diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index ae7d9a30..3da6ea4d 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@
 void printflike2 cfg_print(struct cmd_ctx *, const char *, ...);
 void printflike2 cfg_error(struct cmd_ctx *, const char *, ...);
 
-char	 	       *cfg_cause;
-int     	 	cfg_finished;
-struct causelist	cfg_causes = ARRAY_INITIALIZER;
+char			*cfg_cause;
+int			 cfg_finished;
+int	 		 cfg_references;
+struct causelist	 cfg_causes;
 
 /* ARGSUSED */
 void printflike2
@@ -89,6 +90,8 @@ load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_ctx *ctxin, struct causelist *causes)
 	}
 	n = 0;
 
+	cfg_references++;
+
 	line = NULL;
 	retval = CMD_RETURN_NORMAL;
 	while ((buf = fgetln(f, &len))) {
@@ -171,6 +174,8 @@ load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_ctx *ctxin, struct causelist *causes)
 	}
 	fclose(f);
 
+	cfg_references--;
+
 	return (retval);
 }
 
diff --git a/cmd-source-file.c b/cmd-source-file.c
index 758f959a..0a180d89 100644
--- a/cmd-source-file.c
+++ b/cmd-source-file.c
@@ -42,35 +42,32 @@ enum cmd_retval
 cmd_source_file_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 {
 	struct args		*args = self->args;
-	struct causelist	 causes;
-	char			*cause;
-	struct window_pane	*wp;
 	int			 retval;
 	u_int			 i;
+	char			*cause;
 
-	ARRAY_INIT(&causes);
+	retval = load_cfg(args->argv[0], ctx, &cfg_causes);
 
-	retval = load_cfg(args->argv[0], ctx, &causes);
-	if (ARRAY_EMPTY(&causes))
+	/*
+	 * If the context for the cmdclient came from tmux's configuration
+	 * file, then return the status of this command now, regardless of the
+	 * error condition. Any errors from parsing a configuration file at
+	 * startup will be handled for us by the server.
+	 */
+	if (cfg_references > 0 ||
+	    (ctx->curclient == NULL && ctx->cmdclient == NULL))
 		return (retval);
 
-	if (retval == 1 && !RB_EMPTY(&sessions) && ctx->cmdclient != NULL) {
-		wp = RB_MIN(sessions, &sessions)->curw->window->active;
-		window_pane_set_mode(wp, &window_copy_mode);
-		window_copy_init_for_output(wp);
-		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&causes); i++) {
-			cause = ARRAY_ITEM(&causes, i);
-			window_copy_add(wp, "%s", cause);
-			free(cause);
-		}
-	} else {
-		for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&causes); i++) {
-			cause = ARRAY_ITEM(&causes, i);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s", cause);
-			free(cause);
-		}
+	/*
+	 * We were called from the command-line in which case print the errors
+	 * gathered here directly.
+	 */
+	for (i = 0; i < ARRAY_LENGTH(&cfg_causes); i++) {
+		cause = ARRAY_ITEM(&cfg_causes, i);
+		ctx->print(ctx, "%s", cause);
+		free(cause);
 	}
-	ARRAY_FREE(&causes);
+	ARRAY_FREE(&cfg_causes);
 
 	return (retval);
 }
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index 7bce10ec..2428a404 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	options_init(&global_w_options, NULL);
 	options_table_populate_tree(window_options_table, &global_w_options);
 
+	ARRAY_INIT(&cfg_causes);
+
 	/* Enable UTF-8 if the first client is on UTF-8 terminal. */
 	if (flags & IDENTIFY_UTF8) {
 		options_set_number(&global_s_options, "status-utf8", 1);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 98677f78..2b5f19d8 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1517,6 +1517,7 @@ __dead void	 shell_exec(const char *, const char *);
 
 /* cfg.c */
 extern int       cfg_finished;
+extern int       cfg_references;
 extern struct causelist cfg_causes;
 void printflike2 cfg_add_cause(struct causelist *, const char *, ...);
 int		 load_cfg(const char *, struct cmd_ctx *, struct causelist *);