diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index 73164f32..899bbb90 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -261,14 +261,20 @@ void cmd_criteria_add(I3_CMD, const char *ctype, const char *cvalue) {
     match_parse_property(current_match, ctype, cvalue);
 }
 
+static void move_matches_to_workspace(Con *ws) {
+    owindow *current;
+    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
+        DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
+        con_move_to_workspace(current->con, ws, true, false, false);
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * Implementation of 'move [window|container] [to] workspace
  * next|prev|next_on_output|prev_on_output|current'.
  *
  */
 void cmd_move_con_to_workspace(I3_CMD, const char *which) {
-    owindow *current;
-
     DLOG("which=%s\n", which);
 
     /* We have nothing to move:
@@ -301,10 +307,7 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace(I3_CMD, const char *which) {
         return;
     }
 
-    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
-        DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-        con_move_to_workspace(current->con, ws, true, false, false);
-    }
+    move_matches_to_workspace(ws);
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
     // XXX: default reply for now, make this a better reply
@@ -316,11 +319,7 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace(I3_CMD, const char *which) {
  *
  */
 void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_back_and_forth(I3_CMD) {
-    owindow *current;
-    Con *ws;
-
-    ws = workspace_back_and_forth_get();
-
+    Con *ws = workspace_back_and_forth_get();
     if (ws == NULL) {
         yerror("No workspace was previously active.");
         return;
@@ -328,10 +327,7 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_back_and_forth(I3_CMD) {
 
     HANDLE_EMPTY_MATCH;
 
-    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
-        DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-        con_move_to_workspace(current->con, ws, true, false, false);
-    }
+    move_matches_to_workspace(ws);
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
     // XXX: default reply for now, make this a better reply
@@ -350,7 +346,6 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_name(I3_CMD, const char *name, const char *_no_au
     }
 
     const bool no_auto_back_and_forth = (_no_auto_back_and_forth != NULL);
-    owindow *current;
 
     /* We have nothing to move:
      *  when criteria was specified but didn't match any window or
@@ -374,10 +369,7 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_name(I3_CMD, const char *name, const char *_no_au
 
     HANDLE_EMPTY_MATCH;
 
-    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
-        DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-        con_move_to_workspace(current->con, ws, true, false, false);
-    }
+    move_matches_to_workspace(ws);
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
     // XXX: default reply for now, make this a better reply
@@ -390,7 +382,6 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_name(I3_CMD, const char *name, const char *_no_au
  */
 void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_number(I3_CMD, const char *which, const char *_no_auto_back_and_forth) {
     const bool no_auto_back_and_forth = (_no_auto_back_and_forth != NULL);
-    owindow *current;
 
     /* We have nothing to move:
      *  when criteria was specified but didn't match any window or
@@ -404,7 +395,7 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_number(I3_CMD, const char *which, const char *_no
 
     LOG("should move window to workspace %s\n", which);
     /* get the workspace */
-    Con *output, *workspace = NULL;
+    Con *output, *ws = NULL;
 
     long parsed_num = ws_name_to_number(which);
 
@@ -415,22 +406,19 @@ void cmd_move_con_to_workspace_number(I3_CMD, const char *which, const char *_no
     }
 
     TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes)
-    GREP_FIRST(workspace, output_get_content(output),
+    GREP_FIRST(ws, output_get_content(output),
                child->num == parsed_num);
 
-    if (!workspace) {
-        workspace = workspace_get(which, NULL);
+    if (!ws) {
+        ws = workspace_get(which, NULL);
     }
 
     if (!no_auto_back_and_forth)
-        workspace = maybe_auto_back_and_forth_workspace(workspace);
+        ws = maybe_auto_back_and_forth_workspace(ws);
 
     HANDLE_EMPTY_MATCH;
 
-    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
-        DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-        con_move_to_workspace(current->con, workspace, true, false, false);
-    }
+    move_matches_to_workspace(ws);
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
     // XXX: default reply for now, make this a better reply