diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index fd81e65c..bef0989f 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -185,9 +185,26 @@ static void focus_thing(xcb_connection_t *conn, direction_t direction, thing_t t
                                         continue;
 
                                 new_col = cols;
+                                DLOG("Fixed it to new col %d\n", new_col);
+                                break;
+                        }
+                }
+
+                if (t_ws->table[new_col][new_row]->currently_focused == NULL) {
+                        DLOG("Cell still empty, checking for full cols above spanned width...\n");
+                        DLOG("new_col = %d\n", new_col);
+                        DLOG("colspan = %d\n", container->colspan);
+                        for (int cols = new_col;
+                             cols < container->col + container->colspan;
+                             cols += t_ws->table[cols][new_row]->colspan) {
+                                DLOG("candidate: new_row = %d, cols = %d\n", new_row, cols);
+                                if (t_ws->table[cols][new_row]->currently_focused == NULL)
+                                        continue;
+
+                                new_col = cols;
+                                DLOG("Fixed it to new col %d\n", new_col);
                                 break;
                         }
-                        DLOG("Fixed it to new col %d\n", new_col);
                 }
         } else if (direction == D_LEFT || direction == D_RIGHT) {
                 if (direction == D_RIGHT && cell_exists(t_ws, current_col+1, current_row))
@@ -227,10 +244,28 @@ static void focus_thing(xcb_connection_t *conn, direction_t direction, thing_t t
                                         continue;
 
                                 new_row = rows;
+                                DLOG("Fixed it to new row %d\n", new_row);
                                 break;
                         }
-                        DLOG("Fixed it to new row %d\n", new_row);
                 }
+
+                if (t_ws->table[new_col][new_row]->currently_focused == NULL) {
+                        DLOG("Cell still empty, checking for full cols near full spanned height...\n");
+                        DLOG("new_row = %d\n", new_row);
+                        DLOG("rowspan = %d\n", container->rowspan);
+                        for (int rows = new_row;
+                             rows < container->row + container->rowspan;
+                             rows += t_ws->table[new_col][rows]->rowspan) {
+                                DLOG("candidate: new_col = %d, rows = %d\n", new_col, rows);
+                                if (t_ws->table[new_col][rows]->currently_focused == NULL)
+                                        continue;
+
+                                new_row = rows;
+                                DLOG("Fixed it to new col %d\n", new_row);
+                                break;
+                        }
+                }
+
         } else {
                 ELOG("direction unhandled\n");
                 return;
diff --git a/testcases/t/06-focus.t b/testcases/t/06-focus.t
index efdf5749..5ca3e062 100644
--- a/testcases/t/06-focus.t
+++ b/testcases/t/06-focus.t
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # the workspace to be empty).
 # TODO: skip it by default?
 
-use Test::More tests => 8;
+use Test::More tests => 14;
 use Test::Deep;
 use X11::XCB qw(:all);
 use Data::Dumper;
@@ -76,4 +76,50 @@ is($focus, $bottom->id, "Bottom window focused (wrapping to the top works)");
 $focus = focus_after("j");
 is($focus, $top->id, "Top window focused (wrapping to the bottom works)");
 
+###############################################
+# Test focus with empty containers and colspan
+###############################################
+
+# Switch to the 10. workspace
+$sock->write(i3test::format_ipc_command("10"));
+sleep 0.25;
+
+$top = i3test::open_standard_window($x);
+$bottom = i3test::open_standard_window($x);
+sleep 0.25;
+
+$focus = focus_after("mj");
+$focus = focus_after("mh");
+$focus = focus_after("k");
+is($focus, $bottom->id, "Selecting top window without snapping doesn't work");
+
+$focus = focus_after("sl");
+is($focus, $bottom->id, "Bottom window focused");
+
+$focus = focus_after("k");
+is($focus, $top->id, "Top window focused");
+
+# Same thing, but left/right instead of top/bottom
+
+# Switch to the 11. workspace
+$sock->write(i3test::format_ipc_command("11"));
+sleep 0.25;
+
+my $left = i3test::open_standard_window($x);
+my $right = i3test::open_standard_window($x);
+sleep 0.25;
+
+$focus = focus_after("ml");
+$focus = focus_after("h");
+$focus = focus_after("mk");
+$focus = focus_after("l");
+is($focus, $left->id, "Selecting right window without snapping doesn't work");
+
+$focus = focus_after("sj");
+is($focus, $left->id, "left window focused");
+
+$focus = focus_after("l");
+is($focus, $right->id, "right window focused");
+
+
 diag( "Testing i3, Perl $], $^X" );