diff --git a/kittens/ask/main.py b/kittens/ask/main.py
index 476a6bfc7..de9a43cfd 100644
--- a/kittens/ask/main.py
+++ b/kittens/ask/main.py
@@ -95,6 +95,12 @@ letter is the accelerator key and text is the corresponding text.  There can be
 an optional color specification after the letter to indicate what color it should
 be.
 For example: y:Yes and n;red:No
+
+
+--default -d
+A default choice or text. If unspecified, it is no for yesno and empty for the
+others. If the input type is choices and the specified value is not one of the
+available choices, it is empty.
 '''
 
 
@@ -132,7 +138,6 @@ class Choose(Handler):
 
     def __init__(self, cli_opts: AskCLIOptions) -> None:
         self.cli_opts = cli_opts
-        self.response = 'n' if cli_opts.type == 'yesno' else ''
         self.allowed = frozenset('yn')
         self.choices: Dict[str, Choice] = {}
         self.clickable_ranges: Dict[str, Range] = {}
@@ -148,6 +153,12 @@ class Choose(Handler):
                 allowed.append(letter)
                 self.choices[letter] = Choice(text, idx, color)
             self.allowed = frozenset(allowed)
+        if not cli_opts.default:
+            self.response = 'n' if cli_opts.type == 'yesno' else ''
+        elif cli_opts.type == 'choices' and cli_opts.default not in self.allowed:
+            self.response = ''
+        else:
+            self.response = cli_opts.default
 
     def initialize(self) -> None:
         self.cmd.set_cursor_visible(False)
@@ -223,7 +234,7 @@ class Choose(Handler):
         extra = (self.screen_size.cols - w) // 2
         x = extra
         nx = x + wcswidth(yes) + len(sep)
-        self.clickable_ranges = {'y': Range(x, x + wcswidth(yes) - 1, y), 'n': Range(nx, nx + 1, y)}
+        self.clickable_ranges = {'y': Range(x, x + wcswidth(yes) - 1, y), 'n': Range(nx, nx + 2, y)}
         self.print(' ' * extra + text, end='')
 
     def on_text(self, text: str, in_bracketed_paste: bool = False) -> None:
@@ -231,13 +242,14 @@ class Choose(Handler):
         if text in self.allowed:
             self.response = text
             self.quit_loop(0)
+        elif self.cli_opts.type == 'yesno' and text == 'q':
+            self.on_interrupt()
 
     def on_key(self, key_event: KeyEventType) -> None:
-        if self.cli_opts.type == 'yesno':
-            if key_event.matches('esc'):
-                self.on_text('n')
-            elif key_event.matches('enter'):
-                self.on_text('y')
+        if key_event.matches('esc'):
+            self.on_interrupt()
+        elif key_event.matches('enter'):
+            self.quit_loop(0)
 
     def on_click(self, ev: MouseEvent) -> None:
         for letter, r in self.clickable_ranges.items():
@@ -251,6 +263,7 @@ class Choose(Handler):
         self.draw_screen()
 
     def on_interrupt(self) -> None:
+        self.response = ''
         self.quit_loop(1)
     on_eot = on_interrupt
 
@@ -287,7 +300,15 @@ def main(args: List[str]) -> Response:
 
         prompt = '> '
         with suppress(KeyboardInterrupt, EOFError):
-            response = input(prompt)
+            if cli_opts.default:
+                def prefill_text() -> None:
+                    readline.insert_text(cli_opts.default or '')
+                    readline.redisplay()
+                readline.set_pre_input_hook(prefill_text)
+                response = input(prompt)
+                readline.set_pre_input_hook()
+            else:
+                response = input(prompt)
     return {'items': items, 'response': response}
 
 
diff --git a/kitty/boss.py b/kitty/boss.py
index 04a736cbd..f3f4a4f72 100644
--- a/kitty/boss.py
+++ b/kitty/boss.py
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ class Boss:
             if window.has_running_program:
                 msg += ' ' + _('It is running a program.')
             self._run_kitten(
-                'ask', ['--type=yesno', '--message', msg],
+                'ask', ['--type=yesno', '--default=y', '--message', msg],
                 window=window,
                 custom_callback=partial(self.handle_close_window_confirmation, window.id)
             )
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ class Boss:
                 window: Optional[Window] = None, confirm_on_cancel: bool = False) -> None:
         def callback_(res: Dict[str, Any], x: int, boss: Boss) -> None:
             callback(res.get('response') == 'y', *args)
-        self._run_kitten('ask', ['--type=yesno', '--message', msg],
+        self._run_kitten('ask', ['--type=yesno', '--default=y', '--message', msg],
                          window=window, custom_callback=callback_, default_data={'response': 'y' if confirm_on_cancel else 'n'})
 
     def confirm_tab_close(self, tab: Tab) -> None:
@@ -1418,12 +1418,14 @@ class Boss:
     def set_tab_title(self) -> None:
         tab = self.active_tab
         if tab:
-            args = ['--name=tab-title', '--message', _('Enter the new title for this tab below.'), 'do_set_tab_title', str(tab.id)]
+            args = [
+                '--name=tab-title', '--message', _('Enter the new title for this tab below.'),
+                '--default', tab.name or tab.title, 'do_set_tab_title', str(tab.id)]
             self._run_kitten('ask', args)
 
     def do_set_tab_title(self, title: str, tab_id: int) -> None:
         tm = self.active_tab_manager
-        if tm is not None and title:
+        if tm is not None:
             tab_id = int(tab_id)
             for tab in tm.tabs:
                 if tab.id == tab_id:
diff --git a/kitty/window.py b/kitty/window.py
index 936be4f9b..b4f0cec21 100644
--- a/kitty/window.py
+++ b/kitty/window.py
@@ -652,7 +652,8 @@ class Window:
                 get_boss()._run_kitten('ask', ['--type=choices', '--message', _(
                     'What would you like to do with this URL:\n') +
                     styled(unquote(url), fg='yellow'),
-                    '--choice=o:Open', '--choice=c:Copy to clipboard', '--choice=n;red:Nothing'
+                    '--choice=o:Open', '--choice=c:Copy to clipboard', '--choice=n;red:Nothing',
+                    '--default=o'
                     ],
                     window=self,
                     custom_callback=partial(self.hyperlink_open_confirmed, url, cwd),