diff --git a/cmd-bind-key.c b/cmd-bind-key.c
index 4ed84ac3..c535612f 100644
--- a/cmd-bind-key.c
+++ b/cmd-bind-key.c
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ cmd_bind_key_parse(struct cmd *self, int argc, char **argv, char **cause)
 			data->can_repeat = 1;
 			break;
 		case 't':
-			data->tablename = xstrdup(optarg);
+			if (data->tablename == NULL)
+				data->tablename = xstrdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		default:
 			goto usage;
diff --git a/cmd-switch-client.c b/cmd-switch-client.c
index 9ff1c081..03cb7c8d 100644
--- a/cmd-switch-client.c
+++ b/cmd-switch-client.c
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ cmd_switch_client_parse(struct cmd *self, int argc, char **argv, char **cause)
 	while ((opt = getopt(argc, argv, "c:t:")) != -1) {
 		switch (opt) {
 		case 'c':
-			data->name = xstrdup(optarg);
+			if (data->name == NULL)
+				data->name = xstrdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		case 't':
-			data->target = xstrdup(optarg);
+			if (data->target == NULL)
+				data->target = xstrdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		default:
 			goto usage;
diff --git a/cmd-unbind-key.c b/cmd-unbind-key.c
index 4633274d..c5a97301 100644
--- a/cmd-unbind-key.c
+++ b/cmd-unbind-key.c
@@ -67,7 +67,8 @@ cmd_unbind_key_parse(struct cmd *self, int argc, char **argv, char **cause)
 			no_prefix = 1;
 			break;
 		case 't':
-			data->tablename = xstrdup(optarg);
+			if (data->tablename == NULL)
+				data->tablename = xstrdup(optarg);
 			break;
 		default:
 			goto usage;