diff --git a/options.c b/options.c
index 08d9275f..9ea5c118 100644
--- a/options.c
+++ b/options.c
@@ -169,12 +169,17 @@ options_empty(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe)
 struct options_entry *
 options_default(struct options *oo, const struct options_table_entry *oe)
 {
-	struct options_entry	*o;
+	struct options_entry	 *o;
+	u_int			  i;
 
 	o = options_empty(oo, oe);
-	if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_ARRAY)
-		options_array_assign(o, oe->default_str);
-	else if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING)
+	if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_ARRAY) {
+		if (oe->default_arr != NULL) {
+			for (i = 0; oe->default_arr[i] != NULL; i++)
+				options_array_set(o, i, oe->default_arr[i], 0);
+		} else
+			options_array_assign(o, oe->default_str);
+	} else if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING)
 		o->string = xstrdup(oe->default_str);
 	else if (oe->type == OPTIONS_TABLE_STYLE) {
 		style_set(&o->style, &grid_default_cell);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 26f11e23..4b16eb83 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -1497,6 +1497,7 @@ struct options_table_entry {
 
 	const char		 *default_str;
 	long long		  default_num;
+	const char		**default_arr;
 
 	const char		 *separator;
 	const char		 *style;