Given the following line in the .screenrc: hardstatus alwayslastline "%H: %n %t | %w | %l | %c:%s" If you start screen and then change the time with e.g. "date -s '1 minute ago'", screen's status line shows the same time for one minute and only then continues to show the current system time. Note to myself: Not yet forwarded to upstream, just recorded here for now.