diff --git a/arguments.c b/arguments.c
index 2f9c0c31..4fc83a0a 100644
--- a/arguments.c
+++ b/arguments.c
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+#include <ctype.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <unistd.h>
 #include <vis.h>
 
 #include "tmux.h"
@@ -66,6 +66,20 @@ args_find(struct args *args, u_char flag)
 	return (RB_FIND(args_tree, &args->tree, &entry));
 }
 
+/* Get value as string. */
+static char *
+args_value_as_string(struct args_value *value)
+{
+	switch (value->type) {
+	case ARGS_NONE:
+		return (xstrdup(""));
+	case ARGS_COMMANDS:
+		return (cmd_list_print(value->cmdlist, 0));
+	case ARGS_STRING:
+		return (xstrdup(value->string));
+	}
+}
+
 /* Create an empty arguments set. */
 struct args *
 args_create(void)
@@ -77,42 +91,109 @@ args_create(void)
 	return (args);
 }
 
-/* Parse an argv and argc into a new argument set. */
+/* Parse arguments into a new argument set. */
 struct args *
-args_parse(const struct args_parse *parse, int argc, char **argv)
+args_parse(const struct args_parse *parse, struct args_value *values,
+    u_int count)
 {
-	struct args	*args;
-	int		 opt;
+	struct args		*args;
+	u_int		 	 i;
+	struct args_value	*value;
+	u_char			 flag, argument;
+	const char		*found, *string;
+	char			*s;
 
-	optreset = 1;
-	optind = 1;
-	optarg = NULL;
+	if (count == 0)
+		return (args_create());
 
 	args = args_create();
-	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, parse->template)) != -1) {
-		if (opt < 0)
-			continue;
-		if (opt == '?' || strchr(parse->template, opt) == NULL) {
-			args_free(args);
-			return (NULL);
+	for (i = 1; i < count; /* nothing */) {
+		value = &values[i];
+
+		s = args_value_as_string(value);
+		log_debug("%s: %u = %s", __func__, i, s);
+		free(s);
+
+		if (value->type != ARGS_STRING)
+			break;
+
+		string = value->string;
+		if (*string++ != '-' || *string == '\0')
+			break;
+		i++;
+		if (string[0] == '-' && string[1] == '\0')
+			break;
+
+		for (;;) {
+			flag = *string++;
+			if (flag == '\0')
+				break;
+			if (!isalnum(flag)) {
+				args_free(args);
+				return (NULL);
+			}
+			found = strchr(parse->template, flag);
+			if (found == NULL) {
+				args_free(args);
+				return (NULL);
+			}
+			argument = *++found;
+			if (argument != ':') {
+				log_debug("%s: add -%c", __func__, flag);
+				args_set(args, flag, NULL);
+				continue;
+			}
+			if (*string != '\0')
+				s = xstrdup(string);
+			else {
+				if (i == count) {
+					args_free(args);
+					return (NULL);
+				}
+				s = args_value_as_string(&values[i++]);
+			}
+			log_debug("%s: add -%c = %s", __func__, flag, s);
+			args_set(args, flag, s);
+			free(s);
+			break;
 		}
-		args_set(args, opt, optarg);
-		optarg = NULL;
 	}
-	argc -= optind;
-	argv += optind;
+	log_debug("%s: flags end at %u of %u", __func__, i, count);
+	if (i != count) {
+		for (/* nothing */; i < count; i++) {
+			value = &values[i];
 
-	args->argc = argc;
-	args->argv = cmd_copy_argv(argc, argv);
+			s = args_value_as_string(value);
+			log_debug("%s: %u = %s", __func__, i, s);
+			cmd_append_argv(&args->argc, &args->argv, s);
+			free(s);
+		}
+	}
 
-	if ((parse->lower != -1 && argc < parse->lower) ||
-	    (parse->upper != -1 && argc > parse->upper)) {
+	if ((parse->lower != -1 && args->argc < parse->lower) ||
+	    (parse->upper != -1 && args->argc > parse->upper)) {
 		args_free(args);
 		return (NULL);
 	}
 	return (args);
 }
 
+/* Free a value. */
+void
+args_free_value(struct args_value *value)
+{
+	switch (value->type) {
+	case ARGS_NONE:
+		break;
+	case ARGS_STRING:
+		free(value->string);
+		break;
+	case ARGS_COMMANDS:
+		cmd_list_free(value->cmdlist);
+		break;
+	}
+}
+
 /* Free an arguments set. */
 void
 args_free(struct args *args)
diff --git a/cmd-parse.y b/cmd-parse.y
index 6be5d8a0..57d0e84e 100644
--- a/cmd-parse.y
+++ b/cmd-parse.y
@@ -794,39 +794,48 @@ cmd_parse_build_command(struct cmd_parse_command *cmd,
     struct cmd_parse_input *pi, struct cmd_parse_result *pr)
 {
 	struct cmd_parse_argument	*arg;
-	struct cmd_list			*cmdlist;
+	struct cmd_list			*cmdlist = NULL;
 	struct cmd			*add;
-	char				*s, **argv = NULL, *cause;
-	int				 argc = 0;
+	char				*cause;
+	struct args_value		*values = NULL;
+	u_int				 count = 0, idx;
 
 	if (cmd_parse_expand_alias(cmd, pi, pr, &cmdlist))
 		return (cmdlist);
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(arg, &cmd->arguments, entry) {
+		values = xreallocarray(values, count + 1, sizeof *values);
 		switch (arg->type) {
 		case CMD_PARSE_STRING:
-			cmd_append_argv(&argc, &argv, arg->string);
+			values[count].type = ARGS_STRING;
+			values[count].string = xstrdup(arg->string);
 			break;
 		case CMD_PARSE_COMMANDS:
 			cmd_parse_build_commands(arg->commands, pi, pr);
 			if (pr->status != CMD_PARSE_SUCCESS)
-				return (NULL);
-			s = cmd_list_print(pr->cmdlist, 0);
-			cmd_append_argv(&argc, &argv, s);
-			free(s);
+				goto out;
+			values[count].type = ARGS_COMMANDS;
+			values[count].cmdlist = pr->cmdlist;
+			values[count].cmdlist->references++;
 			break;
 		}
+		count++;
 	}
 
-	add = cmd_parse(argc, argv, pi->file, pi->line, &cause);
+	add = cmd_parse(values, count, pi->file, pi->line, &cause);
 	if (add == NULL) {
 		pr->status = CMD_PARSE_ERROR;
 		pr->error = cmd_parse_get_error(pi->file, pi->line, cause);
 		free(cause);
-		return (NULL);
+		goto out;
 	}
 	cmdlist = cmd_list_new();
 	cmd_list_append(cmdlist, add);
+
+out:
+	for (idx = 0; idx < count; idx++)
+		args_free_value(&values[idx]);
+	free(values);
 	return (cmdlist);
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index ce04ce2a..930ee56c 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -496,27 +496,26 @@ ambiguous:
 
 /* Parse a single command from an argument vector. */
 struct cmd *
-cmd_parse(int argc, char **argv, const char *file, u_int line, char **cause)
+cmd_parse(struct args_value *values, u_int count, const char *file, u_int line,
+    char **cause)
 {
 	const struct cmd_entry	*entry;
-	const char		*name;
 	struct cmd		*cmd;
 	struct args		*args;
 
-	if (argc == 0) {
+	if (count == 0 || values[0].type != ARGS_STRING) {
 		xasprintf(cause, "no command");
 		return (NULL);
 	}
-	name = argv[0];
-
-	entry = cmd_find(name, cause);
+	entry = cmd_find(values[0].string, cause);
 	if (entry == NULL)
 		return (NULL);
-	cmd_log_argv(argc, argv, "%s: %s", __func__, entry->name);
 
-	args = args_parse(&entry->args, argc, argv);
-	if (args == NULL)
-		goto usage;
+	args = args_parse(&entry->args, values, count);
+	if (args == NULL) {
+		xasprintf(cause, "usage: %s %s", entry->name, entry->usage);
+		return (NULL);
+	}
 
 	cmd = xcalloc(1, sizeof *cmd);
 	cmd->entry = entry;
@@ -527,12 +526,6 @@ cmd_parse(int argc, char **argv, const char *file, u_int line, char **cause)
 	cmd->line = line;
 
 	return (cmd);
-
-usage:
-	if (args != NULL)
-		args_free(args);
-	xasprintf(cause, "usage: %s %s", entry->name, entry->usage);
-	return (NULL);
 }
 
 /* Free a command. */
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index f8dcac49..34c66493 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1355,9 +1355,20 @@ struct message_entry {
 };
 TAILQ_HEAD(message_list, message_entry);
 
+/* Argument type. */
+enum args_type {
+	ARGS_NONE,
+	ARGS_STRING,
+	ARGS_COMMANDS
+};
+
 /* Argument value. */
 struct args_value {
-	char			*string;
+	enum args_type		 type;
+	union {
+		char		*string;
+		struct cmd_list	*cmdlist;
+	};
 	TAILQ_ENTRY(args_value)	 entry;
 };
 
@@ -2187,8 +2198,10 @@ int		tty_keys_next(struct tty *);
 /* arguments.c */
 void		 args_set(struct args *, u_char, const char *);
 struct args 	*args_create(void);
-struct args	*args_parse(const struct args_parse *, int, char **);
+struct args	*args_parse(const struct args_parse *, struct args_value *,
+    		     u_int);
 void		 args_vector(struct args *, int *, char ***);
+void		 args_free_value(struct args_value *);
 void		 args_free(struct args *);
 char		*args_print(struct args *);
 char		*args_escape(const char *);
@@ -2250,7 +2263,8 @@ const struct cmd_entry *cmd_get_entry(struct cmd *);
 struct args	*cmd_get_args(struct cmd *);
 u_int		 cmd_get_group(struct cmd *);
 void		 cmd_get_source(struct cmd *, const char **, u_int *);
-struct cmd	*cmd_parse(int, char **, const char *, u_int, char **);
+struct cmd	*cmd_parse(struct args_value *, u_int, const char *, u_int,
+		     char **);
 void		 cmd_free(struct cmd *);
 char		*cmd_print(struct cmd *);
 struct cmd_list	*cmd_list_new(void);