diff --git a/include/con.h b/include/con.h
index 62eb12d0..7c602115 100644
--- a/include/con.h
+++ b/include/con.h
@@ -14,8 +14,13 @@
 
 /**
  * Create a new container (and attach it to the given parent, if not NULL).
- * This function initializes the data structures and creates the appropriate
- * X11 IDs using x_con_init().
+ * This function only initializes the data structures.
+ *
+ */
+Con *con_new_skeleton(Con *parent, i3Window *window);
+
+
+/* A wrapper for con_new_skeleton, to retain the old con_new behaviour
  *
  */
 Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window);
diff --git a/include/data.h b/include/data.h
index 1632efc7..13acc063 100644
--- a/include/data.h
+++ b/include/data.h
@@ -584,6 +584,9 @@ struct Con {
     /* The ID of this container before restarting. Necessary to correctly
      * interpret back-references in the JSON (such as the focus stack). */
     int old_id;
+
+    /* Depth of the container window */
+    uint16_t depth;
 };
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index 559c1375..53be00f5 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -44,11 +44,10 @@ static void con_force_split_parents_redraw(Con *con) {
 
 /*
  * Create a new container (and attach it to the given parent, if not NULL).
- * This function initializes the data structures and creates the appropriate
- * X11 IDs using x_con_init().
+ * This function only initializes the data structures.
  *
  */
-Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
+Con *con_new_skeleton(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
     Con *new = scalloc(sizeof(Con));
     new->on_remove_child = con_on_remove_child;
     TAILQ_INSERT_TAIL(&all_cons, new, all_cons);
@@ -56,6 +55,10 @@ Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
     new->window = window;
     new->border_style = config.default_border;
     new->current_border_width = -1;
+    if (window)
+        new->depth = window->depth;
+    else
+        new->depth = XCB_COPY_FROM_PARENT;
     static int cnt = 0;
     DLOG("opening window %d\n", cnt);
 
@@ -66,10 +69,6 @@ Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
     cnt++;
     if ((cnt % (sizeof(colors) / sizeof(char*))) == 0)
         cnt = 0;
-    if (window)
-        x_con_init(new, window->depth);
-    else
-        x_con_init(new, XCB_COPY_FROM_PARENT);
 
     TAILQ_INIT(&(new->floating_head));
     TAILQ_INIT(&(new->nodes_head));
@@ -82,6 +81,15 @@ Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
     return new;
 }
 
+/* A wrapper for con_new_skeleton, to retain the old con_new behaviour
+ *
+ */
+Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window) {
+    Con *new = con_new_skeleton(parent, window);
+    x_con_init(new, new->depth);
+    return new;
+}
+
 /*
  * Attaches the given container to the given parent. This happens when moving
  * a container or when inserting a new container at a specific place in the
diff --git a/src/ipc.c b/src/ipc.c
index cf253573..8161b1d2 100644
--- a/src/ipc.c
+++ b/src/ipc.c
@@ -354,6 +354,11 @@ void dump_node(yajl_gen gen, struct Con *con, bool inplace_restart) {
     }
     y(array_close);
 
+    if (inplace_restart && con->window != NULL) {
+        ystr("depth");
+        y(integer, con->depth);
+    }
+
     y(map_close);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/load_layout.c b/src/load_layout.c
index ca4c87ef..1b08f8c1 100644
--- a/src/load_layout.c
+++ b/src/load_layout.c
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ static int json_start_map(void *ctx) {
             if (last_key && strcasecmp(last_key, "floating_nodes") == 0) {
                 DLOG("New floating_node\n");
                 Con *ws = con_get_workspace(json_node);
-                json_node = con_new(NULL, NULL);
+                json_node = con_new_skeleton(NULL, NULL);
                 json_node->parent = ws;
                 DLOG("Parent is workspace = %p\n", ws);
             } else {
                 Con *parent = json_node;
-                json_node = con_new(NULL, NULL);
+                json_node = con_new_skeleton(NULL, NULL);
                 json_node->parent = parent;
             }
         }
@@ -69,6 +69,8 @@ static int json_end_map(void *ctx) {
     if (!parsing_swallows && !parsing_rect && !parsing_window_rect && !parsing_geometry) {
         LOG("attaching\n");
         con_attach(json_node, json_node->parent, true);
+        LOG("Creating window\n");
+        x_con_init(json_node, json_node->depth);
         json_node = json_node->parent;
     }
     if (parsing_rect)
@@ -277,6 +279,9 @@ static int json_int(void *ctx, long val) {
     if (strcasecmp(last_key, "current_border_width") == 0)
         json_node->current_border_width = val;
 
+    if (strcasecmp(last_key, "depth") == 0)
+        json_node->depth = val;
+
     if (!parsing_swallows && strcasecmp(last_key, "id") == 0)
         json_node->old_id = val;