diff --git a/include/data.h b/include/data.h
index e8df78c7..02f781c9 100644
--- a/include/data.h
+++ b/include/data.h
@@ -514,6 +514,20 @@ struct Con {
     TAILQ_HEAD(swallow_head, Match) swallow_head;
 
     enum { CF_NONE = 0, CF_OUTPUT = 1, CF_GLOBAL = 2 } fullscreen_mode;
+    /* layout is the layout of this container: one of split[v|h], stacked or
+     * tabbed. Special containers in the tree (above workspaces) have special
+     * layouts like dockarea or output.
+     *
+     * last_split_layout is one of splitv or splith to support the old "layout
+     * default" command which by now should be "layout splitv" or "layout
+     * splith" explicitly.
+     *
+     * workspace_layout is only for type == CT_WORKSPACE cons. When you change
+     * the layout of a workspace without any children, i3 cannot just set the
+     * layout (because workspaces need to be splitv/splith to allow focus
+     * parent and opening new containers). Instead, it stores the requested
+     * layout in workspace_layout and creates a new split container with that
+     * layout whenever a new container is attached to the workspace. */
     enum {
         L_DEFAULT = 0,
         L_STACKED = 1,
@@ -522,7 +536,7 @@ struct Con {
         L_OUTPUT = 4,
         L_SPLITV = 5,
         L_SPLITH = 6
-    } layout, last_split_layout;
+    } layout, last_split_layout, workspace_layout;
     border_style_t border_style;
     /** floating? (= not in tiling layout) This cannot be simply a bool
      * because we want to keep track of whether the status was set by the
diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index 1d86d73a..f5ccfcdd 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ void con_attach(Con *con, Con *parent, bool ignore_focus) {
          */
         if (con->window != NULL &&
             parent->type == CT_WORKSPACE &&
-            config.default_layout != L_DEFAULT) {
+            parent->workspace_layout != L_DEFAULT) {
             DLOG("Parent is a workspace. Applying default layout...\n");
             Con *target = workspace_attach_to(parent);
 
@@ -1105,39 +1105,43 @@ void con_set_layout(Con *con, int layout) {
      * need to create a new split container. */
     if (con->type == CT_WORKSPACE &&
         (layout == L_STACKED || layout == L_TABBED)) {
-        DLOG("Creating new split container\n");
-        /* 1: create a new split container */
-        Con *new = con_new(NULL, NULL);
-        new->parent = con;
+        if (con_num_children(con) == 0) {
+            DLOG("Setting workspace_layout to %d\n", layout);
+            con->workspace_layout = layout;
+        } else {
+            DLOG("Creating new split container\n");
+            /* 1: create a new split container */
+            Con *new = con_new(NULL, NULL);
+            new->parent = con;
 
-        /* 2: Set the requested layout on the split container and mark it as
-         * split. */
-        new->layout = layout;
-        new->last_split_layout = con->last_split_layout;
-        new->split = true;
+            /* 2: Set the requested layout on the split container and mark it as
+             * split. */
+            new->layout = layout;
+            new->last_split_layout = con->last_split_layout;
+            new->split = true;
 
-        Con *old_focused = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->focus_head));
-        if (old_focused == TAILQ_END(&(con->focus_head)))
-            old_focused = NULL;
+            Con *old_focused = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->focus_head));
+            if (old_focused == TAILQ_END(&(con->focus_head)))
+                old_focused = NULL;
 
-        /* 3: move the existing cons of this workspace below the new con */
-        DLOG("Moving cons\n");
-        Con *child;
-        while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(con->nodes_head))) {
-            child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->nodes_head));
-            con_detach(child);
-            con_attach(child, new, true);
+            /* 3: move the existing cons of this workspace below the new con */
+            DLOG("Moving cons\n");
+            Con *child;
+            while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(con->nodes_head))) {
+                child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->nodes_head));
+                con_detach(child);
+                con_attach(child, new, true);
+            }
+
+            /* 4: attach the new split container to the workspace */
+            DLOG("Attaching new split to ws\n");
+            con_attach(new, con, false);
+
+            if (old_focused)
+                con_focus(old_focused);
+
+            tree_flatten(croot);
         }
-
-        /* 4: attach the new split container to the workspace */
-        DLOG("Attaching new split to ws\n");
-        con_attach(new, con, false);
-
-        if (old_focused)
-            con_focus(old_focused);
-
-        tree_flatten(croot);
-
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ipc.c b/src/ipc.c
index 1c6de798..7dfbc871 100644
--- a/src/ipc.c
+++ b/src/ipc.c
@@ -231,6 +231,23 @@ void dump_node(yajl_gen gen, struct Con *con, bool inplace_restart) {
             break;
     }
 
+    ystr("workspace_layout");
+    switch (con->workspace_layout) {
+        case L_DEFAULT:
+            ystr("default");
+            break;
+        case L_STACKED:
+            ystr("stacked");
+            break;
+        case L_TABBED:
+            ystr("tabbed");
+            break;
+        default:
+            DLOG("About to dump workspace_layout=%d (none of default/stacked/tabbed), this is a bug.\n", con->workspace_layout);
+            assert(false);
+            break;
+    }
+
     ystr("last_split_layout");
     switch (con->layout) {
         case L_SPLITV:
diff --git a/src/load_layout.c b/src/load_layout.c
index 795fb6d8..cce1a712 100644
--- a/src/load_layout.c
+++ b/src/load_layout.c
@@ -211,6 +211,17 @@ static int json_string(void *ctx, const unsigned char *val, unsigned int len) {
                 json_node->layout = L_SPLITV;
             else LOG("Unhandled \"layout\": %s\n", buf);
             free(buf);
+        } else if (strcasecmp(last_key, "workspace_layout") == 0) {
+            char *buf = NULL;
+            sasprintf(&buf, "%.*s", (int)len, val);
+            if (strcasecmp(buf, "default") == 0)
+                json_node->workspace_layout = L_DEFAULT;
+            else if (strcasecmp(buf, "stacked") == 0)
+                json_node->workspace_layout = L_STACKED;
+            else if (strcasecmp(buf, "tabbed") == 0)
+                json_node->workspace_layout = L_TABBED;
+            else LOG("Unhandled \"workspace_layout\": %s\n", buf);
+            free(buf);
         } else if (strcasecmp(last_key, "last_split_layout") == 0) {
             char *buf = NULL;
             sasprintf(&buf, "%.*s", (int)len, val);
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index 1749959a..94efd47b 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ Con *workspace_get(const char *num, bool *created) {
         workspace->type = CT_WORKSPACE;
         FREE(workspace->name);
         workspace->name = sstrdup(num);
+        workspace->workspace_layout = config.default_layout;
         /* We set ->num to the number if this workspace’s name begins with a
          * positive number. Otherwise it’s a named ws and num will be -1. */
         char *endptr = NULL;
@@ -742,7 +743,7 @@ void ws_force_orientation(Con *ws, orientation_t orientation) {
 Con *workspace_attach_to(Con *ws) {
     DLOG("Attaching a window to workspace %p / %s\n", ws, ws->name);
 
-    if (config.default_layout == L_DEFAULT) {
+    if (ws->workspace_layout == L_DEFAULT) {
         DLOG("Default layout, just attaching it to the workspace itself.\n");
         return ws;
     }
@@ -754,7 +755,7 @@ Con *workspace_attach_to(Con *ws) {
     new->split = true;
 
     /* 2: set the requested layout on the split con */
-    new->layout = config.default_layout;
+    new->layout = ws->workspace_layout;
 
     /* 4: attach the new split container to the workspace */
     DLOG("Attaching new split %p to workspace %p\n", new, ws);
diff --git a/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t b/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
index 79447386..70008801 100644
--- a/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
+++ b/testcases/t/116-nestedcons.t
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ my $expected = {
     urgent => JSON::XS::false,
     border => 'normal',
     'floating_nodes' => $ignore,
+    workspace_layout => 'default',
 };
 
 # a shallow copy is sufficient, since we only ignore values at the root