diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 27795de..3e8267e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 # Changelog
 
 ### master
+- if restore is started when there's only **1 pane in the whole tmux server**,
+  assume the users wants the "full restore" and overrwrite that pane.
 
 ### v2.0.0, 2015-02-10
 - add link to the wiki page for "first pane/window issue" to the README as well
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2de9c76..f2a680e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,15 +51,10 @@ This plugin goes to great lengths to save and restore all the details from your
 Requirements / dependencies: `tmux 1.9` or higher, `bash`.
 
 `tmux-resurrect` is idempotent! It will not try to restore panes or windows that
-already exist.
-
-### FAQ
-
-> I have a problem: first pane/window is not restoring!
-
-Check out
-[this wiki page](https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tmux-resurrect/wiki/Help:-issues-with-the-first-window)
-for the explanation and problem solution.
+already exist.<br/>
+The single exception to this is when tmux is started with only 1 pane in order
+to restore previous tmux env. In this case only will this single pane be
+overwritten.
 
 ### Installation with [Tmux Plugin Manager](https://github.com/tmux-plugins/tpm) (recommended)
 
diff --git a/scripts/restore.sh b/scripts/restore.sh
index 80fa10b..495e286 100755
--- a/scripts/restore.sh
+++ b/scripts/restore.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ d=$'\t'
 # is also not restored. That makes the restoration process more idempotent.
 EXISTING_PANES_VAR=""
 
+RESTORING_FROM_SCRATCH="false"
+
 is_line_type() {
 	local line_type="$1"
 	local line="$2"
@@ -56,6 +58,14 @@ is_pane_registered_as_existing() {
 	[[ "$EXISTING_PANES_VAR" =~ "$pane_custom_id" ]]
 }
 
+restore_from_scratch_true() {
+	RESTORING_FROM_SCRATCH="true"
+}
+
+is_restoring_from_scratch() {
+	[ "$RESTORING_FROM_SCRATCH" == "true" ]
+}
+
 window_exists() {
 	local session_name="$1"
 	local window_number="$2"
@@ -114,9 +124,17 @@ restore_pane() {
 		window_name="$(remove_first_char "$window_name")"
 		pane_full_command="$(remove_first_char "$pane_full_command")"
 		if pane_exists "$session_name" "$window_number" "$pane_index"; then
-			# Pane exists, no need to create it!
-			# Pane existence is registered. Later, it's process also isn't restored.
-			register_existing_pane "$session_name" "$window_number" "$pane_index"
+			if is_restoring_from_scratch; then
+				# overwrite the pane
+				# happens only for the first pane if it's the only registered pane for the whole tmux server
+				local pane_id="$(tmux display-message -p -F "#{pane_id}" -t "$session_name:$window_number")"
+				new_pane "$session_name" "$window_number" "$window_name" "$dir"
+				tmux kill-pane -t "$pane_id"
+			else
+				# Pane exists, no need to create it!
+				# Pane existence is registered. Later, its process also won't be restored.
+				register_existing_pane "$session_name" "$window_number" "$pane_index"
+			fi
 		elif window_exists "$session_name" "$window_number"; then
 			new_pane "$session_name" "$window_number" "$window_name" "$dir"
 		elif session_exists "$session_name"; then
@@ -159,9 +177,25 @@ restore_active_and_alternate_windows_for_grouped_sessions() {
 	done
 }
 
+never_ever_overwrite() {
+	local overwrite_option_value="$(get_tmux_option "$overwrite_option" "")"
+	[ -n "$overwrite_option_value" ]
+}
+
+detect_if_restoring_from_scratch() {
+	if never_ever_overwrite; then
+		return
+	fi
+	local total_number_of_panes="$(tmux list-panes -a | wc -l | sed 's/ //g')"
+	if [ "$total_number_of_panes" -eq 1 ]; then
+		restore_from_scratch_true
+	fi
+}
+
 # functions called from main (ordered)
 
 restore_all_panes() {
+	detect_if_restoring_from_scratch
 	while read line; do
 		if is_line_type "pane" "$line"; then
 			restore_pane "$line"
diff --git a/scripts/variables.sh b/scripts/variables.sh
index d98db26..06c73bb 100644
--- a/scripts/variables.sh
+++ b/scripts/variables.sh
@@ -28,3 +28,6 @@ save_command_strategy_option="@resurrect-save-command-strategy"
 default_save_command_strategy="ps"
 
 bash_history_option="@resurrect-save-bash-history"
+
+# set to 'on' to ensure panes are never ever overwritten
+overwrite_option="@resurrect-never-overwrite"