diff --git a/cmd-queue.c b/cmd-queue.c
index 904b092c..f3506a34 100644
--- a/cmd-queue.c
+++ b/cmd-queue.c
@@ -154,18 +154,15 @@ cmdq_error(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 /* Print a guard line. */
 int
-cmdq_guard(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *guard)
+cmdq_guard(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *guard, int flags)
 {
 	struct client	*c = cmdq->client;
-	int		 flags;
 
 	if (c == NULL)
 		return 0;
 	if (!(c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROL))
 		return 0;
 
-	flags = !!(cmdq->cmd->flags & CMD_CONTROL);
-
 	evbuffer_add_printf(c->stdout_data, "%%%s %ld %u %d\n", guard,
 	    (long) cmdq->time, cmdq->number, flags);
 	server_push_stdout(c);
@@ -202,7 +199,7 @@ cmdq_continue(struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 {
 	struct cmd_q_item	*next;
 	enum cmd_retval		 retval;
-	int			 empty, guard;
+	int			 empty, guard, flags;
 	char			 s[1024];
 
 	notify_disable();
@@ -228,13 +225,16 @@ cmdq_continue(struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 			cmdq->time = time(NULL);
 			cmdq->number++;
 
-			guard = cmdq_guard(cmdq, "begin");
+			flags = !!(cmdq->cmd->flags & CMD_CONTROL);
+			guard = cmdq_guard(cmdq, "begin", flags);
+
 			retval = cmdq->cmd->entry->exec(cmdq->cmd, cmdq);
+
 			if (guard) {
 				if (retval == CMD_RETURN_ERROR)
-				    cmdq_guard(cmdq, "error");
+					cmdq_guard(cmdq, "error", flags);
 				else
-				    cmdq_guard(cmdq, "end");
+					cmdq_guard(cmdq, "end", flags);
 			}
 
 			if (retval == CMD_RETURN_ERROR)
diff --git a/control.c b/control.c
index 1f3739fc..8e24fd0e 100644
--- a/control.c
+++ b/control.c
@@ -73,9 +73,9 @@ control_callback(struct client *c, int closed, unused void *data)
 			c->cmdq->time = time(NULL);
 			c->cmdq->number++;
 
-			cmdq_guard(c->cmdq, "begin");
+			cmdq_guard(c->cmdq, "begin", 1);
 			control_write(c, "parse error: %s", cause);
-			cmdq_guard(c->cmdq, "error");
+			cmdq_guard(c->cmdq, "error", 1);
 
 			free(cause);
 		} else {
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index b5608da3..21be2bd6 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1871,7 +1871,7 @@ int		 cmdq_free(struct cmd_q *);
 void printflike2 cmdq_print(struct cmd_q *, const char *, ...);
 void printflike2 cmdq_info(struct cmd_q *, const char *, ...);
 void printflike2 cmdq_error(struct cmd_q *, const char *, ...);
-int		 cmdq_guard(struct cmd_q *, const char *);
+int		 cmdq_guard(struct cmd_q *, const char *, int);
 void		 cmdq_run(struct cmd_q *, struct cmd_list *);
 void		 cmdq_append(struct cmd_q *, struct cmd_list *);
 int		 cmdq_continue(struct cmd_q *);