diff --git a/cmd-if-shell.c b/cmd-if-shell.c
index 4cb9de82..ab69e8b5 100644
--- a/cmd-if-shell.c
+++ b/cmd-if-shell.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_if_shell_entry = {
 struct cmd_if_shell_data {
 	char		*cmd_if;
 	char		*cmd_else;
-	struct cmd_ctx	 ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx	*ctx;
 };
 
 enum cmd_retval
@@ -63,12 +63,9 @@ cmd_if_shell_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 		cdata->cmd_else = xstrdup(args->argv[2]);
 	else
 		cdata->cmd_else = NULL;
-	memcpy(&cdata->ctx, ctx, sizeof cdata->ctx);
 
-	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
-		ctx->cmdclient->references++;
-	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
-		ctx->curclient->references++;
+	cdata->ctx = ctx;
+	cmd_ref_ctx(ctx);
 
 	job_run(shellcmd, cmd_if_shell_callback, cmd_if_shell_free, cdata);
 
@@ -79,7 +76,7 @@ void
 cmd_if_shell_callback(struct job *job)
 {
 	struct cmd_if_shell_data	*cdata = job->data;
-	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = &cdata->ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = cdata->ctx;
 	struct cmd_list			*cmdlist;
 	char				*cause, *cmd;
 
@@ -105,14 +102,11 @@ void
 cmd_if_shell_free(void *data)
 {
 	struct cmd_if_shell_data	*cdata = data;
-	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = &cdata->ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = cdata->ctx;
 
-	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL) {
-		ctx->cmdclient->references--;
+	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
 		ctx->cmdclient->flags |= CLIENT_EXIT;
-	}
-	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
-		ctx->curclient->references--;
+	cmd_free_ctx(ctx);
 
 	free(cdata->cmd_else);
 	free(cdata->cmd_if);
diff --git a/cmd-list.c b/cmd-list.c
index 2cf66a80..d1e72e93 100644
--- a/cmd-list.c
+++ b/cmd-list.c
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ cmd_list_exec(struct cmd_list *cmdlist, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(cmd, &cmdlist->list, qentry) {
 		if (guards)
 			ctx->print(ctx, "%%begin");
-		n = cmd_exec(cmd, ctx);
+		n = cmd->entry->exec(cmd, ctx);
 		if (guards)
 			ctx->print(ctx, "%%end");
 
@@ -146,7 +146,8 @@ cmd_list_free(struct cmd_list *cmdlist)
 	while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&cmdlist->list)) {
 		cmd = TAILQ_FIRST(&cmdlist->list);
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&cmdlist->list, cmd, qentry);
-		cmd_free(cmd);
+		args_free(cmd->args);
+		free(cmd);
 	}
 	free(cmdlist);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-run-shell.c b/cmd-run-shell.c
index 0fe7620b..ea7d1dcb 100644
--- a/cmd-run-shell.c
+++ b/cmd-run-shell.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const struct cmd_entry cmd_run_shell_entry = {
 
 struct cmd_run_shell_data {
 	char		*cmd;
-	struct cmd_ctx	 ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx	*ctx;
 	u_int		 wp_id;
 };
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ void
 cmd_run_shell_print(struct job *job, const char *msg)
 {
 	struct cmd_run_shell_data	*cdata = job->data;
-	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = &cdata->ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = cdata->ctx;
 	struct window_pane		*wp;
 
 	wp = window_pane_find_by_id(cdata->wp_id);
@@ -84,12 +84,9 @@ cmd_run_shell_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	cdata = xmalloc(sizeof *cdata);
 	cdata->cmd = xstrdup(args->argv[0]);
 	cdata->wp_id = wp->id;
-	memcpy(&cdata->ctx, ctx, sizeof cdata->ctx);
 
-	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
-		ctx->cmdclient->references++;
-	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
-		ctx->curclient->references++;
+	cdata->ctx = ctx;
+	cmd_ref_ctx(ctx);
 
 	job_run(shellcmd, cmd_run_shell_callback, cmd_run_shell_free, cdata);
 
@@ -100,7 +97,7 @@ void
 cmd_run_shell_callback(struct job *job)
 {
 	struct cmd_run_shell_data	*cdata = job->data;
-	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = &cdata->ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = cdata->ctx;
 	char				*cmd, *msg, *line;
 	size_t				 size;
 	int				 retcode;
@@ -154,14 +151,11 @@ void
 cmd_run_shell_free(void *data)
 {
 	struct cmd_run_shell_data	*cdata = data;
-	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = &cdata->ctx;
+	struct cmd_ctx			*ctx = cdata->ctx;
 
-	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL) {
-		ctx->cmdclient->references--;
+	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
 		ctx->cmdclient->flags |= CLIENT_EXIT;
-	}
-	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
-		ctx->curclient->references--;
+	cmd_free_ctx(ctx);
 
 	free(cdata->cmd);
 	free(cdata);
diff --git a/cmd.c b/cmd.c
index 023a540d..beb3fb5e 100644
--- a/cmd.c
+++ b/cmd.c
@@ -133,6 +133,39 @@ struct winlink	*cmd_find_window_offset(const char *, struct session *, int *);
 int		 cmd_find_index_offset(const char *, struct session *, int *);
 struct window_pane *cmd_find_pane_offset(const char *, struct winlink *);
 
+struct cmd_ctx *
+cmd_get_ctx(void)
+{
+	struct cmd_ctx	*ctx;
+
+	ctx = xcalloc(1, sizeof *ctx);
+	ctx->references = 0;
+
+	cmd_ref_ctx(ctx);
+	return (ctx);
+}
+
+void
+cmd_free_ctx(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
+		ctx->cmdclient->references--;
+	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
+		ctx->curclient->references--;
+	if (--ctx->references == 0)
+		free(ctx);
+}
+
+void
+cmd_ref_ctx(struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
+{
+	ctx->references++;
+	if (ctx->cmdclient != NULL)
+		ctx->cmdclient->references++;
+	if (ctx->curclient != NULL)
+		ctx->curclient->references++;
+}
+
 int
 cmd_pack_argv(int argc, char **argv, char *buf, size_t len)
 {
@@ -282,19 +315,6 @@ usage:
 	return (NULL);
 }
 
-enum cmd_retval
-cmd_exec(struct cmd *cmd, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
-{
-	return (cmd->entry->exec(cmd, ctx));
-}
-
-void
-cmd_free(struct cmd *cmd)
-{
-	args_free(cmd->args);
-	free(cmd);
-}
-
 size_t
 cmd_print(struct cmd *cmd, char *buf, size_t len)
 {