diff --git a/cmd-new-session.c b/cmd-new-session.c
index 2d671275..26cb08ba 100644
--- a/cmd-new-session.c
+++ b/cmd-new-session.c
@@ -73,14 +73,15 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct environ		*env;
 	struct termios		 tio, *tiop;
 	struct session_group	*sg;
-	const char		*newname, *errstr, *template, *group, *prefix;
-	const char		*path, *cmd, *cwd;
-	char		       **argv, *cause, *cp, *to_free = NULL;
+	const char		*errstr, *template, *group, *prefix;
+	const char		*path, *cmd, *tmp;
+	char		       **argv, *cause, *cp, *newname, *cwd = NULL;
 	int			 detached, already_attached, idx, argc;
 	int			 is_control = 0;
 	u_int			 sx, sy;
 	struct environ_entry	*envent;
 	struct cmd_find_state	 fs;
+	enum cmd_retval		 retval;
 
 	if (self->entry == &cmd_has_session_entry) {
 		/*
@@ -95,20 +96,24 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	}
 
-	newname = args_get(args, 's');
-	if (newname != NULL) {
+	newname = NULL;
+	if (args_has(args, 's')) {
+		newname = format_single(item, args_get(args, 's'), c, NULL,
+		    NULL, NULL);
 		if (!session_check_name(newname)) {
 			cmdq_error(item, "bad session name: %s", newname);
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+			goto error;
 		}
 		if ((as = session_find(newname)) != NULL) {
 			if (args_has(args, 'A')) {
-				return (cmd_attach_session(item,
+				retval = cmd_attach_session(item,
 				    newname, args_has(args, 'D'),
-				    0, NULL, args_has(args, 'E')));
+				    0, NULL, args_has(args, 'E'));
+				free(newname);
+				return (retval);
 			}
 			cmdq_error(item, "duplicate session: %s", newname);
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+			goto error;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -149,14 +154,12 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		already_attached = 1;
 
 	/* Get the new session working directory. */
-	if (args_has(args, 'c')) {
-		cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
-		to_free = format_single(item, cwd, c, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-		cwd = to_free;
-	} else if (c != NULL && c->session == NULL && c->cwd != NULL)
-		cwd = c->cwd;
+	if ((tmp = args_get(args, 'c')) != NULL)
+		cwd = format_single(item, tmp, c, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+	else if (c != NULL && c->session == NULL && c->cwd != NULL)
+		cwd = xstrdup(c->cwd);
 	else
-		cwd = ".";
+		cwd = xstrdup(".");
 
 	/*
 	 * If this is a new client, check for nesting and save the termios
@@ -261,10 +264,12 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	}
 
 	/* Set the initial window name if one given. */
-	if (argc >= 0 && args_has(args, 'n')) {
+	if (argc >= 0 && (tmp = args_get(args, 'n')) != NULL) {
+		cp = format_single(item, tmp, c, s, NULL, NULL);
 		w = s->curw->window;
-		window_set_name(w, args_get(args, 'n'));
+		window_set_name(w, cp);
 		options_set_number(w->options, "automatic-rename", 0);
+		free(cp);
 	}
 
 	/*
@@ -331,10 +336,12 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	cmd_find_from_session(&fs, s, 0);
 	hooks_insert(s->hooks, item, &fs, "after-new-session");
 
-	free(to_free);
+	free(cwd);
+	free(newname);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 
 error:
-	free(to_free);
+	free(cwd);
+	free(newname);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-new-window.c b/cmd-new-window.c
index 4baf8f0c..4c9878ed 100644
--- a/cmd-new-window.c
+++ b/cmd-new-window.c
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct winlink		*wl = item->target.wl;
 	struct client		*c = cmd_find_client(item, NULL, 1);
 	int			 idx = item->target.idx;
-	const char		*cmd, *path, *template, *cwd;
-	char		       **argv, *cause, *cp, *to_free = NULL;
+	const char		*cmd, *path, *template, *tmp;
+	char		       **argv, *cause, *cp, *cwd, *name;
 	int			 argc, detached;
 	struct environ_entry	*envent;
 	struct cmd_find_state	 fs;
@@ -93,14 +93,17 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	if (envent != NULL)
 		path = envent->value;
 
-	if (args_has(args, 'c')) {
-		cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
-		to_free = format_single(item, cwd, c, s, NULL, NULL);
-		cwd = to_free;
-	} else if (item->client != NULL && item->client->session == NULL)
-		cwd = item->client->cwd;
+	if ((tmp = args_get(args, 'c')) != NULL)
+		cwd = format_single(item, tmp, c, s, NULL, NULL);
+	else if (item->client != NULL && item->client->session == NULL)
+		cwd = xstrdup(item->client->cwd);
 	else
-		cwd = s->cwd;
+		cwd = xstrdup(s->cwd);
+
+	if ((tmp = args_get(args, 'n')) != NULL)
+		name = format_single(item, tmp, c, s, NULL, NULL);
+	else
+		name = NULL;
 
 	wl = NULL;
 	if (idx != -1)
@@ -124,7 +127,7 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 
 	if (idx == -1)
 		idx = -1 - options_get_number(s->options, "base-index");
-	wl = session_new(s, args_get(args, 'n'), argc, argv, path, cwd, idx,
+	wl = session_new(s, name, argc, argv, path, cwd, idx,
 		&cause);
 	if (wl == NULL) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "create window failed: %s", cause);
@@ -149,10 +152,12 @@ cmd_new_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	cmd_find_from_winlink(&fs, wl, 0);
 	hooks_insert(s->hooks, item, &fs, "after-new-window");
 
-	free(to_free);
+	free(name);
+	free(cwd);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 
 error:
-	free(to_free);
+	free(name);
+	free(cwd);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-rename-session.c b/cmd-rename-session.c
index e7586e0b..5dbc38d9 100644
--- a/cmd-rename-session.c
+++ b/cmd-rename-session.c
@@ -46,26 +46,31 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_rename_session_entry = {
 static enum cmd_retval
 cmd_rename_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 {
-	struct args	*args = self->args;
-	struct session	*s = item->target.s;
-	const char	*newname;
+	struct args		*args = self->args;
+	struct client		*c = cmd_find_client(item, NULL, 0);
+	struct session		*s = item->target.s;
+	char			*newname;
 
-	newname = args->argv[0];
-	if (strcmp(newname, s->name) == 0)
+	newname = format_single(item, args->argv[0], c, s, NULL, NULL);
+	if (strcmp(newname, s->name) == 0) {
+		free(newname);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
+	}
 
 	if (!session_check_name(newname)) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "bad session name: %s", newname);
+		free(newname);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	}
 	if (session_find(newname) != NULL) {
 		cmdq_error(item, "duplicate session: %s", newname);
+		free(newname);
 		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 	}
 
 	RB_REMOVE(sessions, &sessions, s);
 	free(s->name);
-	s->name = xstrdup(newname);
+	s->name = newname;
 	RB_INSERT(sessions, &sessions, s);
 
 	server_status_session(s);
diff --git a/cmd-rename-window.c b/cmd-rename-window.c
index 802eab7d..3393fb86 100644
--- a/cmd-rename-window.c
+++ b/cmd-rename-window.c
@@ -46,12 +46,17 @@ static enum cmd_retval
 cmd_rename_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 {
 	struct args	*args = self->args;
+	struct client	*c = cmd_find_client(item, NULL, 0);
+	struct session	*s = item->target.s;
 	struct winlink	*wl = item->target.wl;
+	char		*newname;
 
-	window_set_name(wl->window, args->argv[0]);
+	newname = format_single(item, args->argv[0], c, s, wl, NULL);
+	window_set_name(wl->window, newname);
 	options_set_number(wl->window->options, "automatic-rename", 0);
 
 	server_status_window(wl->window);
+	free(newname);
 
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 7c166830..c7889a2c 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -60,8 +60,8 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct window		*w = wl->window;
 	struct window_pane	*wp = item->target.wp, *new_wp = NULL;
 	struct environ		*env;
-	const char		*cmd, *path, *shell, *template, *cwd;
-	char		       **argv, *cause, *new_cause, *cp, *to_free = NULL;
+	const char		*cmd, *path, *shell, *template, *tmp;
+	char		       **argv, *cause, *new_cause, *cp, *cwd;
 	u_int			 hlimit;
 	int			 argc, size, percentage;
 	enum layout_type	 type;
@@ -85,14 +85,12 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		argv = args->argv;
 	}
 
-	if (args_has(args, 'c')) {
-		cwd = args_get(args, 'c');
-		to_free = format_single(item, cwd, c, s, NULL, NULL);
-		cwd = to_free;
-	} else if (item->client != NULL && item->client->session == NULL)
-		cwd = item->client->cwd;
+	if ((tmp = args_get(args, 'c')) != NULL)
+		cwd = format_single(item, tmp, c, s, NULL, NULL);
+	else if (item->client != NULL && item->client->session == NULL)
+		cwd = xstrdup(item->client->cwd);
 	else
-		cwd = s->cwd;
+		cwd = xstrdup(s->cwd);
 
 	type = LAYOUT_TOPBOTTOM;
 	if (args_has(args, 'h'))
@@ -174,7 +172,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	cmd_find_from_winlink_pane(&fs, wl, new_wp, 0);
 	hooks_insert(s->hooks, item, &fs, "after-split-window");
 
-	free(to_free);
+	free(cwd);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 
 error:
@@ -185,6 +183,6 @@ error:
 	cmdq_error(item, "create pane failed: %s", cause);
 	free(cause);
 
-	free(to_free);
+	free(cwd);
 	return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 }