diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index 5541a376..f39fbf2a 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -260,6 +260,7 @@ options_default(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe)
 	struct options_entry	*o;
 	union options_value	*ov;
 	u_int			 i;
+	struct cmd_parse_result	*pr;
 
 	o = options_empty(oo, oe);
 	ov = &o->value;
@@ -278,6 +279,17 @@ options_default(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe)
 	case OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING:
 		ov->string = xstrdup(oe->default_str);
 		break;
+	case OPTIONS_TABLE_COMMAND:
+		pr = cmd_parse_from_string(oe->default_str, NULL);
+		switch (pr->status) {
+		case CMD_PARSE_ERROR:
+			free(pr->error);
+			break;
+		case CMD_PARSE_SUCCESS:
+			ov->cmdlist = pr->cmdlist;
+			break;
+		}
+		break;
 	default:
 		ov->number = oe->default_num;
 		break;
@@ -737,6 +749,19 @@ options_get_number(struct options *oo, const char *name)
 	return (o->value.number);
 }
 
+const struct cmd_list *
+options_get_command(struct options *oo, const char *name)
+{
+	struct options_entry	*o;
+
+	o = options_get(oo, name);
+	if (o == NULL)
+		fatalx("missing option %s", name);
+	if (!OPTIONS_IS_COMMAND(o))
+		fatalx("option %s is not a command", name);
+	return (o->value.cmdlist);
+}
+
 struct options_entry *
 options_set_string(struct options *oo, const char *name, int append,
     const char *fmt, ...)
@@ -798,6 +823,30 @@ options_set_number(struct options *oo, const char *name, long long value)
 	return (o);
 }
 
+struct options_entry *
+options_set_command(struct options *oo, const char *name,
+    struct cmd_list *value)
+{
+	struct options_entry	*o;
+
+	if (*name == '@')
+		fatalx("user option %s must be a string", name);
+
+	o = options_get_only(oo, name);
+	if (o == NULL) {
+		o = options_default(oo, options_parent_table_entry(oo, name));
+		if (o == NULL)
+			return (NULL);
+	}
+
+	if (!OPTIONS_IS_COMMAND(o))
+		fatalx("option %s is not a command", name);
+	if (o->value.cmdlist != NULL)
+		cmd_list_free(o->value.cmdlist);
+	o->value.cmdlist = value;
+	return (o);
+}
+
 int
 options_scope_from_name(struct args *args, int window,
     const char *name, struct cmd_find_state *fs, struct options **oo,
@@ -1054,6 +1103,7 @@ options_from_string(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe,
 	const char		*errstr, *new;
 	char			*old;
 	key_code		 key;
+	struct cmd_parse_result	*pr;
 
 	if (oe != NULL) {
 		if (value == NULL &&
@@ -1112,6 +1162,15 @@ options_from_string(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe,
 	case OPTIONS_TABLE_CHOICE:
 		return (options_from_string_choice(oe, oo, name, value, cause));
 	case OPTIONS_TABLE_COMMAND:
+		pr = cmd_parse_from_string(value, NULL);
+		switch (pr->status) {
+		case CMD_PARSE_ERROR:
+			*cause = pr->error;
+			return (-1);
+		case CMD_PARSE_SUCCESS:
+			options_set_command(oo, name, pr->cmdlist);
+			return (0);
+		}
 		break;
 	}
 	return (-1);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 996bbfbf..0753cb27 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2393,10 +2393,13 @@ struct options_entry *options_match_get(struct options *, const char *, int *,
 		     int, int *);
 const char	*options_get_string(struct options *, const char *);
 long long	 options_get_number(struct options *, const char *);
+const struct cmd_list *options_get_command(struct options *, const char *);
 struct options_entry * printflike(4, 5) options_set_string(struct options *,
 		     const char *, int, const char *, ...);
 struct options_entry *options_set_number(struct options *, const char *,
 		     long long);
+struct options_entry *options_set_command(struct options *, const char *,
+		     struct cmd_list *);
 int		 options_scope_from_name(struct args *, int,
 		     const char *, struct cmd_find_state *, struct options **,
 		     char **);