diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index 7c01f614..55c91bc4 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -28,12 +28,15 @@
 #include "tmux.h"
 
 struct client		 *cfg_client;
-static char		 *cfg_file;
 int			  cfg_finished;
 static char		**cfg_causes;
 static u_int		  cfg_ncauses;
 static struct cmdq_item	 *cfg_item;
 
+int                       cfg_quiet = 1;
+char                    **cfg_files;
+u_int                     cfg_nfiles;
+
 static enum cmd_retval
 cfg_client_done(__unused struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
 {
@@ -60,19 +63,11 @@ cfg_done(__unused struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
 	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
 }
 
-void
-set_cfg_file(const char *path)
-{
-	free(cfg_file);
-	cfg_file = xstrdup(path);
-}
-
 void
 start_cfg(void)
 {
 	struct client	 *c;
-	char		**paths;
-	u_int		  i, n;
+	u_int		  i;
 
 	/*
 	 * Configuration files are loaded without a client, so commands are run
@@ -90,15 +85,12 @@ start_cfg(void)
 		cmdq_append(c, cfg_item);
 	}
 
-	if (cfg_file == NULL) {
-		expand_paths(TMUX_CONF, &paths, &n);
-		for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-			load_cfg(paths[i], c, NULL, CMD_PARSE_QUIET, NULL);
-			free(paths[i]);
-		}
-		free(paths);
-	} else
-		load_cfg(cfg_file, c, NULL, 0, NULL);
+	for (i = 0; i < cfg_nfiles; i++) {
+		if (cfg_quiet)
+			load_cfg(cfg_files[i], c, NULL, CMD_PARSE_QUIET, NULL);
+		else
+			load_cfg(cfg_files[i], c, NULL, 0, NULL);
+	}
 
 	cmdq_append(NULL, cmdq_get_callback(cfg_done, NULL));
 }
diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 014f1385..9fa6fc47 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -1412,6 +1412,26 @@ format_cb_client_written(struct format_tree *ft)
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
+/* Callback for config_files. */
+static void *
+format_cb_config_files(__unused struct format_tree *ft)
+{
+	char	*s = NULL;
+	size_t	 slen = 0;
+	u_int	 i;
+	size_t	 n;
+
+	for (i = 0; i < cfg_nfiles; i++) {
+		n = strlen(cfg_files[i]) + 1;
+		s = xrealloc(s, slen + n + 1);
+		slen += xsnprintf(s + slen, n + 1, "%s,", cfg_files[i]);
+	}
+	if (s == NULL)
+		return (xstrdup(""));
+	s[slen - 1] = '\0';
+	return (s);
+}
+
 /* Callback for cursor_flag. */
 static void *
 format_cb_cursor_flag(struct format_tree *ft)
@@ -2569,6 +2589,9 @@ static const struct format_table_entry format_table[] = {
 	{ "client_written", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
 	  format_cb_client_written
 	},
+	{ "config_files", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
+	  format_cb_config_files
+	},
 	{ "cursor_character", FORMAT_TABLE_STRING,
 	  format_cb_cursor_character
 	},
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 9150c4a6..c3164e8f 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -4763,6 +4763,7 @@ The following variables are available, where appropriate:
 .It Li "buffer_name" Ta "" Ta "Name of buffer"
 .It Li "buffer_sample" Ta "" Ta "Sample of start of buffer"
 .It Li "buffer_size" Ta "" Ta "Size of the specified buffer in bytes"
+.It Li "config_files" Ta "" Ta "List of configuration files loaded"
 .It Li "client_activity" Ta "" Ta "Time client last had activity"
 .It Li "client_cell_height" Ta "" Ta "Height of each client cell in pixels"
 .It Li "client_cell_width" Ta "" Ta "Width of each client cell in pixels"
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index 5861e66b..fb908031 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -142,11 +142,12 @@ expand_path(const char *path, const char *home)
 	return (xstrdup(path));
 }
 
-void
-expand_paths(const char *s, char ***paths, u_int *n)
+static void
+expand_paths(const char *s, char ***paths, u_int *n, int ignore_errors)
 {
 	const char	*home = find_home();
 	char		*copy, *next, *tmp, resolved[PATH_MAX], *expanded;
+	char		*path;
 	u_int		 i;
 
 	*paths = NULL;
@@ -162,20 +163,26 @@ expand_paths(const char *s, char ***paths, u_int *n)
 		if (realpath(expanded, resolved) == NULL) {
 			log_debug("%s: realpath(\"%s\") failed: %s", __func__,
 			    expanded, strerror(errno));
+			if (ignore_errors) {
+				free(expanded);
+				continue;
+			}
+			path = expanded;
+		} else {
+			path = xstrdup(resolved);
 			free(expanded);
-			continue;
 		}
-		free(expanded);
 		for (i = 0; i < *n; i++) {
-			if (strcmp(resolved, (*paths)[i]) == 0)
+			if (strcmp(path, (*paths)[i]) == 0)
 				break;
 		}
 		if (i != *n) {
-			log_debug("%s: duplicate path: %s", __func__, resolved);
+			log_debug("%s: duplicate path: %s", __func__, path);
+			free(path);
 			continue;
 		}
 		*paths = xreallocarray(*paths, (*n) + 1, sizeof *paths);
-		(*paths)[(*n)++] = xstrdup(resolved);
+		(*paths)[(*n)++] = path;
 	}
 	free(copy);
 }
@@ -193,7 +200,7 @@ make_label(const char *label, char **cause)
 		label = "default";
 	uid = getuid();
 
-	expand_paths(TMUX_SOCK, &paths, &n);
+	expand_paths(TMUX_SOCK, &paths, &n, 1);
 	if (n == 0) {
 		xasprintf(cause, "no suitable socket path");
 		return (NULL);
@@ -330,10 +337,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	char					*path = NULL, *label = NULL;
 	char					*cause, **var;
-	const char				*s, *shell, *cwd;
+	const char				*s, *cwd;
 	int					 opt, keys, feat = 0;
 	uint64_t				 flags = 0;
 	const struct options_table_entry	*oe;
+	u_int					 i;
 
 	if (setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "en_US.UTF-8") == NULL &&
 	    setlocale(LC_CTYPE, "C.UTF-8") == NULL) {
@@ -349,6 +357,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	if (**argv == '-')
 		flags = CLIENT_LOGIN;
+	expand_paths(TMUX_CONF, &cfg_files, &cfg_nfiles, 1);
 
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "2c:CDdf:lL:NqS:T:uUvV")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
@@ -368,7 +377,11 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 				flags |= CLIENT_CONTROL;
 			break;
 		case 'f':
-			set_cfg_file(optarg);
+			for (i = 0; i < cfg_nfiles; i++)
+				free(cfg_files[i]);
+			free(cfg_files);
+			expand_paths(optarg, &cfg_files, &cfg_nfiles, 0);
+			cfg_quiet = 0;
 			break;
  		case 'V':
 			printf("%s %s\n", getprogname(), getversion());
@@ -460,8 +473,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	 * The default shell comes from SHELL or from the user's passwd entry
 	 * if available.
 	 */
-	shell = getshell();
-	options_set_string(global_s_options, "default-shell", 0, "%s", shell);
+	options_set_string(global_s_options, "default-shell", 0, "%s",
+	    getshell());
 
 	/* Override keys to vi if VISUAL or EDITOR are set. */
 	if ((s = getenv("VISUAL")) != NULL || (s = getenv("EDITOR")) != NULL) {
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index f3f6a867..fb15356a 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1887,7 +1887,6 @@ const char	*sig2name(int);
 const char	*find_cwd(void);
 const char	*find_home(void);
 const char	*getversion(void);
-void		 expand_paths(const char *, char ***, u_int *);
 
 /* proc.c */
 struct imsg;
@@ -1907,13 +1906,14 @@ pid_t	proc_fork_and_daemon(int *);
 /* cfg.c */
 extern int cfg_finished;
 extern struct client *cfg_client;
+extern char **cfg_files;
+extern u_int cfg_nfiles;
+extern int cfg_quiet;
 void	start_cfg(void);
 int	load_cfg(const char *, struct client *, struct cmdq_item *, int,
 	    struct cmdq_item **);
 int	load_cfg_from_buffer(const void *, size_t, const char *,
 	    struct client *, struct cmdq_item *, int, struct cmdq_item **);
-void	set_cfg_file(const char *);
-const char *get_cfg_file(void);
 void printflike(1, 2) cfg_add_cause(const char *, ...);
 void	cfg_print_causes(struct cmdq_item *);
 void	cfg_show_causes(struct session *);