diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index f39fbf2a..bfbec5c7 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ options_get_number(struct options *oo, const char *name)
 	return (o->value.number);
 }
 
-const struct cmd_list *
+struct cmd_list *
 options_get_command(struct options *oo, const char *name)
 {
 	struct options_entry	*o;
diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index 1c41870f..6881a141 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -3443,6 +3443,24 @@ server_client_read_only(struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
 	return (CMD_RETURN_ERROR);
 }
 
+/* Callback for default command. */
+static enum cmd_retval
+server_client_default_command(struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
+{
+	struct client		*c = cmdq_get_client(item);
+	struct cmd_list		*cmdlist;
+	struct cmdq_item	*new_item;
+
+	cmdlist = options_get_command(global_options, "default-client-command");
+	if ((c->flags & CLIENT_READONLY) &&
+	    !cmd_list_all_have(cmdlist, CMD_READONLY))
+		new_item = cmdq_get_callback(server_client_read_only, NULL);
+	else
+		new_item = cmdq_get_command(cmdlist, NULL);
+	cmdq_insert_after(item, new_item);
+	return (CMD_RETURN_NORMAL);
+}
+
 /* Callback when command is done. */
 static enum cmd_retval
 server_client_command_done(struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
@@ -3471,7 +3489,6 @@ server_client_dispatch_command(struct client *c, struct imsg *imsg)
 	struct cmd_parse_result	 *pr;
 	struct args_value	 *values;
 	struct cmdq_item	 *new_item;
-	struct cmd_list		 *cmdlist;
 
 	if (c->flags & CLIENT_EXIT)
 		return (0);
@@ -3492,8 +3509,8 @@ server_client_dispatch_command(struct client *c, struct imsg *imsg)
 
 	argc = data.argc;
 	if (argc == 0) {
-		cmdlist = cmd_list_copy(options_get_command(global_options,
-		    "default-client-command"), 0, NULL);
+		new_item = cmdq_get_callback(server_client_default_command,
+		    NULL);
 	} else {
 		values = args_from_vector(argc, argv);
 		pr = cmd_parse_from_arguments(values, argc, NULL);
@@ -3507,18 +3524,17 @@ server_client_dispatch_command(struct client *c, struct imsg *imsg)
 		args_free_values(values, argc);
 		free(values);
 		cmd_free_argv(argc, argv);
-		cmdlist = pr->cmdlist;
+		if ((c->flags & CLIENT_READONLY) &&
+		    !cmd_list_all_have(pr->cmdlist, CMD_READONLY)) {
+			new_item = cmdq_get_callback(server_client_read_only,
+			    NULL);
+		} else
+			new_item = cmdq_get_command(pr->cmdlist, NULL);
+		cmd_list_free(pr->cmdlist);
 	}
-
-	if ((c->flags & CLIENT_READONLY) &&
-	    !cmd_list_all_have(cmdlist, CMD_READONLY))
-		new_item = cmdq_get_callback(server_client_read_only, NULL);
-	else
-		new_item = cmdq_get_command(cmdlist, NULL);
 	cmdq_append(c, new_item);
 	cmdq_append(c, cmdq_get_callback(server_client_command_done, NULL));
 
-	cmd_list_free(cmdlist);
 	return (0);
 
 error:
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index bcd24f1f..f1e769d1 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2438,7 +2438,7 @@ struct options_entry *options_match_get(struct options *, const char *, int *,
 		     int, int *);
 const char	*options_get_string(struct options *, const char *);
 long long	 options_get_number(struct options *, const char *);
-const struct cmd_list *options_get_command(struct options *, const char *);
+struct cmd_list *options_get_command(struct options *, const char *);
 struct options_entry * printflike(4, 5) options_set_string(struct options *,
 		     const char *, int, const char *, ...);
 struct options_entry *options_set_number(struct options *, const char *,