diff --git a/cmd-new-session.c b/cmd-new-session.c
index 61f18c8f..5dc27879 100644
--- a/cmd-new-session.c
+++ b/cmd-new-session.c
@@ -18,6 +18,12 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+#include <string.h>
+#include <termios.h>
+
+#define TTYDEFCHARS
+#include <sys/ttydefaults.h>
+
 #include "tmux.h"
 
 /*
@@ -109,6 +115,7 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	struct cmd_new_session_data	*data = self->data;
 	struct session			*s;
 	struct environ			 env;
+	struct termios			 tio;
 	const char			*update;
 	char				*overrides, *cmd, *cwd, *cause;
 	int				 detached;
@@ -192,8 +199,24 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
 		environ_update(update, &ctx->cmdclient->environ, &env);
 
+	/*
+	 * Fill in the termios settings used for new windows in this session;
+	 * if there is a command client, use the control characters from it.
+	 */
+	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL && ctx->cmdclient->tty.fd != -1) {
+		if (tcgetattr(ctx->cmdclient->tty.fd, &tio) != 0)
+			fatal("tcgetattr failed");
+	} else
+		memcpy(tio.c_cc, ttydefchars, sizeof tio.c_cc);
+	tio.c_iflag = TTYDEF_IFLAG;
+	tio.c_oflag = TTYDEF_OFLAG;
+	tio.c_lflag = TTYDEF_LFLAG;
+	tio.c_cflag = TTYDEF_CFLAG;
+	tio.c_ispeed = TTYDEF_SPEED;
+	tio.c_ospeed = TTYDEF_SPEED;
+
 	/* Create the new session. */
-	s = session_create(data->newname, cmd, cwd, &env, sx, sy, &cause);
+	s = session_create(data->newname, cmd, cwd, &env, &tio, sx, sy, &cause);
 	if (s == NULL) {
 		ctx->error(ctx, "create session failed: %s", cause);
 		xfree(cause);
diff --git a/cmd-respawn-window.c b/cmd-respawn-window.c
index 735c637b..8ed678b1 100644
--- a/cmd-respawn-window.c
+++ b/cmd-respawn-window.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ cmd_respawn_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
  	window_destroy_panes(w);
 	TAILQ_INSERT_HEAD(&w->panes, wp, entry);
 	window_pane_resize(wp, w->sx, w->sy);
-	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, data->arg, NULL, &env, &cause) != 0) {
+	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, data->arg, NULL, &env, &s->tio, &cause) != 0) {
 		ctx->error(ctx, "respawn window failed: %s", cause);
 		xfree(cause);
 		environ_free(&env);
diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 70004a14..09bd214e 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 		type = LAYOUT_LEFTRIGHT;
 
 	wp = window_add_pane(w, hlimit);
-	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, cmd, cwd, &env, &cause) != 0)
+	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, cmd, cwd, &env, &s->tio, &cause) != 0)
 		goto error;
 	if (layout_split_pane(w->active, type, size, wp) != 0) {
 		cause = xstrdup("pane too small");
diff --git a/session.c b/session.c
index f53e14da..9b7beeb5 100644
--- a/session.c
+++ b/session.c
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ session_find(const char *name)
 /* Create a new session. */
 struct session *
 session_create(const char *name, const char *cmd, const char *cwd,
-    struct environ *env, u_int sx, u_int sy, char **cause)
+    struct environ *env, struct termios *tio, u_int sx, u_int sy, char **cause)
 {
 	struct session	*s;
 	u_int		 i;
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ session_create(const char *name, const char *cmd, const char *cwd,
 	environ_init(&s->environ);
 	if (env != NULL)
 		environ_copy(env, &s->environ);
+	memcpy(&s->tio, tio, sizeof s->tio);
 
 	s->sx = sx;
 	s->sy = sy;
@@ -200,7 +201,7 @@ session_index(struct session *s, u_int *i)
 
 /* Create a new window on a session. */
 struct winlink *
-session_new(struct session *s,
+session_new(struct session *s, 
     const char *name, const char *cmd, const char *cwd, int idx, char **cause)
 {
 	struct window	*w;
@@ -213,7 +214,8 @@ session_new(struct session *s,
 	server_fill_environ(s, &env);
 
 	hlimit = options_get_number(&s->options, "history-limit");
-	w = window_create(name, cmd, cwd, &env, s->sx, s->sy, hlimit, cause);
+	w = window_create(
+	    name, cmd, cwd, &env, &s->tio, s->sx, s->sy, hlimit, cause);
 	if (w == NULL) {
 		environ_free(&env);
 		return (NULL);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 8621c3f4..faa44ad6 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -398,6 +398,10 @@ is given.
 and
 .Ar command
 are the name of and command to execute in the initial window.
+.Pp
+If run from a terminal, any
+.Xr termios 4
+special characters are saved and used for new windows in the new session.
 .It Ic refresh-client Op Fl t Ar target-client
 .D1 (alias: Ic refresh )
 Refresh the current client if bound to a key, or a single client if one is given
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index af59eba1..b15d02bf 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -803,6 +803,8 @@ struct session {
 #define SESSION_UNATTACHED 0x1	/* not attached to any clients */
 	int		 flags;
 
+	struct termios   tio;
+
 	struct environ	 environ;
 };
 ARRAY_DECL(sessions, struct session *);
@@ -1574,7 +1576,8 @@ void		 winlink_stack_remove(struct winlink_stack *, struct winlink *);
 int	 	 window_index(struct window *, u_int *);
 struct window	*window_create1(u_int, u_int);
 struct window	*window_create(const char *, const char *, const char *,
-    		     struct environ *, u_int, u_int, u_int, char **);
+    		     struct environ *, struct termios *, u_int, u_int, u_int,
+		     char **);
 void		 window_destroy(struct window *);
 void		 window_set_active_pane(struct window *, struct window_pane *);
 struct window_pane *window_add_pane(struct window *, u_int);
@@ -1586,8 +1589,8 @@ u_int		 window_count_panes(struct window *);
 void		 window_destroy_panes(struct window *);
 struct window_pane *window_pane_create(struct window *, u_int, u_int, u_int);
 void		 window_pane_destroy(struct window_pane *);
-int		 window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *,
-		     const char *, const char *, struct environ *, char **);
+int		 window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *, const char *,
+		     const char *, struct environ *, struct termios *, char **);
 void		 window_pane_resize(struct window_pane *, u_int, u_int);
 int		 window_pane_set_mode(
 		     struct window_pane *, const struct window_mode *);
@@ -1666,8 +1669,8 @@ void	 session_alert_cancel(struct session *, struct winlink *);
 int	 session_alert_has(struct session *, struct winlink *, int);
 int	 session_alert_has_window(struct session *, struct window *, int);
 struct session	*session_find(const char *);
-struct session	*session_create(const char *, const char *,
-    		     const char *, struct environ *, u_int, u_int, char **);
+struct session	*session_create(const char *, const char *, const char *,
+    		     struct environ *, struct termios *, u_int, u_int, char **);
 void	 	 session_destroy(struct session *);
 int	 	 session_index(struct session *, u_int *);
 struct winlink	*session_new(struct session *,
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index cfef2b24..eccaa4e5 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -269,7 +269,8 @@ window_create1(u_int sx, u_int sy)
 
 struct window *
 window_create(const char *name, const char *cmd, const char *cwd,
-    struct environ *env, u_int sx, u_int sy, u_int hlimit, char **cause)
+    struct environ *env, struct termios *tio, u_int sx, u_int sy, u_int hlimit,
+    char **cause)
 {
 	struct window		*w;
 	struct window_pane	*wp;
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ window_create(const char *name, const char *cmd, const char *cwd,
 	w = window_create1(sx, sy);
 	wp = window_add_pane(w, hlimit);
 	layout_init(w);
-	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, cmd, cwd, env, cause) != 0) {
+	if (window_pane_spawn(wp, cmd, cwd, env, tio, cause) != 0) {
 		window_destroy(w);
 		return (NULL);
 	}
@@ -470,8 +471,8 @@ window_pane_destroy(struct window_pane *wp)
 }
 
 int
-window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp,
-    const char *cmd, const char *cwd, struct environ *env, char **cause)
+window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, const char *cmd,
+    const char *cwd, struct environ *env, struct termios *tio, char **cause)
 {
 	struct winsize	 	 ws;
 	int		 	 mode;
@@ -505,7 +506,7 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp,
 	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)) {
+ 	switch (wp->pid = forkpty(&wp->fd, wp->tty, tio, &ws)) {
 	case -1:
 		wp->fd = -1;
 		xasprintf(cause, "%s: %s", cmd, strerror(errno));