
+void	 queue_window_name(struct window *);
+char	*default_window_name(struct window *);
+char	*format_window_name(struct window *);
+char	*parse_window_name(const char *);
 
 /* signal.c */
 void	set_signals(void(*)(int, short, void *));