diff --git a/testcases/t/35-floating-focus.t b/testcases/t/35-floating-focus.t
index e07b91bd..83c1c90c 100644
--- a/testcases/t/35-floating-focus.t
+++ b/testcases/t/35-floating-focus.t
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 # vim:ts=4:sw=4:expandtab
 
 use i3test;
+use X11::XCB qw(:all);
+use X11::XCB::Connection;
+
+my $x = X11::XCB::Connection->new;
 
 my $tmp = fresh_workspace;
 
@@ -9,61 +13,78 @@ my $tmp = fresh_workspace;
 # 1: see if focus stays the same when toggling tiling/floating mode
 #############################################################################
 
-cmd "open";
-cmd "open";
+my $first = open_standard_window($x);
+my $second = open_standard_window($x);
 
-my @content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok(@content, '==', 2, 'two containers opened');
-cmp_ok($content[1]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Second container focused');
+is($x->input_focus, $second->id, 'second window focused');
 
-cmd "mode floating";
-cmd "mode tiling";
+cmd 'mode floating';
+cmd 'mode tiling';
 
-@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok($content[1]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Second container still focused after mode toggle');
+is($x->input_focus, $second->id, 'second window still focused after mode toggle');
 
 #############################################################################
-# 2: see if the focus gets reverted correctly when closing floating clients
+# 2: see if focus stays on the current floating window if killing another
+# floating window
+#############################################################################
+
+$tmp = fresh_workspace;
+
+$first = open_standard_window($x);    # window 2
+$second = open_standard_window($x);   # window 3
+my $third = open_standard_window($x); # window 4
+
+is($x->input_focus, $third->id, 'last container focused');
+
+cmd 'mode floating';
+
+cmd '[id="' . $second->id . '"] focus';
+
+is($x->input_focus, $second->id, 'second con focused');
+
+cmd 'mode floating';
+
+# now kill the third one (it's floating). focus should stay unchanged
+cmd '[id="' . $third->id . '"] kill';
+
+sleep 0.25;
+
+is($x->input_focus, $second->id, 'second con still focused after killing third');
+
+
+#############################################################################
+# 3: see if the focus gets reverted correctly when closing floating clients
 # (first to the next floating client, then to the last focused tiling client)
 #############################################################################
 
 $tmp = fresh_workspace;
 
-cmd "open";
-cmd "open";
-cmd "open";
+$first = open_standard_window($x);    # window 2
+$second = open_standard_window($x);   # window 3
+my $third = open_standard_window($x); # window 4
 
-@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok(@content, '==', 3, 'two containers opened');
-cmp_ok($content[2]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Last container focused');
+is($x->input_focus, $third->id, 'last container focused');
 
-my $last_id = $content[2]->{id};
-my $second_id = $content[1]->{id};
-my $first_id = $content[0]->{id};
-diag("last_id = $last_id, second_id = $second_id, first_id = $first_id");
+cmd 'mode floating';
 
-cmd qq|[con_id="$second_id"] focus|;
-@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok($content[1]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Second container focused');
+cmd '[id="' . $second->id . '"] focus';
 
-cmd "mode floating";
+is($x->input_focus, $second->id, 'second con focused');
 
-cmd qq|[con_id="$last_id"] focus|;
-@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok($content[1]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Last container focused');
+cmd 'mode floating';
 
-cmd "mode floating";
+# now kill the second one. focus should fall back to the third one, which is
+# also floating
+cmd 'kill';
 
-diag("focused = " . get_focused($tmp));
+sleep 0.25;
 
-cmd "kill";
+is($x->input_focus, $third->id, 'third con focused');
 
-diag("focused = " . get_focused($tmp));
-# TODO: this test result is actually not right. the focus reverts to where the mouse pointer is.
-cmp_ok(get_focused($tmp), '==', $second_id, 'Focus reverted to second floating container');
+cmd 'kill';
 
-cmd "kill";
-@content = @{get_ws_content($tmp)};
-cmp_ok($content[0]->{focused}, '==', 1, 'Focus reverted to tiling container');
+sleep 0.25;
+
+is($x->input_focus, $first->id, 'first con focused after killing all floating cons');
 
 done_testing;