diff --git a/cmd-set-option.c b/cmd-set-option.c
index 56ca91e0..631a4d0e 100644
--- a/cmd-set-option.c
+++ b/cmd-set-option.c
@@ -180,9 +180,7 @@ cmd_set_option_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 	if (strcmp(oe->name, "automatic-rename") == 0) {
 		RB_FOREACH(w, windows, &windows) {
 			if (options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename"))
-				queue_window_name(w);
-			else if (event_initialized(&w->name_timer))
-				evtimer_del(&w->name_timer);
+				w->active->flags |= PANE_CHANGED;
 		}
 	}
 	if (strcmp(oe->name, "status") == 0 ||
diff --git a/names.c b/names.c
index aa0673ea..e880c577 100644
--- a/names.c
+++ b/names.c
@@ -25,47 +25,76 @@
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
-void	 window_name_callback(unused int, unused short, void *);
+void	name_time_callback(int, short, void *);
+int	name_time_expired(struct window *, struct timeval *);
 
 void
-queue_window_name(struct window *w)
+name_time_callback(unused int fd, unused short events, void *arg)
 {
-	struct timeval	tv;
+	struct window	*w = arg;
 
-	tv.tv_sec = 0;
-	tv.tv_usec = NAME_INTERVAL * 1000L;
+	/* The event loop will call check_window_name for us on the way out. */
+	log_debug("@%u name timer expired", w->id);
+}
 
-	if (event_initialized(&w->name_timer))
-		evtimer_del(&w->name_timer);
-	evtimer_set(&w->name_timer, window_name_callback, w);
-	evtimer_add(&w->name_timer, &tv);
+int
+name_time_expired(struct window *w, struct timeval *tv)
+{
+	struct timeval	offset;
+
+	timersub(tv, &w->name_time, &offset);
+	if (offset.tv_sec != 0 || offset.tv_usec > NAME_INTERVAL)
+		return (0);
+	return (NAME_INTERVAL - offset.tv_usec);
 }
 
 void
-window_name_callback(unused int fd, unused short events, void *data)
+check_window_name(struct window *w)
 {
-	struct window	*w = data;
+	struct timeval	 tv, next;
 	char		*name;
+	int		 left;
 
 	if (w->active == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	if (!options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename")) {
-		if (event_initialized(&w->name_timer))
-			event_del(&w->name_timer);
+	if (!options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename"))
+		return;
+
+	if (~w->active->flags & PANE_CHANGED) {
+		log_debug("@%u active pane not changed", w->id);
 		return;
 	}
-	queue_window_name(w);
+	log_debug("@%u active pane changed", w->id);
 
-	if (~w->active->flags & PANE_CHANGED)
+	gettimeofday(&tv, NULL);
+	left = name_time_expired(w, &tv);
+	if (left != 0) {
+		if (!event_initialized(&w->name_event))
+			evtimer_set(&w->name_event, name_time_callback, w);
+		if (!evtimer_pending(&w->name_event, NULL)) {
+			log_debug("@%u name timer queued (%d left)", w->id, left);
+			timerclear(&next);
+			next.tv_usec = left;
+			event_add(&w->name_event, &next);
+		} else
+			log_debug("@%u name timer already queued (%d left)", w->id, left);
 		return;
+	}
+	memcpy(&w->name_time, &tv, sizeof w->name_time);
+	if (event_initialized(&w->name_event))
+		evtimer_del(&w->name_event);
+
 	w->active->flags &= ~PANE_CHANGED;
 
 	name = format_window_name(w);
 	if (strcmp(name, w->name) != 0) {
+		log_debug("@%u new name %s (was %s)", w->id, name, w->name);
 		window_set_name(w, name);
 		server_status_window(w);
-	}
+	} else
+		log_debug("@%u name not changed (still %s)", w->id, w->name);
+
 	free(name);
 }
 
diff --git a/server-window.c b/server-window.c
index c96c2602..be1dde2a 100644
--- a/server-window.c
+++ b/server-window.c
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ server_window_loop(void)
 					server_status_session(s);
 			}
 		}
+		check_window_name(w);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 6ac0b578..5ae7225f 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -47,8 +47,8 @@ extern char   **environ;
  */
 #define PANE_MINIMUM 2
 
-/* Automatic name refresh interval, in milliseconds. */
-#define NAME_INTERVAL 500
+/* Automatic name refresh interval, in microseconds. Must be < 1 second. */
+#define NAME_INTERVAL 500000
 
 /*
  * UTF-8 data size. This must be big enough to hold combined characters as well
@@ -869,8 +869,11 @@ RB_HEAD(window_pane_tree, window_pane);
 /* Window structure. */
 struct window {
 	u_int		 id;
+
 	char		*name;
-	struct event	 name_timer;
+	struct event	 name_event;
+	struct timeval	 name_time;
+
 	struct timeval	 silence_timer;
 	struct timeval	 activity_time;
 
@@ -2209,7 +2212,7 @@ void	window_choose_collapse_all(struct window_pane *);
 void	window_choose_set_current(struct window_pane *, u_int);
 
 /* names.c */
-void	 queue_window_name(struct window *);
+void	 check_window_name(struct window *);
 char	*default_window_name(struct window *);
 char	*format_window_name(struct window *);
 char	*parse_window_name(const char *);
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index ff3ccfb8..f58d80ea 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -299,8 +299,6 @@ window_create1(u_int sx, u_int sy)
 		fatal("gettimeofday failed");
 
 	options_init(&w->options, &global_w_options);
-	if (options_get_number(&w->options, "automatic-rename"))
-		queue_window_name(w);
 
 	w->references = 0;
 
@@ -349,8 +347,8 @@ window_destroy(struct window *w)
 		layout_free_cell(w->saved_layout_root);
 	free(w->old_layout);
 
-	if (event_initialized(&w->name_timer))
-		evtimer_del(&w->name_timer);
+	if (event_initialized(&w->name_event))
+		evtimer_del(&w->name_event);
 
 	options_free(&w->options);