diff --git a/cmd-invoke.c b/cmd-invoke.c
index e0fcab448..98da1f131 100644
--- a/cmd-invoke.c
+++ b/cmd-invoke.c
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct cmd_invoke_state {
 
 	int			 argc;
 	char		       **argv;
+	int			 replaced;
 };
 
 static void	cmd_invoke_push(struct cmd_invoke_state *,
@@ -182,6 +183,47 @@ cmd_invoke_tilde(const char *name)
 	return (pw->pw_dir);
 }
 
+/* Replace template markers in a parsed value without quoting or reparsing. */
+static char *
+cmd_invoke_replace(struct cmd_invoke_state *is, const char *s)
+{
+	const char	*cp = s, *value;
+	char		*buf = NULL, ch[2] = { 0 };
+	size_t		 len = 0;
+	int		 idx;
+
+	if (is->argc == 0 || strchr(s, '%') == NULL)
+		return (xstrdup(s));
+
+	while (*cp != '\0') {
+		value = NULL;
+		if (*cp == '%') {
+			idx = cp[1] - '1';
+			if (idx >= 0 && idx < 9 && idx < is->argc) {
+				value = is->argv[idx];
+				cp += 2;
+				if (*cp == '%')
+					cp++;
+			} else if (cp[1] == '%' && !is->replaced) {
+				is->replaced = 1;
+				value = is->argv[0];
+				cp += 2;
+				if (*cp == '%')
+					cp++;
+			}
+		}
+		if (value != NULL)
+			cmd_invoke_append(&buf, &len, value);
+		else {
+			ch[0] = *cp++;
+			cmd_invoke_append(&buf, &len, ch);
+		}
+	}
+	if (buf == NULL)
+		buf = xstrdup("");
+	return (buf);
+}
+
 /* Expand a parsed string node into an argv string. */
 static int
 cmd_invoke_expand_string(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is,
@@ -191,7 +233,6 @@ cmd_invoke_expand_string(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is,
 	const char		*s, *value;
 	char			*buf = NULL, *new;
 	size_t			 len = 0;
-	int			 i;
 
 	child = cmd_parse_node_first_child(node);
 	while (child != NULL) {
@@ -214,8 +255,8 @@ cmd_invoke_expand_string(struct cmdq_item *item, struct cmd_invoke_state *is,
 	}
 	if (buf == NULL)
 		buf = xstrdup("");
-	for (i = 0; i < is->argc; i++) {
-		new = cmd_template_replace(buf, is->argv[i], i + 1);
+	if (is->argc != 0) {
+		new = cmd_invoke_replace(is, buf);
 		free(buf);
 		buf = new;
 	}
diff --git a/regress/cmd-template-replace.sh b/regress/cmd-template-replace.sh
index 00730abc3..06e36a2b7 100644
--- a/regress/cmd-template-replace.sh
+++ b/regress/cmd-template-replace.sh
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-# Exercise cmd_template_replace through command-prompt, which passes prompt
-# input as argv to args_make_commands. This covers the quoting modes, indexed
-# replacements, and cases where replacements are intentionally not made.
+# Exercise invocation-time template replacement through command-prompt. String
+# and braced templates are parsed before prompting; responses are literal argv
+# values and cannot add arguments or commands to the stored tree.
 
 PATH=/bin:/usr/bin
 TERM=screen
@@ -115,6 +115,26 @@ $IN bind -n M-i command-prompt -p 'one,two' 'set -g @double_index "%2%"' ||
 $IN bind -n M-n command-prompt -p '(none)' \
 	"set -g @plain no-template-markers" ||
 	exit 1
+$IN bind -n M-u command-prompt -p '(unmatched)' \
+	"set -g @plain '%9 %0 %'" || exit 1
+
+# Command-valued bodies must have the same replacement behaviour as strings.
+cat >"$TMP/bindings.conf" <<'EOF'
+bind -n M-b command-prompt -p '(braced)' { set -g @r '%%' }
+bind -n M-t command-prompt -p '(first)' {
+  set -g @first '%%'
+  set -g @second '%%'
+}
+bind -n M-v command-prompt -p 'one,two' {
+  set -g @one %1
+  set -g @two %2
+  set -g @two_again %2
+  set -g @r '%%'
+}
+bind -n M-q command-prompt -p '(indexed)' { set -g @r %1 }
+bind -n M-w command-prompt -p '(within)' { set -g @r '%%/%%' }
+EOF
+$IN source-file "$TMP/bindings.conf" || exit 1
 
 $OUT new -d -x80 -y24 || exit 1
 $OUT set -g status off || exit 1
@@ -125,8 +145,7 @@ sleep 1
 
 reset_options
 
-# %% is for templates already inside single quotes. A single quote in the
-# replacement must stay data and must not close the surrounding quotes.
+# Quoting has already been parsed. Quotes in a response stay literal data.
 payload="can't ; set -g @marker changed ; done"
 accept_prompt M-s "$payload"
 wait_option @r "$payload"
@@ -139,18 +158,19 @@ accept_prompt M-f "$payload"
 wait_option @first "$payload"
 wait_option @second %%
 
-# %%% keeps the previous double-quote escaping behaviour.
+# %%% is accepted like %%, without adding quotation escapes to the value.
 reset_options
 payload='a"$;~\z'
 accept_prompt M-d "$payload"
 wait_option @r "$payload"
 
-# %1 is intentionally left raw as an escape hatch.
+# Indexed replacements are also data, so semicolons cannot add commands.
 reset_options
 $IN set -g @raw_tail unchanged || exit 1
-accept_prompt M-r 'raw ; set -g @raw_tail yes'
-wait_option @r raw
-wait_option @raw_tail yes
+payload='raw ; set -g @raw_tail yes'
+accept_prompt M-r "$payload"
+wait_option @r "$payload"
+wait_option @raw_tail unchanged
 
 # All instances of %1 are replaced.
 reset_options
@@ -166,12 +186,56 @@ wait_option @one one
 wait_option @two two
 wait_option @two_again two
 
-# %idx% uses double-quote escaping for indexed replacements.
+# %idx% is accepted like %idx, with no quotation escaping.
 reset_options
 payload='b"$;~\y'
 accept_two_prompts M-i ignored "$payload"
 wait_option @double_index "$payload"
 
+# Responses are not scanned again for markers from later prompt values.
+reset_options
+accept_two_prompts M-m '%2/%%' two
+wait_option @one '%2/%%'
+wait_option @two two
+wait_option @two_again two
+
+# A missing response and invalid or trailing percent markers stay literal.
+reset_options
+accept_prompt M-u unused
+wait_option @plain '%9 %0 %'
+
+# Reuse the stored string tree with a different response. Expansion must not
+# mutate the tree or carry the first-%% state across separate invocations.
+reset_options
+payload="another'quote"
+accept_prompt M-s "$payload"
+wait_option @r "$payload"
+
+# Braced bodies preserve the same first-%% rule across commands and within an
+# argument. Indexed replacements do not consume this first-%% marker.
+reset_options
+payload="brace'quote ; set -g @marker changed"
+accept_prompt M-b "$payload"
+wait_option @r "$payload"
+wait_option @marker unchanged
+accept_prompt M-t "$payload"
+wait_option @first "$payload"
+wait_option @second %%
+accept_prompt M-w value
+wait_option @r 'value/%%'
+
+reset_options
+accept_two_prompts M-v '%2/%%' two
+wait_option @one '%2/%%'
+wait_option @two two
+wait_option @two_again two
+wait_option @r '%2/%%'
+payload="can't ; set -g @marker changed"
+payload="$payload"' ; "$HOME" ~ \ %2'
+accept_prompt M-q "$payload"
+wait_option @r "$payload"
+wait_option @marker unchanged
+
 # A template without replacement markers is left alone.
 reset_options
 accept_prompt M-n 'unused ; set -g @marker changed'
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 580d2ba22..93bed36a3 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -8089,10 +8089,17 @@ Up to nine prompt responses may be replaced
 to
 .Ql %9
 .Pc .
+The template is parsed before prompting, and responses are substituted literally
+into its argument values without being parsed again.
+Spaces, quotes and semicolons in a response do not add arguments or commands.
 .Ql %%%
-is like
+is accepted like
 .Ql %%
-but any quotation marks are escaped.
+and
+.Ql %1%
+like
+.Ql %1 ,
+without adding escapes.
 .Pp
 .Fl 1
 makes the prompt only accept one key press, in this case the resulting input