diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index c625a2fb..35192dc0 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ struct cmd_q		*cfg_cmd_q;
 int			 cfg_finished;
 int			 cfg_references;
 struct causelist	 cfg_causes;
+struct client		*cfg_client;
 
 int
 load_cfg(const char *path, struct cmd_q *cmdq, char **cause)
@@ -127,6 +128,20 @@ cfg_default_done(unused struct cmd_q *cmdq)
 
 	cmdq_free(cfg_cmd_q);
 	cfg_cmd_q = NULL;
+
+	if (cfg_client != NULL) {
+		/*
+		 * The client command queue starts with client_exit set to 1 so
+		 * only continue if not empty (that is, we have been delayed
+		 * during configuration parsing for long enough that the
+		 * MSG_COMMAND has arrived), else the client will exit before
+		 * the MSG_COMMAND which might tell it not to.
+		 */
+		if (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&cfg_client->cmdq->queue))
+			cmdq_continue(cfg_client->cmdq);
+		cfg_client->references--;
+		cfg_client = NULL;
+	}
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index b6d4870d..82d840a0 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -155,8 +155,8 @@ server_client_lost(struct client *c)
 	free(c->ttyname);
 	free(c->term);
 
-	evbuffer_free (c->stdin_data);
-	evbuffer_free (c->stdout_data);
+	evbuffer_free(c->stdin_data);
+	evbuffer_free(c->stdout_data);
 	if (c->stderr_data != c->stdout_data)
 		evbuffer_free (c->stderr_data);
 
@@ -932,7 +932,10 @@ server_client_msg_command(struct client *c, struct imsg *imsg)
 	}
 	cmd_free_argv(argc, argv);
 
-	cmdq_run(c->cmdq, cmdlist);
+	if (c != cfg_client || cfg_finished)
+		cmdq_run(c->cmdq, cmdlist);
+	else
+		cmdq_append(c->cmdq, cmdlist);
 	cmd_list_free(cmdlist);
 	return;
 
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index ffc25db0..8ac9321e 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ server_start(int lockfd, char *lockfile)
 	cfg_finished = 0;
 	cfg_references = 1;
 	ARRAY_INIT(&cfg_causes);
+	cfg_client = ARRAY_FIRST(&clients);
+	if (cfg_client != NULL)
+		cfg_client->references++;
 
 	if (access(TMUX_CONF, R_OK) == 0) {
 		if (load_cfg(TMUX_CONF, cfg_cmd_q, &cause) == -1) {
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 67192740..ddee0730 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1510,6 +1510,7 @@ extern struct cmd_q *cfg_cmd_q;
 extern int cfg_finished;
 extern int cfg_references;
 extern struct causelist cfg_causes;
+extern struct client *cfg_client;
 int		 load_cfg(const char *, struct cmd_q *, char **);
 void		 cfg_default_done(struct cmd_q *);
 void		 cfg_show_causes(struct session *);