diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 680f0a8..089e103 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -4819,3 +4819,17 @@ coupled, for example, with --buttonbar 0.  Azundris spotted this ages
 ago, and I've been putting off fixing it.  But it should be all
 straightened out now.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------
+Mon Oct  7 22:19:58 2002                        Michael Jennings (mej)
+
+Patch from Azundris for Escreen.  In her words:
+
+Debian Unstable comes with a version that is newer than 3.09.11 (which
+most other distributions seem to have).  On top of that, it comes with
+a global setup file in /etc that breaks our very best intentions.
+Find enclosed some modifications that will (hopefully) make screen
+work on those special Debs in your life as well as on the machines it
+used to run on so far.  As a side-effect, the default action is now
+-RDD rather than -xRR, but since several people have requested that
+anyways, I might be the only one missing the previous default.  Guess
+I'll change my actionclasses.cfg and hold my peace forever.  : )
+----------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/doc/Eterm.1.in b/doc/Eterm.1.in
index b5e6c78..274fba7 100644
--- a/doc/Eterm.1.in
+++ b/doc/Eterm.1.in
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ Pick up a "screen" session at
 .I URL
 rather than a local (-U "") one. URLs look like so
 (screen://user@host.dom:port/screen_options), with all parts optional,
-defaulting to "screen://current_user@localhost:22/-xRR". Forces Escreen mode,
+defaulting to "screen://current_user@localhost:22/-RDD". Forces Escreen mode,
 overrides \-\-exec. Note that only screen-options (see "man screen") are
 allowed; do not pass a command (with or without arguments) here: to pass
 a command to the screen-session, use
diff --git a/doc/README.Escreen b/doc/README.Escreen
index a34ca4f..7e2ab98 100644
--- a/doc/README.Escreen
+++ b/doc/README.Escreen
@@ -86,6 +86,8 @@ A  An Eterm should open with a screen (without a status-line) running
 
 Q  What's new?
 
+*  Should work with Debian Unstable now (2002/10/03)
+
 *  libscream's functions are available through Eterm's scripting
    facility.  See escreen.cfg for an example.
 
@@ -237,14 +239,14 @@ Q  Escreen only creates a new session when there is none; otherwise,
    it connects to the existing one!
 
 A  It's not a bug, it's a feature. : )  The default parameters for
-   the screen Escreen starts are "-xRR".  You can override those by
+   the screen Escreen starts are "-RDD".  You can override those by
    putting your own parameters in the URL
 
      Eterm -U "protocol://user@host:port/screen_parameters"
 
    like so:
 
-     Eterm -U "screen://foo@bar.com/-r"
+     Eterm -U "screen://foo@bar.com/-xRR"
 
    or, for a local screen with no parameters:
 
diff --git a/src/screamcfg.h b/src/screamcfg.h
index 9b8dec9..9b38e18 100644
--- a/src/screamcfg.h
+++ b/src/screamcfg.h
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 #define NS_SCREAM_CALL       "scream %s"
 #define NS_SCREAM_OPTS       "-xRR"
 #define NS_SCREEN_CALL       "screen %s"
-#define NS_SCREEN_OPTS       "-xRR"
+#define NS_SCREEN_OPTS       "-RDD"
 #define NS_SCREEN_GREP       "grep escape \"$SCREENRC\" 2>/dev/null || grep escape ~/.screenrc 2>/dev/null || grep escape \"$SYSSCREENRC\" 2>/dev/null || grep escape /etc/screenrc 2>/dev/null || grep escape /usr/local/etc/screenrc 2>/dev/null || echo \"escape ^Aa\"\n"
 #define NS_SCREEM_CALL       "%s 2>/dev/null || %s"
 #define NS_WRAP_CALL         "export TERM=vt100; screen -wipe; %s"
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
 #define NS_SCREEN_UPDATE     "\x01w"
 #define NS_SCREEN_VERSION    "\x01v"
 #define NS_SCREEN_SESSION    "\x01:sessionname\r"
-#define NS_SCREEN_INIT       "\x01:msgminwait 0\r\x01:msgwait 0\r\x01:hardstatus lastline \"%w\"\r\x01:defhstatus \"\\005w\"\r\x01:hstatus \"\\005w\"\r\x01:nethack off\r" NS_SCREEN_UPDATE "\r" NS_SCREEN_VERSION NS_SCREEN_SESSION "\x0c" NS_SCREEN_UPDATE "\r"
+#define NS_SCREEN_INIT       "\x01:msgminwait 0\r\x01:msgwait 0\r\x01:hardstatus on\r\x01:hardstatus alwayslastline \"%w\"\r\x01:defhstatus \"\\005w\"\r\x01:hstatus \"\\005w\"\r\x01:nethack off\r" NS_SCREEN_UPDATE "\r" NS_SCREEN_VERSION NS_SCREEN_SESSION "\x0c" NS_SCREEN_UPDATE "\r"
 #define NS_SCREEN_PRVS_REG   "\x01:focus up\r"
 
 #define NS_DFLT_SSH_PORT     22