diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index cb196351..55cb5028 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ format_job_cmp(struct format_job *fj1, struct format_job *fj2)
 #define FORMAT_DIRNAME 0x4
 #define FORMAT_QUOTE 0x8
 #define FORMAT_LITERAL 0x10
+#define FORMAT_EXPAND 0x20
 
 /* Entry in format tree. */
 struct format_entry {
@@ -1012,7 +1013,7 @@ format_build_modifiers(struct format_tree *ft, const char **s, u_int *count)
 			cp++;
 
 		/* Check single character modifiers with no arguments. */
-		if (strchr("lmCbdtq", cp[0]) != NULL && format_is_end(cp[1])) {
+		if (strchr("lmCbdtqE", cp[0]) != NULL && format_is_end(cp[1])) {
 			format_add_modifier(&list, count, cp, 1, NULL, 0);
 			cp++;
 			continue;
@@ -1189,6 +1190,9 @@ format_replace(struct format_tree *ft, const char *key, size_t keylen,
 			case 'q':
 				modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE;
 				break;
+			case 'E':
+				modifiers |= FORMAT_EXPAND;
+				break;
 			}
 		} else if (fm->size == 2) {
 			if (strcmp(fm->modifier, "||") == 0 ||
@@ -1289,6 +1293,13 @@ format_replace(struct format_tree *ft, const char *key, size_t keylen,
 			value = xstrdup("");
 	}
 
+	/* Expand again if required. */
+	if (modifiers & FORMAT_EXPAND) {
+		new = format_expand(ft, value);
+		free(value);
+		value = new;
+	}
+
 	/* Perform substitution if any. */
 	if (sub != NULL) {
 		new = format_substitute(value, sub->argv[0], sub->argv[1]);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 756ee964..3476a1ae 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -3713,6 +3713,12 @@ of the variable respectively.
 will escape
 .Xr sh 1
 special characters.
+.Ql E:
+will expand the format twice, for example
+.Ql #{E:status-left}
+is the result of expanding the content of the
+.Ic status-left
+option rather than the content itself.
 A prefix of the form
 .Ql s/foo/bar/:
 will substitute