diff --git a/cmd-show-options.c b/cmd-show-options.c
index a5ee2e4f..9e84c64a 100644
--- a/cmd-show-options.c
+++ b/cmd-show-options.c
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ cmd_show_options_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	struct cmd_target_data		*data = self->data;
 	struct session			*s;
 	struct options			*oo;
+	struct options_entry		*o;
 	const struct set_option_entry   *entry;
-	char				*vs;
-	long long			 vn;
+	const char			*optval;
 
 	if (data->chflags & CMD_CHFLAG('g'))
 		oo = &global_s_options;
@@ -59,46 +59,10 @@ cmd_show_options_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	}
 
 	for (entry = set_option_table; entry->name != NULL; entry++) {
-		if (options_find1(oo, entry->name) == NULL)
+		if ((o = options_find1(oo, entry->name)) == NULL)
 			continue;
-
-		switch (entry->type) {
-		case SET_OPTION_STRING:
-			vs = options_get_string(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s \"%s\"", entry->name, vs);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_NUMBER:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %lld", entry->name, vn);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_KEY:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, key_string_lookup_key(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_COLOUR:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, colour_tostring(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_ATTRIBUTES:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, attributes_tostring(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_FLAG:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			if (vn)
-				ctx->print(ctx, "%s on", entry->name);
-			else
-				ctx->print(ctx, "%s off", entry->name);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_CHOICE:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, entry->choices[vn]);
-			break;
-		}
+		optval = set_option_print(entry, o);
+		ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s", entry->name, optval);
 	}
 
 	return (0);
diff --git a/cmd-show-window-options.c b/cmd-show-window-options.c
index cfff8045..04477233 100644
--- a/cmd-show-window-options.c
+++ b/cmd-show-window-options.c
@@ -46,9 +46,9 @@ cmd_show_window_options_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	struct cmd_target_data		*data = self->data;
 	struct winlink			*wl;
 	struct options			*oo;
+	struct options_entry		*o;
 	const struct set_option_entry	*entry;
-	char				*vs;
-	long long			 vn;
+	const char			*optval;
 
 	if (data->chflags & CMD_CHFLAG('g'))
 		oo = &global_w_options;
@@ -59,46 +59,10 @@ cmd_show_window_options_exec(struct cmd *self, struct cmd_ctx *ctx)
 	}
 
 	for (entry = set_window_option_table; entry->name != NULL; entry++) {
-		if (options_find1(oo, entry->name) == NULL)
+		if ((o = options_find1(oo, entry->name)) == NULL)
 			continue;
-
-		switch (entry->type) {
-		case SET_OPTION_STRING:
-			vs = options_get_string(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s \"%s\"", entry->name, vs);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_NUMBER:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %lld", entry->name, vn);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_KEY:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, key_string_lookup_key(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_COLOUR:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, colour_tostring(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_ATTRIBUTES:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
- 			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, attributes_tostring(vn));
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_FLAG:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			if (vn)
-				ctx->print(ctx, "%s on", entry->name);
-			else
-				ctx->print(ctx, "%s off", entry->name);
-			break;
-		case SET_OPTION_CHOICE:
-			vn = options_get_number(oo, entry->name);
-			ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s",
-			    entry->name, entry->choices[vn]);
-			break;
-		}
+		optval = set_option_print(entry, o);
+		ctx->print(ctx, "%s %s", entry->name, optval);
 	}
 
 	return (0);
diff --git a/options-cmd.c b/options-cmd.c
index 4cdd75d0..0e41a62c 100644
--- a/options-cmd.c
+++ b/options-cmd.c
@@ -23,6 +23,46 @@
 
 #include "tmux.h"
 
+const char *
+set_option_print(const struct set_option_entry *entry, struct options_entry *o)
+{
+	static char	out[BUFSIZ];
+	const char     *s;
+
+	*out = '\0';
+	switch (entry->type) {
+		case SET_OPTION_STRING:
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "\"%s\"", o->str);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_NUMBER:
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "%lld", o->num);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_KEY:
+			s = key_string_lookup_key(o->num);
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "%s", s);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_COLOUR:
+			s = colour_tostring(o->num);
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "%s", s);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_ATTRIBUTES:
+			s = attributes_tostring(o->num);
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "%s", s);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_FLAG:
+			if (o->num)
+				strlcpy(out, "on", sizeof out);
+			else
+				strlcpy(out, "off", sizeof out);
+			break;
+		case SET_OPTION_CHOICE:
+			s = entry->choices[o->num];
+			xsnprintf(out, sizeof out, "%s", s);
+			break;
+	}
+	return (out);
+}
+
 void
 set_option_string(struct cmd_ctx *ctx, struct options *oo,
     const struct set_option_entry *entry, char *value, int append)
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 64409ae8..3f804b72 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1238,6 +1238,8 @@ void	tty_keys_free(struct tty *);
 int	tty_keys_next(struct tty *, int *, u_char *);
 
 /* options-cmd.c */
+const char *set_option_print(
+    	    const struct set_option_entry *, struct options_entry *);
 void	set_option_string(struct cmd_ctx *,
 	    struct options *, const struct set_option_entry *, char *, int);
 void	set_option_number(struct cmd_ctx *,