diff --git a/cmd-server-info.c b/cmd-server-info.c
index 8c85b2c3..60acbdf8 100644
--- a/cmd-server-info.c
+++ b/cmd-server-info.c
@@ -70,8 +70,8 @@ cmd_server_info_exec(unused struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	tim = ctime(&start_time);
 	*strchr(tim, '\n') = '\0';
 	ctx->print(ctx, "pid %ld, started %s", (long) getpid(), tim);
-	ctx->print(ctx, "socket path %s, debug level %d%s",
-	    socket_path, debug_level, be_quiet ? ", quiet" : "");
+	ctx->print(
+	    ctx, "socket path %s, debug level %d", socket_path, debug_level);
 	if (uname(&un) == 0) {
 		ctx->print(ctx, "system is %s %s %s %s",
 		    un.sysname, un.release, un.version, un.machine);
diff --git a/cmd-set-option.c b/cmd-set-option.c
index 0cd7dca6..64b78448 100644
--- a/cmd-set-option.c
+++ b/cmd-set-option.c
@@ -48,8 +48,8 @@ void	cmd_set_option_choice(struct cmd_ctx *,
 
 const struct cmd_entry cmd_set_option_entry = {
 	"set-option", "set",
-	"[-aguw] [-t target-session|target-window] option [value]",
-	CMD_ARG12, "aguw",
+	"[-agsuw] [-t target-session|target-window] option [value]",
+	CMD_ARG12, "agsuw",
 	NULL,
 	cmd_target_parse,
 	cmd_set_option_exec,
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ const char *set_option_bell_action_list[] = {
 	"none", "any", "current", NULL
 };
 
+const struct set_option_entry set_option_table[] = {
+	{ "quiet", SET_OPTION_FLAG, 0, 0, NULL },
+};
+
 const struct set_option_entry set_session_option_table[] = {
 	{ "base-index", SET_OPTION_NUMBER, 0, INT_MAX, NULL },
 	{ "bell-action", SET_OPTION_CHOICE, 0, 0, set_option_bell_action_list },
@@ -172,7 +176,10 @@ cmd_set_option_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	u_int				 i;
 	int				 try_again;
 
-	if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'w')) {
+	if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 's')) {
+		oo = &global_options;
+		table = set_option_table;
+	} else if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'w')) {
 		table = set_window_option_table;
 		if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'g'))
 			oo = &global_w_options;
diff --git a/cmd-show-options.c b/cmd-show-options.c
index d725464c..23838e4c 100644
--- a/cmd-show-options.c
+++ b/cmd-show-options.c
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ int	cmd_show_options_exec(struct cmd *, struct cmd_ctx *);
 
 const struct cmd_entry cmd_show_options_entry = {
 	"show-options", "show",
-	"[-gw] [-t target-session|target-window]",
-	0, "gw",
+	"[-gsw] [-t target-session|target-window]",
+	0, "gsw",
 	cmd_target_init,
 	cmd_target_parse,
 	cmd_show_options_exec,
@@ -52,7 +52,10 @@ cmd_show_options_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	const struct set_option_entry   *entry;
 	const char			*optval;
 
-	if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'w')) {
+	if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 's')) {
+		oo = &global_options;
+		table = set_option_table;
+	} else if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'w')) {
 		table = set_window_option_table;
 		if (cmd_check_flag(data->chflags, 'g'))
 			oo = &global_w_options;
diff --git a/key-bindings.c b/key-bindings.c
index 29dedbb2..d536af11 100644
--- a/key-bindings.c
+++ b/key-bindings.c
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ key_bindings_info(struct cmd_ctx *ctx, const char *fmt, ...)
 	va_list	ap;
 	char   *msg;
 
-	if (be_quiet)
+	if (options_get_number(&global_options, "quiet"))
 		return;
 
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index 80b4429c..02edabc6 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -640,7 +640,7 @@ server_client_msg_info(struct cmd_ctx *ctx, const char *fmt, ...)
 	struct msg_print_data	data;
 	va_list			ap;
 
-	if (be_quiet)
+	if (options_get_number(&global_options, "quiet"))
 		return;
 
 	va_start(ap, fmt);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index a188feaf..fbbfe79e 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -151,8 +151,9 @@ signal may be sent to the
 .Nm
 server process to recreate it.
 .It Fl q
-Prevent the server sending various informational messages, for example when
-window flags are altered.
+Set the
+.Ic quiet
+server option to prevent the server sending various informational messages.
 .It Fl S Ar socket-path
 Specify a full alternative path to the server socket.
 If
@@ -1209,13 +1210,26 @@ or for normal mode without.
 The appearance and behaviour of
 .Nm
 may be modified by changing the value of various options.
-There are two types of option:
+There are three types of option:
+.Em server options ,
 .Em session options
 and
 .Em window options .
 .Pp
-Each individual session may have a set of session options, and there is a
-separate set of global session options.
+The
+.Nm
+server has a set of global options which do not apply to any particular
+window or session.
+These are altered with the
+.Ic set-option
+.Fl s
+command, or displayed with the
+.Ic show-options
+.Fl s
+command.
+.Pp
+In addition, each individual session may have a set of session options, and
+there is a separate set of global session options.
 Sessions which do not have a particular option configured inherit the value
 from the global session options.
 Session options are set or unset with the
@@ -1223,7 +1237,7 @@ Session options are set or unset with the
 command and may be listed with the
 .Ic show-options
 command.
-The available session options are listed under the
+The available server and session options are listed under the
 .Ic set-option
 command.
 .Pp
@@ -1241,31 +1255,44 @@ command.
 Commands which set options are as follows:
 .Bl -tag -width Ds
 .It Xo Ic set-option
-.Op Fl aguw
+.Op Fl agsuw
 .Op Fl t Ar target-session | Ar target-window
 .Ar option Ar value
 .Xc
 .D1 (alias: Ic set )
-Set a session option.
+Set a window option with
+.Fl w
+(equivalent to the
+.Ic set-window-option
+command),
+a server option with
+.Fl s ,
+otherwise a session option.
+.Pp
+If
+.Fl g
+is specified, the global session or window option is set.
 With
 .Fl a ,
 and if the option expects a string,
 .Ar value
 is appended to the existing setting.
-If
-.Fl g
-is specified, the global session option is set.
 The
 .Fl u
 flag unsets an option, so a session inherits the option from the global
-options - it is not possible to unset a global option.
+options.
+It is not possible to unset a global option.
 .Pp
-With
-.Fl w ,
-this command is equivalent to
-.Ic set-window-option
-with
-.Ar target-window .
+Available window options are listed under
+.Ic set-window-option .
+.Pp
+Available server options are:
+.Bl -tag -width Ds
+.It Ic quiet
+Enable of disable the display of various informational messages (see also the
+.Fl q
+command line flag).
+.El
 .Pp
 Available session options are:
 .Bl -tag -width Ds
@@ -1850,21 +1877,21 @@ as Shift, Alt or Ctrl.
 The default is off.
 .El
 .It Xo Ic show-options
-.Op Fl gw
+.Op Fl gsw
 .Op Fl t Ar target-session | Ar target-window
 .Xc
 .D1 (alias: Ic show )
-Show the session options for
-.Ar target session ,
-or the global session options with
-.Fl g .
-.Pp
-If
+Show the window options with
 .Fl w
-is used, this command is equivalent to
-.Ic show-window-options
-with
-.Ar target-window .
+(equivalent to
+.Ic show-window-options ),
+the server options with
+.Fl s ,
+otherwise the session options for
+.Ar target session .
+Global session or window options are listed if
+.Fl g
+is used.
 .It Xo Ic show-window-options
 .Op Fl g
 .Op Fl t Ar target-window
diff --git a/tmux.c b/tmux.c
index eaad683b..209042af 100644
--- a/tmux.c
+++ b/tmux.c
@@ -36,12 +36,12 @@ extern char	*malloc_options;
 #endif
 
 char		*cfg_file;
+struct options	 global_options;	/* server options */
 struct options	 global_s_options;	/* session options */
 struct options	 global_w_options;	/* window options */
 struct environ	 global_environ;
 
 int		 debug_level;
-int		 be_quiet;
 time_t		 start_time;
 char		*socket_path;
 int		 login_shell;
@@ -222,14 +222,14 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	struct cmd		*cmd;
 	enum msgtype		 msg;
 	struct passwd		*pw;
-	struct options		*so, *wo;
+	struct options		*oo, *so, *wo;
 	struct keylist		*keylist;
 	struct msg_command_data	 cmddata;
 	char			*s, *shellcmd, *path, *label, *home, *cause;
 	char			 cwd[MAXPATHLEN], **var;
 	void			*buf;
 	size_t			 len;
-	int	 		 opt, flags, cmdflags = 0;
+	int	 		 opt, flags, quiet, cmdflags = 0;
 	short		 	 events;
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 			label = xstrdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		case 'q':
-			be_quiet = 1;
+			quiet = 1;
 			break;
 		case 'S':
 			if (path != NULL)
@@ -314,6 +314,10 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 	for (var = environ; *var != NULL; var++)
 		environ_put(&global_environ, *var);
 
+	options_init(&global_options, NULL);
+	oo = &global_options;
+	options_set_number(oo, "quiet", 0);
+
 	options_init(&global_s_options, NULL);
 	so = &global_s_options;
 	options_set_number(so, "base-index", 0);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index cf42a85c..e9d11f65 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1235,6 +1235,7 @@ struct set_option_entry {
 };
 
 /* tmux.c */
+extern struct options global_options;
 extern struct options global_s_options;
 extern struct options global_w_options;
 extern struct environ global_environ;
@@ -1391,6 +1392,7 @@ extern const char clock_table[14][5][5];
 void		 clock_draw(struct screen_write_ctx *, int, int);
 
 /* cmd-set-option.c */
+extern const struct set_option_entry set_option_table[];
 extern const struct set_option_entry set_session_option_table[];
 extern const struct set_option_entry set_window_option_table[];
 const char	*cmd_set_option_print(