diff --git a/input.c b/input.c
index ba97baec..5ba2ec5f 100644
--- a/input.c
+++ b/input.c
@@ -2103,9 +2103,13 @@ input_osc_52(struct window_pane *wp, const char *p)
 	char			*end;
 	size_t			 len;
 	u_char			*out;
-	int			 outlen;
+	int			 outlen, state;
 	struct screen_write_ctx	 ctx;
 
+	state = options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard");
+	if (state != 2)
+		return;
+
 	if ((end = strchr(p, ';')) == NULL)
 		return;
 	end++;
@@ -2122,11 +2126,10 @@ input_osc_52(struct window_pane *wp, const char *p)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard")) {
-		screen_write_start(&ctx, wp, NULL);
-		screen_write_setselection(&ctx, out, outlen);
-		screen_write_stop(&ctx);
-	}
+	screen_write_start(&ctx, wp, NULL);
+	screen_write_setselection(&ctx, out, outlen);
+	screen_write_stop(&ctx);
+
 	paste_add(out, outlen);
 }
 
diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index a3767cc5..6c0abbb5 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -54,6 +54,9 @@ static const char *options_table_bell_action_list[] = {
 static const char *options_table_pane_status_list[] = {
 	"off", "top", "bottom", NULL
 };
+static const char *options_table_set_clipboard_list[] = {
+	"off", "external", "on", NULL
+};
 
 /* Top-level options. */
 const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
@@ -118,8 +121,9 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	},
 
 	{ .name = "set-clipboard",
-	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_FLAG,
+	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_CHOICE,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_SERVER,
+	  .choices = options_table_set_clipboard_list,
 	  .default_num = 1
 	},
 
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index a93dbc43..dfc25ee0 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -2398,17 +2398,34 @@ Set the number of error or information messages to save in the message log for
 each client.
 The default is 100.
 .It Xo Ic set-clipboard
-.Op Ic on | off
+.Op Ic on | external | off
 .Xc
 Attempt to set the terminal clipboard content using the
 \ee]52;...\e007
 .Xr xterm 1
-escape sequences.
-This option is on by default if there is an
+escape sequences, if there is an
 .Em \&Ms
 entry in the
 .Xr terminfo 5
-description for the client terminal.
+description.
+If set to
+.Ic on ,
+.Nm
+will both accept the escape sequence to create a buffer and attempt to set
+the terminal clipboard.
+If set to
+.Ic external ,
+.Nm
+will attempt to set the terminal clipboard but ignore attempts
+by applications to set
+.Nm
+buffers.
+If
+.Ic off ,
+.Nm
+will neither accept the clipboard escape sequence nor attempt to set the
+clipboard.
+.Pp
 Note that this feature needs to be enabled in
 .Xr xterm 1
 by setting the resource:
diff --git a/window-copy.c b/window-copy.c
index def4b923..31826861 100644
--- a/window-copy.c
+++ b/window-copy.c
@@ -1629,7 +1629,7 @@ window_copy_copy_buffer(struct window_pane *wp, const char *bufname, void *buf,
 {
 	struct screen_write_ctx	ctx;
 
-	if (options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard")) {
+	if (options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard") != 0) {
 		screen_write_start(&ctx, wp, NULL);
 		screen_write_setselection(&ctx, buf, len);
 		screen_write_stop(&ctx);
@@ -1686,7 +1686,7 @@ window_copy_append_selection(struct window_pane *wp, const char *bufname)
 	if (buf == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	if (options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard")) {
+	if (options_get_number(global_options, "set-clipboard") != 0) {
 		screen_write_start(&ctx, wp, NULL);
 		screen_write_setselection(&ctx, buf, len);
 		screen_write_stop(&ctx);