diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 7608533c..cc270bc0 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -1139,20 +1139,25 @@ format_defaults_client(struct format_tree *ft, struct client *c)
 {
 	struct session	*s;
 	const char	*name;
+	struct tty	*tty = &c->tty;
+	const char	*types[] = TTY_TYPES;
 
 	if (ft->s == NULL)
 		ft->s = c->session;
 
 	format_add(ft, "client_pid", "%ld", (long) c->pid);
-	format_add(ft, "client_height", "%u", c->tty.sy);
-	format_add(ft, "client_width", "%u", c->tty.sx);
-	if (c->tty.path != NULL)
-		format_add(ft, "client_tty", "%s", c->tty.path);
-	if (c->tty.termname != NULL)
-		format_add(ft, "client_termname", "%s", c->tty.termname);
+	format_add(ft, "client_height", "%u", tty->sy);
+	format_add(ft, "client_width", "%u", tty->sx);
+	if (tty->path != NULL)
+		format_add(ft, "client_tty", "%s", tty->path);
 	format_add(ft, "client_control_mode", "%d",
 		!!(c->flags & CLIENT_CONTROL));
 
+	if (tty->term_name != NULL)
+		format_add(ft, "client_termname", "%s", tty->term_name);
+	if (tty->term_name != NULL)
+		format_add(ft, "client_termtype", "%s", types[tty->term_type]);
+
 	format_add_tv(ft, "client_created", &c->creation_time);
 	format_add_tv(ft, "client_activity", &c->activity_time);
 
@@ -1163,7 +1168,7 @@ format_defaults_client(struct format_tree *ft, struct client *c)
 		format_add(ft, "client_prefix", "%d", 1);
 	format_add(ft, "client_key_table", "%s", c->keytable->name);
 
-	if (c->tty.flags & TTY_UTF8)
+	if (tty->flags & TTY_UTF8)
 		format_add(ft, "client_utf8", "%d", 1);
 	else
 		format_add(ft, "client_utf8", "%d", 0);
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 73ce6e46..bb7a8b1e 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -3516,6 +3516,7 @@ The following variables are available, where appropriate:
 .It Li "client_readonly" Ta "" Ta "1 if client is readonly"
 .It Li "client_session" Ta "" Ta "Name of the client's session"
 .It Li "client_termname" Ta "" Ta "Terminal name of client"
+.It Li "client_termtype" Ta "" Ta "Terminal type of client"
 .It Li "client_tty" Ta "" Ta "Pseudo terminal of client"
 .It Li "client_utf8" Ta "" Ta "1 if client supports utf8"
 .It Li "client_width" Ta "" Ta "Width of client"
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 148f1963..b109bffd 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1114,9 +1114,6 @@ struct tty {
 	u_int		 rleft;
 	u_int		 rright;
 
-	char		*termname;
-	struct tty_term	*term;
-
 	int		 fd;
 	struct bufferevent *event;
 
@@ -1133,6 +1130,8 @@ struct tty {
 #define TTY_FOCUS 0x40
 	int		 flags;
 
+	struct tty_term	*term;
+	char		*term_name;
 	int		 term_flags;
 	enum {
 		TTY_VT100,
@@ -1154,6 +1153,8 @@ struct tty {
 	struct event	 key_timer;
 	struct tty_key	*key_tree;
 };
+#define TTY_TYPES \
+	{ "VT100", "VT101", "VT102", "VT220", "VT320", "VT420", "UNKNOWN" }
 
 /* TTY command context. */
 struct tty_ctx {
diff --git a/tty-keys.c b/tty-keys.c
index 802bbbdc..f23411ae 100644
--- a/tty-keys.c
+++ b/tty-keys.c
@@ -837,9 +837,10 @@ static int
 tty_keys_device_attributes(struct tty *tty, const char *buf, size_t len,
     size_t *size)
 {
-	u_int		 i, a, b;
-	char		 tmp[64], *endptr;
-	const char	*s;
+	u_int			 i, a, b;
+	char			 tmp[64], *endptr;
+	static const char	*types[] = TTY_TYPES;
+	int			 type;
 
 	*size = 0;
 
@@ -877,35 +878,29 @@ tty_keys_device_attributes(struct tty *tty, const char *buf, size_t len,
 	} else
 		a = b = 0;
 
-	s = "UNKNOWN";
+	type = TTY_UNKNOWN;
 	switch (a) {
 	case 1:
-		if (b == 2) {
-			tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT100);
-			s = "VT100";
-		} else if (b == 0) {
-			tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT101);
-			s = "VT101";
-		}
+		if (b == 2)
+			type = TTY_VT100;
+		else if (b == 0)
+			type = TTY_VT101;
 		break;
 	case 6:
-		tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT102);
-		s = "VT102";
+		type = TTY_VT102;
 		break;
 	case 62:
-		tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT220);
-		s = "VT220";
+		type = TTY_VT220;
 		break;
 	case 63:
-		tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT320);
-		s = "VT320";
+		type = TTY_VT320;
 		break;
 	case 64:
-		tty_set_type(tty, TTY_VT420);
-		s = "VT420";
+		type = TTY_VT420;
 		break;
 	}
-	log_debug("received DA %.*s (%s)", (int)*size, buf, s);
+	tty_set_type(tty, type);
 
+	log_debug("received DA %.*s (%s)", (int)*size, buf, types[type]);
 	return (0);
 }
diff --git a/tty.c b/tty.c
index 3892df6d..23a74255 100644
--- a/tty.c
+++ b/tty.c
@@ -105,9 +105,9 @@ tty_init(struct tty *tty, struct client *c, int fd, char *term)
 	memset(tty, 0, sizeof *tty);
 
 	if (term == NULL || *term == '\0')
-		tty->termname = xstrdup("unknown");
+		tty->term_name = xstrdup("unknown");
 	else
-		tty->termname = xstrdup(term);
+		tty->term_name = xstrdup(term);
 	tty->fd = fd;
 	tty->client = c;
 
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ tty_set_size(struct tty *tty, u_int sx, u_int sy)
 int
 tty_open(struct tty *tty, char **cause)
 {
-	tty->term = tty_term_find(tty->termname, tty->fd, cause);
+	tty->term = tty_term_find(tty->term_name, tty->fd, cause);
 	if (tty->term == NULL) {
 		tty_close(tty);
 		return (-1);
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ tty_free(struct tty *tty)
 
 	free(tty->ccolour);
 	free(tty->path);
-	free(tty->termname);
+	free(tty->term_name);
 }
 
 void