diff --git a/status.c b/status.c
index 1833d459..b7d24715 100644
--- a/status.c
+++ b/status.c
@@ -301,6 +301,13 @@ status_redraw(struct client *c)
 	size_t			 llen, rlen, seplen;
 	int			 larrow, rarrow;
 
+	/* Delete the saved status line, if any. */
+	if (c->old_status != NULL) {
+		screen_free(c->old_status);
+		free(c->old_status);
+		c->old_status = NULL;
+	}
+
 	/* No status line? */
 	if (c->tty.sy == 0 || !options_get_number(s->options, "status"))
 		return (1);
@@ -568,6 +575,12 @@ status_message_set(struct client *c, const char *fmt, ...)
 
 	status_message_clear(c);
 
+	if (c->old_status == NULL) {
+		c->old_status = xmalloc(sizeof *c->old_status);
+		memcpy(c->old_status, &c->status, sizeof *c->old_status);
+		screen_init(&c->status, c->tty.sx, 1, 0);
+	}
+
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
 	xvasprintf(&c->message_string, fmt, ap);
 	va_end(ap);
@@ -664,13 +677,24 @@ status_prompt_set(struct client *c, const char *msg, const char *input,
 
 	ft = format_create(c, NULL, FORMAT_NONE, 0);
 	format_defaults(ft, c, NULL, NULL, NULL);
-
 	t = time(NULL);
-	tmp = format_expand_time(ft, input, t);
+
+	if (input == NULL)
+		input = "";
+	if (flags & PROMPT_NOFORMAT)
+		tmp = xstrdup(input);
+	else
+		tmp = format_expand_time(ft, input, t);
 
 	status_message_clear(c);
 	status_prompt_clear(c);
 
+	if (c->old_status == NULL) {
+		c->old_status = xmalloc(sizeof *c->old_status);
+		memcpy(c->old_status, &c->status, sizeof *c->old_status);
+		screen_init(&c->status, c->tty.sx, 1, 0);
+	}
+
 	c->prompt_string = format_expand_time(ft, msg, t);
 
 	c->prompt_buffer = utf8_fromcstr(tmp);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 9c25bcc9..3f62683f 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1328,6 +1328,8 @@ struct client {
 	struct event	 status_timer;
 	struct screen	 status;
 
+	struct screen	*old_status;
+
 #define CLIENT_TERMINAL 0x1
 #define CLIENT_LOGIN 0x2
 #define CLIENT_EXIT 0x4
@@ -1376,6 +1378,7 @@ struct client {
 #define PROMPT_SINGLE 0x1
 #define PROMPT_NUMERIC 0x2
 #define PROMPT_INCREMENTAL 0x4
+#define PROMPT_NOFORMAT 0x8
 	int		 prompt_flags;
 
 	struct session	*session;