diff --git a/cmd-attach-session.c b/cmd-attach-session.c
index 9f357d6e..356bd4aa 100644
--- a/cmd-attach-session.c
+++ b/cmd-attach-session.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ cmd_attach_session(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *tflag, int dflag, int rflag,
 		c->session = s;
 		status_timer_start(c);
 		notify_attached_session_changed(c);
-		session_update_activity(s);
+		session_update_activity(s, NULL);
 		server_redraw_client(c);
 		s->curw->flags &= ~WINLINK_ALERTFLAGS;
 	} else {
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ cmd_attach_session(struct cmd_q *cmdq, const char *tflag, int dflag, int rflag,
 		c->session = s;
 		status_timer_start(c);
 		notify_attached_session_changed(c);
-		session_update_activity(s);
+		session_update_activity(s, NULL);
 		server_redraw_client(c);
 		s->curw->flags &= ~WINLINK_ALERTFLAGS;
 
diff --git a/cmd-new-session.c b/cmd-new-session.c
index 2125ee88..fa4f1553 100644
--- a/cmd-new-session.c
+++ b/cmd-new-session.c
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ cmd_new_session_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		c->session = s;
 		status_timer_start(c);
 		notify_attached_session_changed(c);
-		session_update_activity(s);
+		session_update_activity(s, NULL);
 		server_redraw_client(c);
 	}
 	recalculate_sizes();
diff --git a/cmd-switch-client.c b/cmd-switch-client.c
index 6a79c7b7..8bc8a3c5 100644
--- a/cmd-switch-client.c
+++ b/cmd-switch-client.c
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ cmd_switch_client_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 		c->last_session = c->session;
 	c->session = s;
 	status_timer_start(c);
-	session_update_activity(s);
+	session_update_activity(s, NULL);
 
 	recalculate_sizes();
 	server_check_unattached();
diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index 82cec36c..da24e222 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -561,9 +561,7 @@ server_client_handle_key(struct client *c, int key)
 	/* Update the activity timer. */
 	if (gettimeofday(&c->activity_time, NULL) != 0)
 		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
-	memcpy(&s->last_activity_time, &s->activity_time,
-	    sizeof s->last_activity_time);
-	memcpy(&s->activity_time, &c->activity_time, sizeof s->activity_time);
+	session_update_activity(s, &c->activity_time);
 
 	/* Number keys jump to pane in identify mode. */
 	if (c->flags & CLIENT_IDENTIFY && key >= '0' && key <= '9') {
@@ -981,6 +979,7 @@ server_client_msg_dispatch(struct client *c)
 	struct msg_stdin_data	 stdindata;
 	const char		*data;
 	ssize_t			 n, datalen;
+	struct session		*s;
 
 	if ((n = imsg_read(&c->ibuf)) == -1 || n == 0)
 		return (-1);
@@ -1064,11 +1063,12 @@ server_client_msg_dispatch(struct client *c)
 
 			if (c->tty.fd == -1) /* exited in the meantime */
 				break;
+			s = c->session;
 
 			if (gettimeofday(&c->activity_time, NULL) != 0)
 				fatal("gettimeofday");
-			if (c->session != NULL)
-				session_update_activity(c->session);
+			if (s != NULL)
+				session_update_activity(s, &c->activity_time);
 
 			tty_start_tty(&c->tty);
 			server_redraw_client(c);
diff --git a/server-fn.c b/server-fn.c
index 469dd82d..cddd762f 100644
--- a/server-fn.c
+++ b/server-fn.c
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@ server_destroy_session(struct session *s)
 			c->session = s_new;
 			status_timer_start(c);
 			notify_attached_session_changed(c);
-			session_update_activity(s_new);
+			session_update_activity(s_new, NULL);
 			server_redraw_client(c);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/session.c b/session.c
index 5061083a..7572ac21 100644
--- a/session.c
+++ b/session.c
@@ -112,10 +112,6 @@ session_create(const char *name, int argc, char **argv, const char *path,
 	s->references = 1;
 	s->flags = 0;
 
-	if (gettimeofday(&s->creation_time, NULL) != 0)
-		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
-	session_update_activity(s);
-
 	s->cwd = dup(cwd);
 
 	s->curw = NULL;
@@ -133,6 +129,10 @@ session_create(const char *name, int argc, char **argv, const char *path,
 		memcpy(s->tio, tio, sizeof *s->tio);
 	}
 
+	if (gettimeofday(&s->creation_time, NULL) != 0)
+		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
+	session_update_activity(s, &s->creation_time);
+
 	s->sx = sx;
 	s->sy = sy;
 
@@ -224,12 +224,17 @@ session_check_name(const char *name)
 	return (*name != '\0' && name[strcspn(name, ":.")] == '\0');
 }
 
-/* Update session active time. */
+/* Update activity time. */
 void
-session_update_activity(struct session *s)
+session_update_activity(struct session *s, struct timeval *from)
 {
-	if (gettimeofday(&s->activity_time, NULL) != 0)
-		fatal("gettimeofday");
+	struct timeval	*last = &s->last_activity_time;
+
+	memcpy(last, &s->activity_time, sizeof *last);
+	if (from == NULL)
+		gettimeofday(&s->activity_time, NULL);
+	else
+		memcpy(&s->activity_time, from, sizeof s->activity_time);
 }
 
 /* Find the next usable session. */
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 9fae33bd..cc38dab8 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2248,7 +2248,7 @@ struct session	*session_create(const char *, int, char **, const char *,
 void		 session_destroy(struct session *);
 void		 session_unref(struct session *);
 int		 session_check_name(const char *);
-void		 session_update_activity(struct session *);
+void		 session_update_activity(struct session *, struct timeval *);
 struct session	*session_next_session(struct session *);
 struct session	*session_previous_session(struct session *);
 struct winlink	*session_new(struct session *, const char *, int, char **,