diff --git a/include/con.h b/include/con.h
index 7bd5b087..b4624373 100644
--- a/include/con.h
+++ b/include/con.h
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ Con *con_parent_with_orientation(Con *con, orientation_t orientation);
  */
 Con *con_get_fullscreen_con(Con *con, int fullscreen_mode);
 
+/**
+ * Returns true if the container is internal, such as __i3_scratch
+ *
+ */
+bool con_is_internal(Con *con);
+
 /**
  * Returns true if the node is floating.
  *
diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index 8bc9badc..acc5e8af 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -359,6 +359,14 @@ Con *con_get_fullscreen_con(Con *con, int fullscreen_mode) {
     return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Returns true if the container is internal, such as __i3_scratch
+ *
+ */
+bool con_is_internal(Con *con) {
+    return (con->name[0] == '_' && con->name[1] == '_');
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns true if the node is floating.
  *
@@ -692,7 +700,7 @@ void con_move_to_workspace(Con *con, Con *workspace, bool fix_coordinates, bool
      * calling tree_render(), so for the "real" focus this is a no-op).
      * We don’t focus the con for i3 pseudo workspaces like __i3_scratch and
      * we don’t focus when there is a fullscreen con on that workspace. */
-    if ((workspace->name[0] != '_' || workspace->name[1] != '_') &&
+    if (!con_is_internal(workspace) &&
         con_get_fullscreen_con(workspace, CF_OUTPUT) == NULL)
         con_focus(con_descend_focused(con));
 
@@ -701,8 +709,7 @@ void con_move_to_workspace(Con *con, Con *workspace, bool fix_coordinates, bool
      * don’t want to focus invisible workspaces */
     if (source_output != dest_output &&
         workspace_is_visible(workspace) &&
-        workspace->name[0] != '_' &&
-        workspace->name[1] != '_') {
+        !con_is_internal(workspace)) {
         DLOG("Moved to a different output, focusing target\n");
     } else {
         /* Descend focus stack in case focus_next is a workspace which can
diff --git a/src/ipc.c b/src/ipc.c
index 169c659f..6f8e962d 100644
--- a/src/ipc.c
+++ b/src/ipc.c
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ IPC_HANDLER(get_workspaces) {
 
     Con *output;
     TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes) {
-        if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+        if (con_is_internal(output))
             continue;
         Con *ws;
         TAILQ_FOREACH(ws, &(output_get_content(output)->nodes_head), nodes) {
diff --git a/src/render.c b/src/render.c
index 0eda1a97..6f0880d8 100644
--- a/src/render.c
+++ b/src/render.c
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ void render_con(Con *con, bool render_fullscreen) {
 
     if (con->layout == L_OUTPUT) {
         /* Skip i3-internal outputs */
-        if (con->name[0] == '_' && con->name[1] == '_')
+        if (con_is_internal(con))
             return;
         render_l_output(con);
     } else if (con->type == CT_ROOT) {
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ void render_con(Con *con, bool render_fullscreen) {
          * windows/containers so that they overlap on another output. */
         DLOG("Rendering floating windows:\n");
         TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(con->nodes_head), nodes) {
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             /* Get the active workspace of that output */
             Con *content = output_get_content(output);
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index 71102e5c..3f09ea99 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ static void _workspace_show(Con *workspace) {
     Con *current, *old = NULL;
 
     /* safe-guard against showing i3-internal workspaces like __i3_scratch */
-    if (workspace->name[0] == '_' && workspace->name[1] == '_')
+    if (con_is_internal(workspace))
         return;
 
     /* disable fullscreen for the other workspaces and get the workspace we are
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@ Con* workspace_next(void) {
         /* If currently a numbered workspace, find next numbered workspace. */
         TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ Con* workspace_next(void) {
         bool found_current = false;
         TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ Con* workspace_next(void) {
     if (!next) {
         TAILQ_FOREACH(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@ Con* workspace_prev(void) {
         /* If numbered workspace, find previous numbered workspace. */
         TAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes_head, nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH_REVERSE(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE || child->num == -1)
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ Con* workspace_prev(void) {
         bool found_current = false;
         TAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes_head, nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH_REVERSE(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ Con* workspace_prev(void) {
     if (!prev) {
         TAILQ_FOREACH_REVERSE(output, &(croot->nodes_head), nodes_head, nodes) {
             /* Skip outputs starting with __, they are internal. */
-            if (output->name[0] == '_' && output->name[1] == '_')
+            if (con_is_internal(output))
                 continue;
             NODES_FOREACH_REVERSE(output_get_content(output)) {
                 if (child->type != CT_WORKSPACE)