diff --git a/names.c b/names.c
index fe26938d..d9335ac5 100644
--- a/names.c
+++ b/names.c
@@ -25,67 +25,64 @@
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
+void	 window_name_callback(unused int, unused short, void *);
 char	*parse_window_name(const char *);
 
 void
-set_window_names(void)
+queue_window_name(struct window *w)
 {
-	struct window	*w;
-	u_int		 i;
+	struct timeval	tv;
+
+	tv.tv_sec = 0;
+	tv.tv_usec = NAME_INTERVAL * 1000L;
+
+	evtimer_del(&w->name_timer);
+	evtimer_set(&w->name_timer, window_name_callback, w);
+	evtimer_add(&w->name_timer, &tv);
+}
+
+void
+window_name_callback(unused int fd, unused short events, void *data)
+{
+	struct window	*w = data;
 	char		*name, *wname;
-	struct timeval	 tv, tv2;
 
-	if (gettimeofday(&tv, NULL) != 0)
-		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
+	queue_window_name(w);	/* XXX even if the option is off? */
+	if (!options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename"))
+		return;
 
-	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&windows); i++) {
-		w = ARRAY_ITEM(&windows, i);
-		if (w == NULL || w->active == NULL)
-			continue;
-
-		if (timercmp(&tv, &w->name_timer, <))
-			continue;
-		memcpy(&w->name_timer, &tv, sizeof w->name_timer);
-		tv2.tv_sec = 0;
-		tv2.tv_usec = NAME_INTERVAL * 1000L;
-		timeradd(&w->name_timer, &tv2, &w->name_timer);
-
-		if (!options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename"))
-			continue;
-
-		if (w->active->screen != &w->active->base)
-			name = NULL;
+	if (w->active->screen != &w->active->base)
+		name = NULL;
+	else
+		name = get_proc_name(w->active->fd, w->active->tty);
+	if (name == NULL)
+		wname = default_window_name(w);
+	else {
+		/* 
+		 * If tmux is using the default command, it will be a login
+		 * shell and argv[0] may have a - prefix. Remove this if it is
+		 * present. Ick.
+		 */
+		if (w->active->cmd != NULL && *w->active->cmd == '\0' &&
+		    name != NULL && name[0] == '-' && name[1] != '\0')
+			wname = parse_window_name(name + 1);
 		else
-			name = get_proc_name(w->active->fd, w->active->tty);
-		if (name == NULL)
-			wname = default_window_name(w);
-		else {
-			/* 
-			 * If tmux is using the default command, it will be a
-			 * login shell and argv[0] may have a - prefix. Remove
-			 * this if it is present. Ick.
-			 */
-			if (w->active->cmd != NULL && *w->active->cmd == '\0' &&
-			    name != NULL && name[0] == '-' && name[1] != '\0')
-				wname = parse_window_name(name + 1);
-			else
 				wname = parse_window_name(name);
-			xfree(name);
-		}
-
-		if (w->active->fd == -1) {
-			xasprintf(&name, "%s[dead]", wname);
-			xfree(wname);
-			wname = name;
-		}
-
-		if (strcmp(wname, w->name) == 0)
-			xfree(wname);
-		else {
-			xfree(w->name);
-			w->name = wname;
-			server_status_window(w);
-		}
+		xfree(name);
+	}
+	
+	if (w->active->fd == -1) {
+		xasprintf(&name, "%s[dead]", wname);
+		xfree(wname);
+		wname = name;
+	}
+	
+	if (strcmp(wname, w->name) == 0)
+		xfree(wname);
+	else {
+		xfree(w->name);
+		w->name = wname;
+		server_status_window(w);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/server-window.c b/server-window.c
index d0eb7960..020af041 100644
--- a/server-window.c
+++ b/server-window.c
@@ -91,8 +91,6 @@ server_window_loop(void)
 
 		server_window_check_alive(w);
 	}
-
-	set_window_names();
 }
 
 /* Check for bell in window. */
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 2839dd29..39072a65 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -810,7 +810,7 @@ TAILQ_HEAD(window_panes, window_pane);
 /* Window structure. */
 struct window {
 	char		*name;
-	struct timeval	 name_timer;
+	struct event	 name_timer;
 
 	struct window_pane *active;
 	struct window_panes panes;
@@ -1851,7 +1851,7 @@ void		 window_choose_ready(struct window_pane *,
 		     u_int, void (*)(void *, int), void (*)(void *), void *);
 
 /* names.c */
-void		 set_window_names(void);
+void		 queue_window_name(struct window *);
 char 		*default_window_name(struct window *);
 
 /* session.c */
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index fca94df8..b550fc65 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ window_create1(u_int sx, u_int sy)
 	struct window	*w;
 	u_int		 i;
 
-	w = xmalloc(sizeof *w);
+	w = xcalloc(1, sizeof *w);
 	w->name = NULL;
 	w->flags = 0;
 
@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ window_create1(u_int sx, u_int sy)
 	w->sx = sx;
 	w->sy = sy;
 
+	queue_window_name(w);
+
 	options_init(&w->options, &global_w_options);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&windows); i++) {
@@ -278,6 +280,8 @@ window_destroy(struct window *w)
 	if (w->layout_root != NULL)
 		layout_free(w);
 
+	evtimer_del(&w->name_timer);
+
 	options_free(&w->options);
 
 	window_destroy_panes(w);
@@ -480,7 +484,6 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, const char *cmd, const char *shell,
 	ARRAY_DECL(, char *)	 varlist;
 	struct environ_entry	*envent;
 	const char		*ptr;
-	struct timeval	 	 tv;
 	struct termios		 tio2;
 	u_int		 	 i;
 
@@ -508,12 +511,6 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, const char *cmd, const char *shell,
 	ws.ws_col = screen_size_x(&wp->base);
 	ws.ws_row = screen_size_y(&wp->base);
 
-	if (gettimeofday(&wp->window->name_timer, NULL) != 0)
-		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
-	tv.tv_sec = 0;
-	tv.tv_usec = NAME_INTERVAL * 1000L;
-	timeradd(&wp->window->name_timer, &tv, &wp->window->name_timer);
-
  	switch (wp->pid = forkpty(&wp->fd, wp->tty, NULL, &ws)) {
 	case -1:
 		wp->fd = -1;