diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index d5389ff4..b151d297 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -478,11 +478,21 @@ void con_move_to_workspace(Con *con, Con *workspace) {
 
     DLOG("Re-attaching container to %p / %s\n", next, next->name);
     /* 5: re-attach the con to the parent of this focused container */
+    Con *parent = con->parent;
     con_detach(con);
     con_attach(con, next, false);
 
     /* 6: keep focus on the current workspace */
     con_focus(focus_next);
+
+    /* 7: check if the parent container is empty now and close it */
+    if (parent->type != CT_WORKSPACE &&
+        TAILQ_EMPTY(&(parent->nodes_head))) {
+        DLOG("Closing empty parent container\n");
+        /* TODO: check if this container would swallow any other client and
+         * don’t close it automatically. */
+        tree_close(parent, false, false);
+    }
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/testcases/t/30-close-empty-split.t b/testcases/t/30-close-empty-split.t
index f1b7c2ab..44aa3372 100644
--- a/testcases/t/30-close-empty-split.t
+++ b/testcases/t/30-close-empty-split.t
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 #
 # Check if empty split containers are automatically closed.
 #
-use i3test tests => 4;
+use i3test tests => 8;
 use Time::HiRes qw(sleep);
 
 my $i3 = i3("/tmp/nestedcons");
@@ -42,4 +42,44 @@ $i3->command('kill')->recv;
 ($nodes, $focus) = get_ws_content($tmp);
 isnt($nodes->[0]->{id}, $split, 'split container closed');
 
+##############################################################
+# same thing but this time we are moving the cons away instead
+# of killing them
+##############################################################
+
+$tmp = get_unused_workspace();
+$i3->command("workspace $tmp")->recv;
+
+ok(@{get_ws_content($tmp)} == 0, 'no containers yet');
+
+$first = open_empty_con($i3);
+$second = open_empty_con($i3);
+$i3->command(qq|[con_id="$first"] focus|)->recv;
+
+$i3->command('split v')->recv;
+
+($nodes, $focus) = get_ws_content($tmp);
+
+is($nodes->[0]->{focused}, 0, 'split container not focused');
+
+# focus the split container
+$i3->command('level up')->recv;
+($nodes, $focus) = get_ws_content($tmp);
+my $split = $focus->[0];
+$i3->command('level down')->recv;
+
+my $second = open_empty_con($i3);
+
+isnt($first, $second, 'different container focused');
+
+##############################################################
+# close both windows and see if the split container still exists
+##############################################################
+
+my $otmp = get_unused_workspace();
+$i3->command("move workspace $otmp")->recv;
+$i3->command("move workspace $otmp")->recv;
+($nodes, $focus) = get_ws_content($tmp);
+isnt($nodes->[0]->{id}, $split, 'split container closed');
+
 diag( "Testing i3, Perl $], $^X" );