diff --git a/cmd-split-window.c b/cmd-split-window.c
index 6b0fb9ea..e65a0296 100644
--- a/cmd-split-window.c
+++ b/cmd-split-window.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_new_pane_entry = {
 	.name = "new-pane",
 	.alias = "newp",
 
-	.args = { "bc:de:fF:hIkl:Lm:p:PR:s:S:t:vx:X:y:Y:Z", 0, -1, NULL },
+	.args = { "bc:de:EfF:hIkl:Lm:p:PR:s:S:t:vx:X:y:Y:Z", 0, -1, NULL },
 	.usage = "[-bdefhIklPvZ] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
 		 "[-F format] [-l size] [-m message] [-p percentage] "
 		 "[-s style] [-S active-border-style] "
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_split_window_entry = {
 	.name = "split-window",
 	.alias = "splitw",
 
-	.args = { "bc:de:fF:hIkl:m:p:PR:s:S:t:vZ", 0, -1, NULL },
+	.args = { "bc:de:EfF:hIkl:m:p:PR:s:S:t:vZ", 0, -1, NULL },
 	.usage = "[-bdefhIklPvZ] [-c start-directory] [-e environment] "
 		 "[-F format] [-l size] [-m message] [-p percentage] "
 		 "[-s style] [-S active-border-style] "
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 	struct window_pane	*wp = target->wp, *new_wp;
 	struct layout_cell	*lc = NULL;
 	struct cmd_find_state	 fs;
-	int			 input, is_floating, flags = 0;
+	int			 input, empty, is_floating, flags = 0;
 	const char		*template, *style;
 	char			*cause = NULL, *cp;
 	struct args_value	*av;
@@ -93,14 +93,20 @@ cmd_split_window_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item)
 		is_floating = !args_has(args, 'L');
 	else
 		is_floating = 0;
-	input = (args_has(args, 'I') && count == 0);
 
 	flags = is_floating ? SPAWN_FLOATING : 0;
 	if (args_has(args, 'b'))
 		flags |= SPAWN_BEFORE;
 	if (args_has(args, 'f'))
 		flags |= SPAWN_FULLSIZE;
-	if (input || (count == 1 && *args_string(args, 0) == '\0'))
+
+	input = args_has(args, 'I');
+	empty = (count == 1 && *args_string(args, 0) == '\0');
+	if (!empty && (input || args_has(args, 'E'))) {
+		cmdq_error(item, "command cannot be given for empty pane");
+		return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
+	}
+	if (input || empty || args_has(args, 'E'))
 		flags |= SPAWN_EMPTY;
 
 	if (is_floating)
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index ea776195..db2d0ebe 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -3379,15 +3379,16 @@ but also sets the
 option for this pane to
 .Ar message .
 .Pp
-An empty
-.Ar shell\-command
-(\[aq]\[aq]) will create a pane with no command running in it.
+.Fl E ,
+or an empty
+.Ar shell\-command ,
+(\[aq]\[aq]) will create an empty pane with no command running in it;
+.Ic display-message
+.Fl I
+can write to an empty pane.
 The
 .Fl I
-flag (if
-.Ar shell\-command
-is not specified or empty)
-will create an empty pane and forward any output from stdin to it.
+flag will create an empty pane and forward any output from stdin to it.
 For example:
 .Bd -literal -offset indent
 $ make 2>&1|tmux splitw \-dI &