diff --git a/cmd-display-menu.c b/cmd-display-menu.c
index 6ecfad29..deff4907 100644
--- a/cmd-display-menu.c
+++ b/cmd-display-menu.c
@@ -39,9 +39,10 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_display_menu_entry = {
 	.name = "display-menu",
 	.alias = "menu",
 
-	.args = { "c:t:OT:x:y:", 1, -1, cmd_display_menu_args_parse },
-	.usage = "[-O] [-c target-client] " CMD_TARGET_PANE_USAGE " [-T title] "
-		 "[-x position] [-y position] name key command ...",
+	.args = { "c:t:S:OT:x:y:", 1, -1, cmd_display_menu_args_parse },
+	.usage = "[-O] [-c target-client] [-S starting-choice] "
+		 CMD_TARGET_PANE_USAGE " [-T title] [-x position] "
+		 "[-y position] name key command ...",
 
 	.target = { 't', CMD_FIND_PANE, 0 },
 
@@ -288,13 +289,27 @@ cmd_display_menu_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct menu		*menu = NULL;
 	struct menu_item	 menu_item;
 	const char		*key, *name;
-	char			*title;
-	int			 flags = 0;
+	char			*title, *cause;
+	int			 flags = 0, starting_choice = 0;
 	u_int			 px, py, i, count = args_count(args);
 
 	if (tc->overlay_draw != NULL)
 		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 
+	if (args_has(args, 'S')) {
+		if (strcmp(args_get(args, 'S'), "-") == 0)
+			starting_choice = -1;
+		else {
+			starting_choice = args_strtonum(args, 'S', 0, UINT_MAX,
+			    &cause);
+			if (cause != NULL) {
+				cmdq_error(item, "starting choice %s", cause);
+				free(cause);
+				return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (args_has(args, 'T'))
 		title = format_single_from_target(item, args_get(args, 'T'));
 	else
@@ -341,8 +356,8 @@ cmd_display_menu_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		flags |= MENU_STAYOPEN;
 	if (!event->m.valid)
 		flags |= MENU_NOMOUSE;
-	if (menu_display(menu, flags, item, px, py, tc, target, NULL,
-	    NULL) != 0)
+	if (menu_display(menu, flags, starting_choice, item, px, py, tc, target,
+	    NULL, NULL) != 0)
 		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_WAIT);
 }
diff --git a/menu.c b/menu.c
index 4aad1d8c..0ff180aa 100644
--- a/menu.c
+++ b/menu.c
@@ -427,12 +427,12 @@ chosen:
 }
 
 struct menu_data *
-menu_prepare(struct menu *menu, int flags, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px,
-    u_int py, struct client *c, struct cmd_find_state *fs, menu_choice_cb cb,
-    void *data)
+menu_prepare(struct menu *menu, int flags, int starting_choice,
+    struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px, u_int py, struct client *c,
+    struct cmd_find_state *fs, menu_choice_cb cb, void *data)
 {
 	struct menu_data	*md;
-	u_int			 i;
+	int			 choice;
 	const char		*name;
 
 	if (c->tty.sx < menu->width + 4 || c->tty.sy < menu->count + 2)
@@ -457,18 +457,38 @@ menu_prepare(struct menu *menu, int flags, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px,
 	md->py = py;
 
 	md->menu = menu;
+	md->choice = -1;
+
 	if (md->flags & MENU_NOMOUSE) {
-		for (i = 0; i < menu->count; i++) {
-			name = menu->items[i].name;
-			if (name != NULL && *name != '-')
-				break;
+		if (starting_choice >= (int)menu->count) {
+			starting_choice = menu->count - 1;
+			choice = starting_choice + 1;
+			for (;;) {
+				name = menu->items[choice - 1].name;
+				if (name != NULL && *name != '-') {
+					md->choice = choice - 1;
+					break;
+				}
+				if (--choice == 0)
+					choice = menu->count;
+				if (choice == starting_choice + 1)
+					break;
+			}
+		} else if (starting_choice >= 0) {
+			choice = starting_choice;
+			for (;;) {
+				name = menu->items[choice].name;
+				if (name != NULL && *name != '-') {
+					md->choice = choice;
+					break;
+				}
+				if (++choice == (int)menu->count)
+					choice = 0;
+				if (choice == starting_choice)
+					break;
+			}
 		}
-		if (i != menu->count)
-			md->choice = i;
-		else
-			md->choice = -1;
-	} else
-		md->choice = -1;
+	}
 
 	md->cb = cb;
 	md->data = data;
@@ -476,13 +496,14 @@ menu_prepare(struct menu *menu, int flags, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px,
 }
 
 int
-menu_display(struct menu *menu, int flags, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px,
-    u_int py, struct client *c, struct cmd_find_state *fs, menu_choice_cb cb,
-    void *data)
+menu_display(struct menu *menu, int flags, int starting_choice,
+    struct cmdq_item *item, u_int px, u_int py, struct client *c,
+    struct cmd_find_state *fs, menu_choice_cb cb, void *data)
 {
 	struct menu_data	*md;
 
-	md = menu_prepare(menu, flags, item, px, py, c, fs, cb, data);
+	md = menu_prepare(menu, flags, starting_choice, item, px, py, c, fs, cb,
+	    data);
 	if (md == NULL)
 		return (-1);
 	server_client_set_overlay(c, 0, NULL, menu_mode_cb, menu_draw_cb,
diff --git a/mode-tree.c b/mode-tree.c
index c007e27f..9d465e7b 100644
--- a/mode-tree.c
+++ b/mode-tree.c
@@ -962,8 +962,8 @@ mode_tree_display_menu(struct mode_tree_data *mtd, struct client *c, u_int x,
 		x -= (menu->width + 4) / 2;
 	else
 		x = 0;
-	if (menu_display(menu, 0, NULL, x, y, c, NULL, mode_tree_menu_callback,
-	    mtm) != 0)
+	if (menu_display(menu, 0, 0, NULL, x, y, c, NULL,
+	    mode_tree_menu_callback, mtm) != 0)
 		menu_free(menu);
 }
 
diff --git a/popup.c b/popup.c
index 12f31c40..250888a8 100644
--- a/popup.c
+++ b/popup.c
@@ -574,7 +574,7 @@ menu:
 		x = m->x - (pd->menu->width + 4) / 2;
 	else
 		x = 0;
-	pd->md = menu_prepare(pd->menu, 0, NULL, x, m->y, c, NULL,
+	pd->md = menu_prepare(pd->menu, 0, 0, NULL, x, m->y, c, NULL,
 	    popup_menu_done, pd);
 	c->flags |= CLIENT_REDRAWOVERLAY;
 
diff --git a/status.c b/status.c
index b504bbbe..08952f58 100644
--- a/status.c
+++ b/status.c
@@ -1766,7 +1766,7 @@ status_prompt_complete_list_menu(struct client *c, char **list, u_int size,
 	else
 		offset = 0;
 
-	if (menu_display(menu, MENU_NOMOUSE|MENU_TAB, NULL, offset,
+	if (menu_display(menu, MENU_NOMOUSE|MENU_TAB, 0, NULL, offset,
 	    py, c, NULL, status_prompt_menu_callback, spm) != 0) {
 		menu_free(menu);
 		free(spm);
@@ -1859,7 +1859,7 @@ status_prompt_complete_window_menu(struct client *c, struct session *s,
 	else
 		offset = 0;
 
-	if (menu_display(menu, MENU_NOMOUSE|MENU_TAB, NULL, offset,
+	if (menu_display(menu, MENU_NOMOUSE|MENU_TAB, 0, NULL, offset,
 	    py, c, NULL, status_prompt_menu_callback, spm) != 0) {
 		menu_free(menu);
 		free(spm);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 6a0bfe52..c75afd24 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -5815,6 +5815,7 @@ until it is dismissed.
 .Op Fl O
 .Op Fl c Ar target-client
 .Op Fl t Ar target-pane
+.Op Fl S Ar starting-choice
 .Op Fl T Ar title
 .Op Fl x Ar position
 .Op Fl y Ar position
@@ -5844,6 +5845,9 @@ command should be omitted.
 .Fl T
 is a format for the menu title (see
 .Sx FORMATS ) .
+.Fl S
+sets the menu item selected by default, if the menu is not bound to a mouse key
+binding.
 .Pp
 .Fl x
 and
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 718a067b..3b1a4fc9 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -3292,11 +3292,11 @@ void		 menu_add_item(struct menu *, const struct menu_item *,
 		    struct cmdq_item *, struct client *,
 		    struct cmd_find_state *);
 void		 menu_free(struct menu *);
-struct menu_data *menu_prepare(struct menu *, int, struct cmdq_item *, u_int,
-		    u_int, struct client *, struct cmd_find_state *,
+struct menu_data *menu_prepare(struct menu *, int, int, struct cmdq_item *,
+		    u_int, u_int, struct client *, struct cmd_find_state *,
 		    menu_choice_cb, void *);
-int		 menu_display(struct menu *, int, struct cmdq_item *, u_int,
-		    u_int, struct client *, struct cmd_find_state *,
+int		 menu_display(struct menu *, int, int, struct cmdq_item *,
+		    u_int, u_int, struct client *, struct cmd_find_state *,
 		    menu_choice_cb, void *);
 struct screen	*menu_mode_cb(struct client *, void *, u_int *, u_int *);
 void		 menu_check_cb(struct client *, void *, u_int, u_int, u_int,