diff --git a/arguments.c b/arguments.c
index 3bc888a2..289662d5 100644
--- a/arguments.c
+++ b/arguments.c
@@ -761,6 +761,7 @@ args_make_commands_prepare(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int idx,
 	struct args_value		*value;
 	struct args_command_state	*state;
 	const char			*cmd;
+	const char			*file;
 
 	state = xcalloc(1, sizeof *state);
 
@@ -787,7 +788,8 @@ args_make_commands_prepare(struct cmd *self, struct cmdq_item *item, u_int idx,
 
 	if (wait)
 		state->pi.item = item;
-	cmd_get_source(self, &state->pi.file, &state->pi.line);
+	cmd_get_source(self, &file, &state->pi.line);
+	state->pi.file = xstrdup(file);
 	state->pi.c = tc;
 	if (state->pi.c != NULL)
 		state->pi.c->references++;
@@ -842,6 +844,7 @@ args_make_commands_free(struct args_command_state *state)
 		cmd_list_free(state->cmdlist);
 	if (state->pi.c != NULL)
 		server_client_unref(state->pi.c);
+	free((void *)state->pi.file);
 	free(state->cmd);
 	free(state);
 }
diff --git a/status.c b/status.c
index a15981e9..a11cc8b8 100644
--- a/status.c
+++ b/status.c
@@ -472,17 +472,26 @@ void
 status_message_set(struct client *c, int delay, int ignore_styles,
     int ignore_keys, const char *fmt, ...)
 {
-	struct timeval	tv;
-	va_list		ap;
+	struct timeval	 tv;
+	va_list		 ap;
+	char		*s;
+
+	va_start(ap, fmt);
+	xvasprintf(&s, fmt, ap);
+	va_end(ap);
+
+	log_debug("%s: %s", __func__, s);
+
+	if (c == NULL) {
+		server_add_message("message: %s", s);
+		free(s);
+		return;
+	}
 
 	status_message_clear(c);
 	status_push_screen(c);
-
-	va_start(ap, fmt);
-	xvasprintf(&c->message_string, fmt, ap);
-	va_end(ap);
-
-	server_add_message("%s message: %s", c->name, c->message_string);
+	c->message_string = s;
+	server_add_message("%s message: %s", c->name, s);
 
 	/*
 	 * With delay -1, the display-time option is used; zero means wait for