diff --git a/cmd-list-windows.c b/cmd-list-windows.c
index 9c33c2d0..d6cc0b7a 100644
--- a/cmd-list-windows.c
+++ b/cmd-list-windows.c
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@
  */
 
 #define LIST_WINDOWS_TEMPLATE					\
-	"#{window_index}: #{window_name}#{window_flags} "	\
+	"#{window_index}: #{window_name}#{window_raw_flags} "	\
 	"(#{window_panes} panes) "				\
 	"[#{window_width}x#{window_height}] "			\
 	"[layout #{window_layout}] #{window_id}"		\
 	"#{?window_active, (active),}";
 #define LIST_WINDOWS_WITH_SESSION_TEMPLATE			\
 	"#{session_name}:"					\
-	"#{window_index}: #{window_name}#{window_flags} "	\
+	"#{window_index}: #{window_name}#{window_raw_flags} "	\
 	"(#{window_panes} panes) "				\
 	"[#{window_width}x#{window_height}] "
 
diff --git a/control-notify.c b/control-notify.c
index a1735d57..cc706ac2 100644
--- a/control-notify.c
+++ b/control-notify.c
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ control_notify_window_layout_changed(struct window *w)
 	char		*cp;
 
 	template = "%layout-change #{window_id} #{window_layout} "
-	    "#{window_visible_layout} #{window_flags}";
+	    "#{window_visible_layout} #{window_raw_flags}";
 
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(c, &clients, entry) {
 		if (!CONTROL_SHOULD_NOTIFY_CLIENT(c) || c->session == NULL)
diff --git a/format.c b/format.c
index 2d7402af..df1898a6 100644
--- a/format.c
+++ b/format.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ format_job_cmp(struct format_job *fj1, struct format_job *fj2)
 #define FORMAT_TIMESTRING 0x1
 #define FORMAT_BASENAME 0x2
 #define FORMAT_DIRNAME 0x4
-#define FORMAT_QUOTE 0x8
+#define FORMAT_QUOTE_SHELL 0x8
 #define FORMAT_LITERAL 0x10
 #define FORMAT_EXPAND 0x20
 #define FORMAT_EXPANDTIME 0x40
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ format_job_cmp(struct format_job *fj1, struct format_job *fj2)
 #define FORMAT_PRETTY 0x400
 #define FORMAT_LENGTH 0x800
 #define FORMAT_WIDTH 0x1000
-#define FORMAT_ESCAPE 0x2000
+#define FORMAT_QUOTE_STYLE 0x2000
 
 /* Limit on recursion. */
 #define FORMAT_LOOP_LIMIT 10
@@ -1378,9 +1378,9 @@ format_add_cb(struct format_tree *ft, const char *key, format_cb cb)
 	fe->value = NULL;
 }
 
-/* Quote special characters in string. */
+/* Quote shell special characters in string. */
 static char *
-format_quote(const char *s)
+format_quote_shell(const char *s)
 {
 	const char	*cp;
 	char		*out, *at;
@@ -1395,9 +1395,9 @@ format_quote(const char *s)
 	return (out);
 }
 
-/* Escape #s in string. */
+/* Quote #s in string. */
 static char *
-format_escape(const char *s)
+format_quote_style(const char *s)
 {
 	const char	*cp;
 	char		*out, *at;
@@ -1552,14 +1552,14 @@ found:
 		found = xstrdup(dirname(saved));
 		free(saved);
 	}
-	if (modifiers & FORMAT_QUOTE) {
+	if (modifiers & FORMAT_QUOTE_SHELL) {
 		saved = found;
-		found = xstrdup(format_quote(saved));
+		found = xstrdup(format_quote_shell(saved));
 		free(saved);
 	}
-	if (modifiers & FORMAT_ESCAPE) {
+	if (modifiers & FORMAT_QUOTE_STYLE) {
 		saved = found;
-		found = xstrdup(format_escape(saved));
+		found = xstrdup(format_quote_style(saved));
 		free(saved);
 	}
 	return (found);
@@ -2240,9 +2240,10 @@ format_replace(struct format_expand_state *es, const char *key, size_t keylen,
 				break;
 			case 'q':
 				if (fm->argc < 1)
-					modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE;
-				else if (strchr(fm->argv[0], 'e') != NULL)
-					modifiers |= FORMAT_ESCAPE;
+					modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE_SHELL;
+				else if (strchr(fm->argv[0], 'e') != NULL ||
+				    strchr(fm->argv[0], 'h') != NULL)
+					modifiers |= FORMAT_QUOTE_STYLE;
 				break;
 			case 'E':
 				modifiers |= FORMAT_EXPAND;
@@ -2980,7 +2981,8 @@ format_defaults_winlink(struct format_tree *ft, struct winlink *wl)
 
 	format_add(ft, "window_index", "%d", wl->idx);
 	format_add_cb(ft, "window_stack_index", format_cb_window_stack_index);
-	format_add(ft, "window_flags", "%s", window_printable_flags(wl));
+	format_add(ft, "window_flags", "%s", window_printable_flags(wl, 1));
+	format_add(ft, "window_raw_flags", "%s", window_printable_flags(wl, 0));
 	format_add(ft, "window_active", "%d", wl == s->curw);
 	format_add_cb(ft, "window_active_sessions",
 	    format_cb_window_active_sessions);
diff --git a/options-table.c b/options-table.c
index a8276c86..74a59134 100644
--- a/options-table.c
+++ b/options-table.c
@@ -1018,7 +1018,7 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	{ .name = "window-status-current-format",
 	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_WINDOW,
-	  .default_str = "#I:#W#{?window_flags,#{q/e:window_flags}, }",
+	  .default_str = "#I:#W#{?window_flags,#{window_flags}, }",
 	  .text = "Format of the current window in the status line."
 	},
 
@@ -1034,7 +1034,7 @@ const struct options_table_entry options_table[] = {
 	{ .name = "window-status-format",
 	  .type = OPTIONS_TABLE_STRING,
 	  .scope = OPTIONS_TABLE_WINDOW,
-	  .default_str = "#I:#W#{?window_flags,#{q/e:window_flags}, }",
+	  .default_str = "#I:#W#{?window_flags,#{window_flags}, }",
 	  .text = "Format of windows in the status line, except the current "
 		  "window."
 	},
diff --git a/tmux.1 b/tmux.1
index 93842482..8c812f38 100644
--- a/tmux.1
+++ b/tmux.1
@@ -4651,8 +4651,8 @@ of the variable respectively.
 .Ql q:\&
 will escape
 .Xr sh 1
-special characters or with an
-.Ql e
+special characters or with a
+.Ql h
 suffix, escape hash characters (so
 .Ql #
 becomes
@@ -4882,7 +4882,8 @@ The following variables are available, where appropriate:
 .It Li "window_cell_height" Ta "" Ta "Height of each cell in pixels"
 .It Li "window_cell_width" Ta "" Ta "Width of each cell in pixels"
 .It Li "window_end_flag" Ta "" Ta "1 if window has the highest index"
-.It Li "window_flags" Ta "#F" Ta "Window flags"
+.It Li "window_flags" Ta "#F" Ta "Window flags with # escaped as ##"
+.It Li "window_raw_flags" Ta "" Ta "Window flags with nothing escaped"
 .It Li "window_format" Ta "" Ta "1 if format is for a window"
 .It Li "window_height" Ta "" Ta "Height of window"
 .It Li "window_id" Ta "" Ta "Unique window ID"
diff --git a/tmux.h b/tmux.h
index 32f7fec7..c593a175 100644
--- a/tmux.h
+++ b/tmux.h
@@ -2761,7 +2761,7 @@ int		 window_pane_key(struct window_pane *, struct client *,
 int		 window_pane_visible(struct window_pane *);
 u_int		 window_pane_search(struct window_pane *, const char *, int,
 		     int);
-const char	*window_printable_flags(struct winlink *);
+const char	*window_printable_flags(struct winlink *, int);
 struct window_pane *window_pane_find_up(struct window_pane *);
 struct window_pane *window_pane_find_down(struct window_pane *);
 struct window_pane *window_pane_find_left(struct window_pane *);
diff --git a/window.c b/window.c
index 22986a04..6bfdb1cd 100644
--- a/window.c
+++ b/window.c
@@ -803,15 +803,18 @@ window_destroy_panes(struct window *w)
 }
 
 const char *
-window_printable_flags(struct winlink *wl)
+window_printable_flags(struct winlink *wl, int escape)
 {
 	struct session	*s = wl->session;
 	static char	 flags[32];
 	int		 pos;
 
 	pos = 0;
-	if (wl->flags & WINLINK_ACTIVITY)
+	if (wl->flags & WINLINK_ACTIVITY) {
 		flags[pos++] = '#';
+		if (escape)
+			flags[pos++] = '#';
+	}
 	if (wl->flags & WINLINK_BELL)
 		flags[pos++] = '!';
 	if (wl->flags & WINLINK_SILENCE)