diff --git a/alerts.c b/alerts.c
index cca0d815..36678351 100644
--- a/alerts.c
+++ b/alerts.c
@@ -163,15 +163,15 @@ alerts_queue(struct window *w, int flags)
 	if (!event_initialized(&w->alerts_timer))
 		evtimer_set(&w->alerts_timer, alerts_timer, w);
 
-	if (!alerts_fired) {
+	if ((w->flags & flags) != flags) {
 		w->flags |= flags;
 		log_debug("@%u alerts flags added %#x", w->id, flags);
+	}
 
-		if (alerts_enabled(w, flags)) {
-			log_debug("alerts check queued (by @%u)", w->id);
-			event_once(-1, EV_TIMEOUT, alerts_callback, NULL, NULL);
-			alerts_fired = 1;
-		}
+	if (!alerts_fired && alerts_enabled(w, flags)) {
+		log_debug("alerts check queued (by @%u)", w->id);
+		event_once(-1, EV_TIMEOUT, alerts_callback, NULL, NULL);
+		alerts_fired = 1;
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index 50882738..32a92e1b 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ set_cfg_file(const char *path)
 void
 start_cfg(void)
 {
-	char		*cause = NULL;
 	const char	*home;
+	int		 quiet = 0;
 
 	cfg_cmd_q = cmdq_new(NULL);
 	cfg_cmd_q->emptyfn = cfg_default_done;
@@ -60,28 +60,20 @@ start_cfg(void)
 	if (cfg_client != NULL)
 		cfg_client->references++;
 
-	if (access(TMUX_CONF, R_OK) == 0) {
-		if (load_cfg(TMUX_CONF, cfg_cmd_q, &cause) == -1)
-			cfg_add_cause("%s: %s", TMUX_CONF, cause);
-	} else if (errno != ENOENT)
-		cfg_add_cause("%s: %s", TMUX_CONF, strerror(errno));
+	load_cfg(TMUX_CONF, cfg_cmd_q, 1);
 
 	if (cfg_file == NULL && (home = find_home()) != NULL) {
 		xasprintf(&cfg_file, "%s/.tmux.conf", home);
-		if (access(cfg_file, R_OK) != 0 && errno == ENOENT) {
-			free(cfg_file);
-			cfg_file = NULL;
-		}
+		quiet = 1;
 	}
-	if (cfg_file != NULL && load_cfg(cfg_file, cfg_cmd_q, &cause) == -1)
-		cfg_add_cause("%s: %s", cfg_file, cause);
-	free(cause);
+	if (cfg_file != NULL)
+		load_cfg(cfg_file, cfg_cmd_q, quiet);
 
 	cmdq_continue(cfg_cmd_q);
 }
 
 int
-load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_q *cmdq, char **cause)
+load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_q *cmdq, int quiet)
 {
 	FILE		*f;
 	char		 delim[3] = { '\\', '\\', '\0' };
@@ -92,7 +84,9 @@ load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_q *cmdq, char **cause)
 
 	log_debug("loading %s", path);
 	if ((f = fopen(path, "rb")) == NULL) {
-		xasprintf(cause, "%s: %s", path, strerror(errno));
+		if (errno == ENOENT && quiet)
+			return (0);
+		cfg_add_cause("%s: %s", path, strerror(errno));
 		return (-1);
 	}
 
diff --git a/cmd-set-hook.c b/cmd-set-hook.c
index 8ef02f8c..4d7cf908 100644
--- a/cmd-set-hook.c
+++ b/cmd-set-hook.c
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_set_hook_entry = {
 	.args = { "gt:u", 1, 2 },
 	.usage = "[-gu] " CMD_TARGET_SESSION_USAGE " hook-name [command]",
 
-	.tflag = CMD_SESSION,
+	.tflag = CMD_SESSION_CANFAIL,
 
 	.flags = 0,
 	.exec = cmd_set_hook_exec
@@ -63,12 +63,21 @@ cmd_set_hook_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 	struct hooks	*hooks;
 	struct hook	*hook;
 	char		*cause, *tmp;
-	const char	*name, *cmd;
+	const char	*name, *cmd, *target;
 
 	if (args_has(args, 'g'))
 		hooks = global_hooks;
-	else
+	else {
+		if (cmdq->state.tflag.s == NULL) {
+			target = args_get(args, 't');
+			if (target != NULL)
+				cmdq_error(cmdq, "no such session: %s", target);
+			else
+				cmdq_error(cmdq, "no current session");
+			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+		}
 		hooks = cmdq->state.tflag.s->hooks;
+	}
 
 	if (self->entry == &cmd_show_hooks_entry) {
 		hook = hooks_first(hooks);
diff --git a/cmd-source-file.c b/cmd-source-file.c
index d5f5209a..ecebbaca 100644
--- a/cmd-source-file.c
+++ b/cmd-source-file.c
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_source_file_entry = {
 	.name = "source-file",
 	.alias = "source",
 
-	.args = { "", 1, 1 },
-	.usage = "path",
+	.args = { "q", 1, 1 },
+	.usage = "[-q] path",
 
 	.flags = 0,
 	.exec = cmd_source_file_exec
@@ -46,28 +46,26 @@ cmd_source_file_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 {
 	struct args	*args = self->args;
 	struct cmd_q	*cmdq1;
-	char		*cause;
+	int		 quiet;
 
 	cmdq1 = cmdq_new(cmdq->client);
 	cmdq1->flags |= cmdq->flags & CMD_Q_NOHOOKS;
 	cmdq1->emptyfn = cmd_source_file_done;
 	cmdq1->data = cmdq;
 
-	switch (load_cfg(args->argv[0], cmdq1, &cause)) {
+	quiet = args_has(args, 'q');
+	switch (load_cfg(args->argv[0], cmdq1, quiet)) {
 	case -1:
+		cmdq_free(cmdq1);
 		if (cfg_references == 0) {
-			cmdq_free(cmdq1);
-			cmdq_error(cmdq, "%s", cause);
-			free(cause);
+			cfg_print_causes(cmdq);
 			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 		}
-		cfg_add_cause("%s", cause);
-		free(cause);
-		/* FALLTHROUGH */
+		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 	case 0:
+		cmdq_free(cmdq1);
 		if (cfg_references == 0)
 			cfg_print_causes(cmdq);
-		cmdq_free(cmdq1);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 	}
 
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 55482625..23a82caf 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -917,10 +917,18 @@ display the log for
 and
 .Fl T
 show debugging information about jobs and terminals.
-.It Ic source-file Ar path
+.It Xo Ic source-file
+.Op Fl q
+.Ar path
+.Xc
 .D1 (alias: Ic source )
 Execute commands from
 .Ar path .
+If
+.Fl q
+is given, no error will be returned if
+.Ar path
+does not exist.
 .It Ic start-server
 .D1 (alias: Ic start )
 Start the
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index b19f6819..1f0301dd 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1557,7 +1557,7 @@ extern int cfg_finished;
 extern int cfg_references;
 extern struct client *cfg_client;
 void		 start_cfg(void);
-int		 load_cfg(const char *, struct cmd_q *, char **);
+int		 load_cfg(const char *, struct cmd_q *, int);
 void		 set_cfg_file(const char *);
 void printflike(1, 2) cfg_add_cause(const char *, ...);
 void		 cfg_print_causes(struct cmd_q *);