diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index 1d5405fd..22dcf5cc 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ void tree_next(char way, orientation_t orientation) {
     /* 3: focus choice comes in here. at the moment we will go down
      * until we find a window */
     /* TODO: check for window, atm we only go down as far as possible */
-    while (TAILQ_FIRST(&(next->focus_head)) != TAILQ_END(&(next->focus_head)))
+    while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(next->focus_head)))
         next = TAILQ_FIRST(&(next->focus_head));
 
     con_focus(next);
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index d65a5198..63e079f9 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -110,7 +110,12 @@ void workspace_show(const char *num) {
                 current->fullscreen_mode = CF_NONE;
 
         LOG("switching to %p\n", workspace);
-        con_focus(workspace);
+        Con *next = workspace;
+
+    while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(next->focus_head)))
+        next = TAILQ_FIRST(&(next->focus_head));
+
+        con_focus(next);
         workspace->fullscreen_mode = CF_OUTPUT;
         LOG("focused now = %p / %s\n", focused, focused->name);
 #if 0