diff --git a/cmd-list-keys.c b/cmd-list-keys.c
index 405c03c7..d8065259 100644
--- a/cmd-list-keys.c
+++ b/cmd-list-keys.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@
 	","							\
 	"bind-key #{?key_has_repeat,#{?key_repeat,-r,  },} "	\
 	"-T #{p|#{key_table_width}:key_table} "			\
-	"#{p|#{key_string_width}:key_string} "			\
+	"#{p|#{key_string_width}:#{q|a:key_string}} "		\
 	"#{key_command}}"
 
 static enum cmd_retval cmd_list_keys_exec(struct cmd *, struct cmdq_item *);
diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index d94c724d..1756c170 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ format_job_cmp(struct format_job *fj1, struct format_job *fj2)
 #define FORMAT_NOT 0x80000
 #define FORMAT_NOT_NOT 0x100000
 #define FORMAT_REPEAT 0x200000
+#define FORMAT_QUOTE_ARGUMENTS 0x400000
 
 /* Limit on recursion. */
 #define FORMAT_LOOP_LIMIT 100
@@ -4182,6 +4183,11 @@ found:
 		found = format_quote_style(saved);
 		free(saved);
 	}
+	if (modifiers & FORMAT_QUOTE_ARGUMENTS) {
+		saved = found;
+		found = args_escape(saved);
+		free(saved);
+	}
 	return (found);
 }
 
@@ -5155,6 +5161,8 @@ format_replace(struct format_expand_state *es, const char *key, size_t keylen,
 				else if (strchr(fm->argv[0], 'e') != NULL ||
 				    strchr(fm->argv[0], 'h') != NULL)
 					modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE_STYLE;
+				else if (strchr(fm->argv[0], 'a') != NULL)
+					modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE_ARGUMENTS;
 				break;
 			case 'E':
 				modifiers |= FORMAT_EXPAND;
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 31eda943..a4df059e 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -6288,12 +6288,17 @@ of the variable respectively.
 .Ql q:\&
 will escape
 .Xr sh 1
-special characters or with a
+special characters; with a
 .Ql h
 suffix, escape hash characters (so
 .Ql #
 becomes
-.Ql ## ) .
+.Ql ## ) ;
+or with
+.Ql a
+escape
+.Nm
+command arguments.
 .Ql E:\&
 will expand the format twice, for example
 .Ql #{E:status\-left}