diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index da9eb545..aa8396d7 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -1376,8 +1376,8 @@ void
 format_defaults_pane(struct format_tree *ft, struct window_pane *wp)
 {
 	struct grid	*gd = wp->base.grid;
+	int  		 status = wp->status;
 	u_int		 idx;
-	int  		 status;
 
 	if (ft->w == NULL)
 		ft->w = wp->window;
@@ -1399,8 +1399,7 @@ format_defaults_pane(struct format_tree *ft, struct window_pane *wp)
 	format_add(ft, "pane_input_off", "%d", !!(wp->flags & PANE_INPUTOFF));
 	format_add(ft, "pane_pipe", "%d", wp->pipe_fd != -1);
 
-	status = wp->status;
-	if (wp->fd == -1 && WIFEXITED(status))
+	if ((wp->flags & PANE_STATUSREADY) && WIFEXITED(status))
 		format_add(ft, "pane_dead_status", "%d", WEXITSTATUS(status));
 	format_add(ft, "pane_dead", "%d", wp->fd == -1);
 
@@ -1411,8 +1410,10 @@ format_defaults_pane(struct format_tree *ft, struct window_pane *wp)
 		format_add(ft, "pane_bottom", "%u", wp->yoff + wp->sy - 1);
 		format_add(ft, "pane_at_left", "%d", wp->xoff == 0);
 		format_add(ft, "pane_at_top", "%d", wp->yoff == 0);
-		format_add(ft, "pane_at_right", "%d", wp->xoff + wp->sx == wp->window->sx);
-		format_add(ft, "pane_at_bottom", "%d", wp->yoff + wp->sy == wp->window->sy);
+		format_add(ft, "pane_at_right", "%d",
+		    wp->xoff + wp->sx == wp->window->sx);
+		format_add(ft, "pane_at_bottom", "%d",
+		    wp->yoff + wp->sy == wp->window->sy);
 	}
 
 	format_add(ft, "pane_in_mode", "%d", wp->screen != &wp->base);
diff --git a/server-fn.c b/server-fn.c
index f5ede2c2..713e85b7 100644
--- a/server-fn.c
+++ b/server-fn.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 #include <sys/queue.h>
+#include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/uio.h>
 
 #include <imsg.h>
@@ -278,11 +279,11 @@ void
 server_destroy_pane(struct window_pane *wp, int notify)
 {
 	struct window		*w = wp->window;
-	int			 old_fd;
 	struct screen_write_ctx	 ctx;
 	struct grid_cell	 gc;
+	time_t			 t;
+	char			 tim[26];
 
-	old_fd = wp->fd;
 	if (wp->fd != -1) {
 		bufferevent_free(wp->event);
 		close(wp->fd);
@@ -290,9 +291,13 @@ server_destroy_pane(struct window_pane *wp, int notify)
 	}
 
 	if (options_get_number(w->options, "remain-on-exit")) {
-		if (old_fd == -1)
+		if (~wp->flags & PANE_STATUSREADY)
 			return;
 
+		if (wp->flags & PANE_STATUSDRAWN)
+			return;
+		wp->flags |= PANE_STATUSDRAWN;
+
 		if (notify)
 			notify_pane("pane-died", wp);
 
@@ -301,11 +306,24 @@ server_destroy_pane(struct window_pane *wp, int notify)
 		screen_write_cursormove(&ctx, 0, screen_size_y(ctx.s) - 1);
 		screen_write_linefeed(&ctx, 1, 8);
 		memcpy(&gc, &grid_default_cell, sizeof gc);
-		gc.attr |= GRID_ATTR_BRIGHT;
-		screen_write_puts(&ctx, &gc, "Pane is dead");
+
+		time(&t);
+		ctime_r(&t, tim);
+
+		if (WIFEXITED(wp->status)) {
+			screen_write_nputs(&ctx, -1, &gc,
+			    "Pane is dead (status %d, %s)",
+			    WEXITSTATUS(wp->status),
+			    tim);
+		} else if (WIFSIGNALED(wp->status)) {
+			screen_write_nputs(&ctx, -1, &gc,
+			    "Pane is dead (signal %d, %s)",
+			    WTERMSIG(wp->status),
+			    tim);
+		}
+
 		screen_write_stop(&ctx);
 		wp->flags |= PANE_REDRAW;
-
 		return;
 	}
 
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index 753f6d01..82b5a6b8 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ server_child_exited(pid_t pid, int status)
 		TAILQ_FOREACH(wp, &w->panes, entry) {
 			if (wp->pid == pid) {
 				wp->status = status;
+				wp->flags |= PANE_STATUSREADY;
 
 				log_debug("%%%u exited", wp->id);
 				wp->flags |= PANE_EXITED;
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index a661a6da..ad35c336 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -778,6 +778,8 @@ struct window_pane {
 #define PANE_INPUTOFF 0x40
 #define PANE_CHANGED 0x80
 #define PANE_EXITED 0x100
+#define PANE_STATUSREADY 0x200
+#define PANE_STATUSDRAWN 0x400
 
 	int		 argc;
 	char	       **argv;
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 1c97fb8d..2afd42d3 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -908,6 +908,7 @@ window_pane_spawn(struct window_pane *wp, int argc, char **argv,
 		free((void *)wp->cwd);
 		wp->cwd = xstrdup(cwd);
 	}
+	wp->flags &= ~(PANE_STATUSREADY|PANE_STATUSDRAWN);
 
 	cmd = cmd_stringify_argv(wp->argc, wp->argv);
 	log_debug("spawn: %s -- %s", wp->shell, cmd);