diff --git a/include/view.h b/include/view.h
index 77c2a0cb..5353686b 100644
--- a/include/view.h
+++ b/include/view.h
@@ -514,6 +514,14 @@ int view_effective_height(struct view *view, bool use_pending);
  */
 void view_center(struct view *view, const struct wlr_box *ref);
 
+/*
+ * Like view_place_by_policy() but doesn't actually move the view.
+ * Returns false if position could not be computed (for example, if no
+ * outputs are connected). In that case, @geom is not modified.
+ */
+bool view_compute_position_by_policy(struct view *view, struct wlr_box *geom,
+	bool allow_cursor, enum lab_placement_policy policy);
+
 /**
  * view_place_by_policy - apply placement strategy to view
  * @view: view to be placed
diff --git a/src/view.c b/src/view.c
index 0aee1b00..2a49973e 100644
--- a/src/view.c
+++ b/src/view.c
@@ -1067,6 +1067,22 @@ view_compute_cascaded_position(struct view *view, struct wlr_box *geom)
 	return true;
 }
 
+bool
+view_compute_position_by_policy(struct view *view, struct wlr_box *geom,
+		bool allow_cursor, enum lab_placement_policy policy)
+{
+	if (allow_cursor && policy == LAB_PLACE_CURSOR) {
+		return view_compute_near_cursor_position(view, geom);
+	} else if (policy == LAB_PLACE_AUTOMATIC) {
+		return placement_find_best(view, geom);
+	} else if (policy == LAB_PLACE_CASCADE) {
+		return view_compute_cascaded_position(view, geom);
+	} else {
+		return view_compute_centered_position(view, NULL,
+			geom->width, geom->height, &geom->x, &geom->y);
+	}
+}
+
 void
 view_place_by_policy(struct view *view, bool allow_cursor,
 		enum lab_placement_policy policy)
@@ -1078,27 +1094,10 @@ view_place_by_policy(struct view *view, bool allow_cursor,
 		view_move_resize(view, view->natural_geometry);
 	}
 
-	if (allow_cursor && policy == LAB_PLACE_CURSOR) {
-		struct wlr_box geometry = view->pending;
-		if (view_compute_near_cursor_position(view, &geometry)) {
-			view_move(view, geometry.x, geometry.y);
-			return;
-		}
-	} else if (policy == LAB_PLACE_AUTOMATIC) {
-		struct wlr_box geometry = view->pending;
-		if (placement_find_best(view, &geometry)) {
-			view_move(view, geometry.x, geometry.y);
-			return;
-		}
-	} else if (policy == LAB_PLACE_CASCADE) {
-		struct wlr_box geometry = view->pending;
-		if (view_compute_cascaded_position(view, &geometry)) {
-			view_move(view, geometry.x, geometry.y);
-			return;
-		}
+	struct wlr_box geom = view->pending;
+	if (view_compute_position_by_policy(view, &geom, allow_cursor, policy)) {
+		view_move(view, geom.x, geom.y);
 	}
-
-	view_center(view, NULL);
 }
 
 void