diff --git a/include/all.h b/include/all.h
index ba582a80..b87be518 100644
--- a/include/all.h
+++ b/include/all.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <err.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <math.h>
+#include <limits.h>
 
 #include <xcb/xcb.h>
 #include <xcb/xcb_aux.h>
diff --git a/src/cfgparse.y b/src/cfgparse.y
index 06d9c664..38f306e9 100644
--- a/src/cfgparse.y
+++ b/src/cfgparse.y
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
-#include <limits.h>
 
 #include "all.h"
 
diff --git a/src/cmdparse.y b/src/cmdparse.y
index df7b6efe..e115f3e5 100644
--- a/src/cmdparse.y
+++ b/src/cmdparse.y
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
-#include <limits.h>
 #include <float.h>
 
 #include "all.h"
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index 0fd7dbbd..89a6bd0a 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
  *
  */
 #include <time.h>
-#include <limits.h>
 
 #include <xcb/randr.h>
 
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index 53067744..69598b35 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
  */
 #include <ev.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
-#include <limits.h>
 #include "all.h"
 
 static int xkb_event_base;
diff --git a/src/randr.c b/src/randr.c
index 505eb49b..e48e2065 100644
--- a/src/randr.c
+++ b/src/randr.c
@@ -392,27 +392,40 @@ void init_ws_for_output(Output *output, Con *content) {
             GREP_FIRST(current, output_get_content(out), !strcasecmp(child->name, ws->name));
 
         exists = (current != NULL);
-        if (!exists)
+        if (!exists) {
+            /* Set ->num to the number of the workspace, if the name actually
+             * is a number or starts with a number */
+            long parsed_num = strtol(ws->name, NULL, 10);
+            if (parsed_num == LONG_MIN ||
+                parsed_num == LONG_MAX ||
+                parsed_num <= 0)
+                ws->num = -1;
+            else ws->num = parsed_num;
+            LOG("Used number %d for workspace with name %s\n", ws->num, ws->name);
+
             break;
+        }
     }
 
-    /* get the next unused workspace number */
-    DLOG("Getting next unused workspace\n");
-    int c = 0;
-    while (exists) {
-        c++;
+    if (exists) {
+        /* get the next unused workspace number */
+        DLOG("Getting next unused workspace by number\n");
+        int c = 0;
+        while (exists) {
+            c++;
 
-        FREE(ws->name);
-        asprintf(&(ws->name), "%d", c);
+            FREE(ws->name);
+            asprintf(&(ws->name), "%d", c);
 
-        current = NULL;
-        TAILQ_FOREACH(out, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes)
-            GREP_FIRST(current, output_get_content(out), !strcasecmp(child->name, ws->name));
-        exists = (current != NULL);
+            current = NULL;
+            TAILQ_FOREACH(out, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes)
+                GREP_FIRST(current, output_get_content(out), !strcasecmp(child->name, ws->name));
+            exists = (current != NULL);
 
-        DLOG("result for ws %s / %d: exists = %d\n", ws->name, c, exists);
+            DLOG("result for ws %s / %d: exists = %d\n", ws->name, c, exists);
+        }
+        ws->num = c;
     }
-    ws->num = c;
     con_attach(ws, content, false);
 
     asprintf(&name, "[i3 con] workspace %s", ws->name);
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index 4021dd14..8354906a 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
  * workspace.c: Functions for modifying workspaces
  *
  */
-#include <limits.h>
-
 #include "all.h"
 
 /*