diff --git a/server-client.c b/server-client.c
index 52842e38..fa21fa79 100644
--- a/server-client.c
+++ b/server-client.c
@@ -1511,7 +1511,9 @@ server_client_click_timer(__unused int fd, __unused short events, void *data)
 static void
 server_client_check_exit(struct client *c)
 {
-	if (!(c->flags & CLIENT_EXIT))
+	if (~c->flags & CLIENT_EXIT)
+		return;
+	if (c->flags & CLIENT_EXITED)
 		return;
 
 	if (EVBUFFER_LENGTH(c->stdin_data) != 0)
@@ -1524,7 +1526,7 @@ server_client_check_exit(struct client *c)
 	if (c->flags & CLIENT_ATTACHED)
 		notify_client("client-detached", c);
 	proc_send(c->peer, MSG_EXIT, -1, &c->retval, sizeof c->retval);
-	c->flags &= ~CLIENT_EXIT;
+	c->flags |= CLIENT_EXITED;
 }
 
 /* Redraw timer callback. */
diff --git a/server.c b/server.c
index 18818c38..fc3730ad 100644
--- a/server.c
+++ b/server.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@
 struct clients		 clients;
 
 struct tmuxproc		*server_proc;
-static int		 server_fd;
+static int		 server_fd = -1;
 static int		 server_exit;
 static struct event	 server_ev_accept;
 
@@ -208,11 +208,10 @@ server_start(struct tmuxproc *client, struct event_base *base, int lockfd,
 		cmdq_append(c, cmdq_get_error(cause));
 		free(cause);
 		c->flags |= CLIENT_EXIT;
-	}
+	} else
+		start_cfg();
 
-	start_cfg();
 	server_add_accept(0);
-
 	proc_loop(server_proc, server_loop);
 
 	job_kill_all();
@@ -364,6 +363,9 @@ server_add_accept(int timeout)
 {
 	struct timeval tv = { timeout, 0 };
 
+	if (server_fd == -1)
+		return;
+
 	if (event_initialized(&server_ev_accept))
 		event_del(&server_ev_accept);
 
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index f8ceb95d..76bf8303 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1490,7 +1490,7 @@ struct client {
 #define CLIENT_REPEAT 0x20
 #define CLIENT_SUSPENDED 0x40
 #define CLIENT_ATTACHED 0x80
-/* 0x100 unused */
+#define CLIENT_EXITED 0x100
 #define CLIENT_DEAD 0x200
 #define CLIENT_REDRAWBORDERS 0x400
 #define CLIENT_READONLY 0x800