diff --git a/include/tree.h b/include/tree.h
index 449f67ef..f04e9e62 100644
--- a/include/tree.h
+++ b/include/tree.h
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ void tree_move(char way, orientation_t orientation);
  * Closes the given container including all children
  *
  */
-void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window);
+void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window, bool dont_kill_parent);
 
 /**
  * Loads tree from ~/.i3/_restart.json (used for in-place restarts).
diff --git a/src/cmdparse.y b/src/cmdparse.y
index e5c9aa5c..7f9dfd46 100644
--- a/src/cmdparse.y
+++ b/src/cmdparse.y
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ kill:
         else {
             TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
                 printf("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-                tree_close(current->con, true);
+                tree_close(current->con, true, false);
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/floating.c b/src/floating.c
index 756102b7..005f2092 100644
--- a/src/floating.c
+++ b/src/floating.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ void floating_disable(Con *con, bool automatic) {
     /* 2: kill parent container */
     TAILQ_REMOVE(&(con->parent->parent->floating_head), con->parent, floating_windows);
     TAILQ_REMOVE(&(con->parent->parent->focus_head), con->parent, focused);
-    tree_close(con->parent, false);
+    tree_close(con->parent, false, false);
 
     /* 3: re-attach to previous parent */
     con->parent = con->old_parent;
diff --git a/src/handlers.c b/src/handlers.c
index 72cc68c5..f5324dfe 100644
--- a/src/handlers.c
+++ b/src/handlers.c
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ int handle_unmap_notify_event(void *data, xcb_connection_t *conn, xcb_unmap_noti
         return 1;
     }
 
-    tree_close(con, false);
+    tree_close(con, false, false);
     tree_render();
     x_push_changes(croot);
     return 1;
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index f7f7a759..3f860923 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ static void fix_floating_parent(Con *con, Con *vanishing) {
  * Closes the given container including all children
  *
  */
-void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window) {
+void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window, bool dont_kill_parent) {
     Con *parent = con->parent;
 
     /* check floating clients and adjust old_parent if necessary */
@@ -158,7 +158,8 @@ void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window) {
      * in their parent’s nodes_head */
     while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(con->nodes_head))) {
         child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->nodes_head));
-        tree_close(child, kill_window);
+        DLOG("killing child=%p\n", child);
+        tree_close(child, kill_window, true);
     }
 
     if (con->window != NULL) {
@@ -199,12 +200,13 @@ void tree_close(Con *con, bool kill_window) {
     con_focus(next);
 
     /* check if the parent container is empty now and close it */
-    if (parent->type != CT_WORKSPACE &&
+    if (!dont_kill_parent &&
+        parent->type != CT_WORKSPACE &&
         TAILQ_EMPTY(&(parent->nodes_head))) {
         DLOG("Closing empty parent container\n");
         /* TODO: check if this container would swallow any other client and
          * don’t close it automatically. */
-        tree_close(parent, false);
+        tree_close(parent, false, false);
     }
 }
 
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ void tree_close_con() {
     }
 
     /* Kill con */
-    tree_close(focused, true);
+    tree_close(focused, true, false);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -443,6 +445,6 @@ void tree_move(char way, orientation_t orientation) {
 
     if (con_num_children(old_parent) == 0) {
         DLOG("Old container empty after moving. Let's close it\n");
-        tree_close(old_parent, false);
+        tree_close(old_parent, false, false);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index d98c7562..cdea9827 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ void workspace_show(const char *num) {
         /* check if this workspace is currently visible */
         if (!workspace_is_visible(old)) {
             LOG("Closing old workspace (%p / %s), it is empty\n", old, old->name);
-            tree_close(old, false);
+            tree_close(old, false, false);
         }
     }