diff --git a/cfg.c b/cfg.c
index 009c748c..f781e825 100644
--- a/cfg.c
+++ b/cfg.c
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ cfg_done(__unused struct cmdq_item *item, __unused void *data)
 		cfg_show_causes(RB_MIN(sessions, &sessions));
 
 	if (cfg_item != NULL)
-		cfg_item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(cfg_item);
 
 	status_prompt_load_history();
 
diff --git a/cmd-display-panes.c b/cmd-display-panes.c
index aeeb6936..aa665f08 100644
--- a/cmd-display-panes.c
+++ b/cmd-display-panes.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ cmd_display_panes_free(struct client *c)
 	struct cmd_display_panes_data	*cdata = c->overlay_data;
 
 	if (cdata->item != NULL)
-		cdata->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(cdata->item);
 	free(cdata->command);
 	free(cdata);
 }
diff --git a/cmd-if-shell.c b/cmd-if-shell.c
index f795575a..a992602c 100644
--- a/cmd-if-shell.c
+++ b/cmd-if-shell.c
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ cmd_if_shell_callback(struct job *job)
 
 out:
 	if (cdata->item != NULL)
-		cdata->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(cdata->item);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/cmd-load-buffer.c b/cmd-load-buffer.c
index 3e669093..cdf44bf7 100644
--- a/cmd-load-buffer.c
+++ b/cmd-load-buffer.c
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ cmd_load_buffer_callback(struct client *c, int closed, void *data)
 		free(cause);
 	}
 out:
-	cdata->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+	cmdq_continue(cdata->item);
 
 	free(cdata->bufname);
 	free(cdata);
diff --git a/cmd-parse.y b/cmd-parse.y
index 1dbc27a7..6d2b970c 100644
--- a/cmd-parse.y
+++ b/cmd-parse.y
@@ -1338,8 +1338,8 @@ static int
 yylex_token_brace(char **buf, size_t *len)
 {
 	struct cmd_parse_state	*ps = &parse_state;
-	int 			 ch, nesting = 1, escape = 0, quote = '\0';
-	int			 lines = 0;
+	int 			 ch, lines = 0, nesting = 1, escape = 0;
+	int			 quote = '\0', token = 0;
 
 	/*
 	 * Extract a string up to the matching unquoted '}', including newlines
@@ -1349,6 +1349,10 @@ yylex_token_brace(char **buf, size_t *len)
 	 * depth, we scan the input as if it was a tmux config file, and ignore
 	 * braces which would be considered quoted, escaped, or in a comment.
 	 *
+	 * We update the token state after every character because '#' begins a
+	 * comment only when it begins a token. For simplicity, we treat an
+	 * unquoted directive format as comment.
+	 *
 	 * The result is verbatim copy of the input excluding the final brace.
 	 */
 
@@ -1368,6 +1372,8 @@ yylex_token_brace(char **buf, size_t *len)
 		    ch == '\n' ||
 		    ch == '\\')) {
 			escape = 0;
+			if (ch != '\n')
+				token = 1;
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -1383,7 +1389,7 @@ yylex_token_brace(char **buf, size_t *len)
 
 		/* A newline always resets to unquoted. */
 		if (ch == '\n') {
-			quote = 0;
+			quote = token = 0;
 			continue;
 		}
 
@@ -1394,33 +1400,47 @@ yylex_token_brace(char **buf, size_t *len)
 			 */
 			if (ch == quote && quote != '#')
 				quote = 0;
-		} else  {
+			token = 1;  /* token continues regardless */
+		} else {
 			/* Not inside quotes or comment. */
 			switch (ch) {
 			case '"':
 			case '\'':
 			case '#':
-				/* Beginning of quote or comment. */
-				quote = ch;
+				/* Beginning of quote or maybe comment. */
+				if (ch != '#' || !token)
+					quote = ch;
+				token = 1;
+				break;
+			case ' ':
+			case '\t':
+			case ';':
+				/* Delimiter - token resets. */
+				token = 0;
 				break;
 			case '{':
 				nesting++;
+				token = 0; /* new commands set - token resets */
 				break;
 			case '}':
 				nesting--;
+				token = 1;  /* same as after quotes */
 				if (nesting == 0) {
 					(*len)--; /* remove closing } */
 					ps->input->line += lines;
 					return (1);
 				}
 				break;
+			default:
+				token = 1;
+				break;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	/*
-	 * Update line count after error as reporting the opening line
-	 * is more useful than EOF.
+	 * Update line count after error as reporting the opening line is more
+	 * useful than EOF.
 	 */
 	yyerror("unterminated brace string");
 	ps->input->line += lines;
diff --git a/cmd-queue.c b/cmd-queue.c
index 1ee43508..ef68d5d5 100644
--- a/cmd-queue.c
+++ b/cmd-queue.c
@@ -156,6 +156,13 @@ cmdq_insert_hook(struct session *s, struct cmdq_item *item,
 	free(name);
 }
 
+/* Continue processing command queue. */
+void
+cmdq_continue(struct cmdq_item *item)
+{
+	item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+}
+
 /* Remove an item. */
 static void
 cmdq_remove(struct cmdq_item *item)
diff --git a/cmd-run-shell.c b/cmd-run-shell.c
index c9a478c7..2f45f492 100644
--- a/cmd-run-shell.c
+++ b/cmd-run-shell.c
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ cmd_run_shell_callback(struct job *job)
 	free(msg);
 
 	if (cdata->item != NULL)
-		cdata->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(cdata->item);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/cmd-wait-for.c b/cmd-wait-for.c
index 33600eda..4f438a7f 100644
--- a/cmd-wait-for.c
+++ b/cmd-wait-for.c
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ cmd_wait_for_signal(__unused struct cmdq_item *item, const char *name,
 	log_debug("signal wait channel %s, with waiters", wc->name);
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(wi, &wc->waiters, entry, wi1) {
-		wi->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(wi->item);
 
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&wc->waiters, wi, entry);
 		free(wi);
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ cmd_wait_for_unlock(struct cmdq_item *item, const char *name,
 	}
 
 	if ((wi = TAILQ_FIRST(&wc->lockers)) != NULL) {
-		wi->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(wi->item);
 		TAILQ_REMOVE(&wc->lockers, wi, entry);
 		free(wi);
 	} else {
@@ -248,13 +248,13 @@ cmd_wait_for_flush(void)
 
 	RB_FOREACH_SAFE(wc, wait_channels, &wait_channels, wc1) {
 		TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(wi, &wc->waiters, entry, wi1) {
-			wi->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+			cmdq_continue(wi->item);
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&wc->waiters, wi, entry);
 			free(wi);
 		}
 		wc->woken = 1;
 		TAILQ_FOREACH_SAFE(wi, &wc->lockers, entry, wi1) {
-			wi->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+			cmdq_continue(wi->item);
 			TAILQ_REMOVE(&wc->lockers, wi, entry);
 			free(wi);
 		}
diff --git a/menu.c b/menu.c
index fd35399b..cc21c796 100644
--- a/menu.c
+++ b/menu.c
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ menu_free_cb(struct client *c)
 	struct menu_data	*md = c->overlay_data;
 
 	if (md->item != NULL)
-		md->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(md->item);
 
 	if (md->cb != NULL)
 		md->cb(md->menu, UINT_MAX, KEYC_NONE, md->data);
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 1b784104..3473366e 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2039,6 +2039,7 @@ void		 cmdq_insert_after(struct cmdq_item *, struct cmdq_item *);
 void		 cmdq_append(struct client *, struct cmdq_item *);
 void		 cmdq_insert_hook(struct session *, struct cmdq_item *,
 		     struct cmd_find_state *, const char *, ...);
+void		 cmdq_continue(struct cmdq_item *);
 void printflike(3, 4) cmdq_format(struct cmdq_item *, const char *,
 		     const char *, ...);
 u_int		 cmdq_next(struct client *);
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 4c5f7817..e90c4e09 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -1513,7 +1513,7 @@ window_pane_input_callback(struct client *c, int closed, void *data)
 		c->stdin_callback = NULL;
 		server_client_unref(c);
 
-		cdata->item->flags &= ~CMDQ_WAITING;
+		cmdq_continue(cdata->item);
 		free(cdata);
 
 		return;