diff --git a/cmd-set-option.c b/cmd-set-option.c
index ef2ce10b..84c12e56 100644
--- a/cmd-set-option.c
+++ b/cmd-set-option.c
@@ -160,11 +160,17 @@ cmd_set_option_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 			cmdq_error(item, "not an array: %s", args->argv[0]);
 			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 		}
-	} else {
-		if (*name != '@' && options_array_size(parent, NULL) != -1) {
-			cmdq_error(item, "is an array: %s", args->argv[0]);
-			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+	} else if (*name != '@' && options_array_size(parent, NULL) != -1) {
+		if (value == NULL) {
+			cmdq_error(item, "empty value");
+			return (-1);
 		}
+		if (o == NULL)
+			o = options_empty(oo, options_table_entry(parent));
+		if (!args_has(args, 'a'))
+			options_array_clear(o);
+		options_array_assign(o, value);
+		return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 	}
 
 	/* With -o, check this option is not already set. */
@@ -197,7 +203,7 @@ cmd_set_option_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 			else
 				options_remove(o);
 		} else
-			options_array_set(o, idx, NULL);
+			options_array_set(o, idx, NULL, 0);
 	} else if (*name == '@')
 		options_set_string(oo, name, args_has(args, 'a'), "%s", value);
 	else if (idx == -1) {
@@ -207,7 +213,7 @@ cmd_set_option_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	} else {
 		if (o == NULL)
 			o = options_empty(oo, options_table_entry(parent));
-		if (options_array_set(o, idx, value) != 0) {
+		if (options_array_set(o, idx, value, 1) != 0) {
 			cmdq_error(item, "invalid index: %s", args->argv[0]);
 			return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 		}
diff --git a/cmd-show-options.c b/cmd-show-options.c
index f7df2b11..b9882243 100644
--- a/cmd-show-options.c
+++ b/cmd-show-options.c
@@ -92,11 +92,20 @@ cmd_show_options_print(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item,
 	const char	*name;
 	const char	*value;
 	char		*tmp, *escaped;
+	u_int		 size, i;
 
 	if (idx != -1) {
 		xasprintf(&tmp, "%s[%d]", options_name(o), idx);
 		name = tmp;
 	} else {
+		if (options_array_size(o, &size) != -1) {
+			for (i = 0; i < size; i++) {
+				if (options_array_get(o, i) == NULL)
+					continue;
+				cmd_show_options_print(self, item, o, i);
+			}
+			return;
+		}
 		tmp = NULL;
 		name = options_name(o);
 	}
diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index 4f6aa6fe..37263b53 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -170,22 +170,11 @@ struct options_entry *
 options_default(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe)
 {
 	struct options_entry	*o;
-	char			*cp, *copy, *next;
-	u_int			 idx = 0;
 
 	o = options_empty(oo, oe);
-
-	if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_ARRAY) {
-		copy = cp = xstrdup(oe->default_str);
-		while ((next = strsep(&cp, ",")) != NULL) {
-			options_array_set(o, idx, next);
-			idx++;
-		}
-		free(copy);
-		return (o);
-	}
-
-	if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING)
+	if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_ARRAY)
+		options_array_assign(o, oe->default_str);
+	else if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING)
 		o->string = xstrdup(oe->default_str);
 	else if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE) {
 		memcpy(&o->style, &grid_default_cell, sizeof o->style);
@@ -242,6 +231,13 @@ options_table_entry(struct options_entry *o)
 	return (o->tableentry);
 }
 
+void
+options_array_clear(struct options_entry *o)
+{
+	if (OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o))
+		o->arraysize = 0;
+}
+
 const char *
 options_array_get(struct options_entry *o, u_int idx)
 {
@@ -253,9 +249,11 @@ options_array_get(struct options_entry *o, u_int idx)
 }
 
 int
-options_array_set(struct options_entry *o, u_int idx, const char *value)
+options_array_set(struct options_entry *o, u_int idx, const char *value,
+    int append)
 {
-	u_int	i;
+	char	*new;
+	u_int	 i;
 
 	if (!OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o))
 		return (-1);
@@ -268,12 +266,17 @@ options_array_set(struct options_entry *o, u_int idx, const char *value)
 			o->array[i] = NULL;
 		o->arraysize = idx + 1;
 	}
-	if (o->array[idx] != NULL)
-		free((void *)o->array[idx]);
-	if (value != NULL)
-		o->array[idx] = xstrdup(value);
-	else
-		o->array[idx] = NULL;
+
+	new = NULL;
+	if (value != NULL) {
+		if (o->array[idx] != NULL && append)
+			xasprintf(&new, "%s%s", o->array[idx], value);
+		else
+			new = xstrdup(value);
+	}
+
+	free((void *)o->array[idx]);
+	o->array[idx] = new;
 	return (0);
 }
 
@@ -287,6 +290,32 @@ options_array_size(struct options_entry *o, u_int *size)
 	return (0);
 }
 
+void
+options_array_assign(struct options_entry *o, const char *s)
+{
+	const char	*separator;
+	char		*copy, *next, *string;
+	u_int		 i;
+
+	separator = o->tableentry->separator;
+	if (separator == NULL)
+		separator = " ,";
+
+	copy = string = xstrdup(s);
+	while ((next = strsep(&string, separator)) != NULL) {
+		if (*next == '\0')
+			continue;
+		for (i = 0; i < OPTIONS_ARRAY_LIMIT; i++) {
+			if (i >= o->arraysize || o->array[i] == NULL)
+				break;
+		}
+		if (i == OPTIONS_ARRAY_LIMIT)
+			break;
+		options_array_set(o, i, next, 0);
+	}
+	free(copy);
+}
+
 int
 options_isstring(struct options_entry *o)
 {
@@ -384,12 +413,6 @@ options_parse_get(struct options *oo, const char *s, int *idx, int only)
 	else
 		o = options_get(oo, name);
 	free(name);
-	if (o != NULL) {
-		if (OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o) && *idx == -1)
-			return (NULL);
-		if (!OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o) && *idx != -1)
-			return (NULL);
-	}
 	return (o);
 }
 
@@ -447,12 +470,6 @@ options_match_get(struct options *oo, const char *s, int *idx, int only,
 	else
 		o = options_get(oo, name);
 	free(name);
-	if (o != NULL) {
-		if (OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o) && *idx == -1)
-			return (NULL);
-		if (!OPTIONS_IS_ARRAY(o) && *idx != -1)
-			return (NULL);
-	}
 	return (o);
 }
 
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 2a26f10f..58fe992b 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1479,6 +1479,7 @@ struct options_table_entry {
 	const char		 *default_str;
 	long long		  default_num;
 
+	const char		 *separator;
 	const char		 *style;
 };
 
@@ -1616,17 +1617,20 @@ const struct options_table_entry *options_table_entry(struct options_entry *);
 struct options_entry *options_get_only(struct options *, const char *);
 struct options_entry *options_get(struct options *, const char *);
 void		 options_remove(struct options_entry *);
+void		 options_array_clear(struct options_entry *);
 const char	*options_array_get(struct options_entry *, u_int);
-int		 options_array_set(struct options_entry *, u_int, const char *);
+int		 options_array_set(struct options_entry *, u_int, const char *,
+		     int);
 int		 options_array_size(struct options_entry *, u_int *);
+void		 options_array_assign(struct options_entry *, const char *);
 int		 options_isstring(struct options_entry *);
 const char	*options_tostring(struct options_entry *, int);
 char		*options_parse(const char *, int *);
 struct options_entry *options_parse_get(struct options *, const char *, int *,
-		    int);
+		     int);
 char		*options_match(const char *, int *, int *);
 struct options_entry *options_match_get(struct options *, const char *, int *,
-		    int, int *);
+		     int, int *);
 const char	*options_get_string(struct options *, const char *);
 long long	 options_get_number(struct options *, const char *);
 const struct grid_cell *options_get_style(struct options *, const char *);