diff --git a/include/view.h b/include/view.h
index 3bcad7b6..71d0efb4 100644
--- a/include/view.h
+++ b/include/view.h
@@ -131,9 +131,7 @@ void view_moved(struct view *view);
 void view_minimize(struct view *view, bool minimized);
 struct output *view_output(struct view *view);
 void view_store_natural_geometry(struct view *view);
-/* output is optional, defaults to current nearest output */
-void view_center(struct view *view, struct output *output,
-	const struct wlr_box *ref);
+void view_center(struct view *view, const struct wlr_box *ref);
 void view_restore_to(struct view *view, struct wlr_box geometry);
 void view_set_untiled(struct view *view);
 void view_maximize(struct view *view, bool maximize,
diff --git a/src/view.c b/src/view.c
index f10e0143..182402fc 100644
--- a/src/view.c
+++ b/src/view.c
@@ -254,18 +254,16 @@ view_minimize(struct view *view, bool minimized)
 }
 
 static bool
-view_compute_centered_position(struct view *view, struct output *output,
-		const struct wlr_box *ref, int w, int h, int *x, int *y)
+view_compute_centered_position(struct view *view, const struct wlr_box *ref,
+		int w, int h, int *x, int *y)
 {
 	if (w <= 0 || h <= 0) {
 		wlr_log(WLR_ERROR, "view has empty geometry, not centering");
 		return false;
 	}
+	struct output *output = view_output(view);
 	if (!output_is_usable(output)) {
-		output = view_output(view);
-		if (!output_is_usable(output)) {
-			return false;
-		}
+		return false;
 	}
 
 	struct border margin = ssd_get_margin(view->ssd);
@@ -299,7 +297,7 @@ set_fallback_geometry(struct view *view)
 {
 	view->natural_geometry.width = LAB_FALLBACK_WIDTH;
 	view->natural_geometry.height = LAB_FALLBACK_HEIGHT;
-	view_compute_centered_position(view, NULL, NULL,
+	view_compute_centered_position(view, NULL,
 		view->natural_geometry.width,
 		view->natural_geometry.height,
 		&view->natural_geometry.x,
@@ -331,12 +329,12 @@ view_store_natural_geometry(struct view *view)
 }
 
 void
-view_center(struct view *view, struct output *output, const struct wlr_box *ref)
+view_center(struct view *view, const struct wlr_box *ref)
 {
 	assert(view);
 	int x, y;
-	if (view_compute_centered_position(view, output, ref,
-			view->pending.width, view->pending.height, &x, &y)) {
+	if (view_compute_centered_position(view, ref, view->pending.width,
+			view->pending.height, &x, &y)) {
 		view_move(view, x, y);
 	}
 }
@@ -352,8 +350,8 @@ view_apply_natural_geometry(struct view *view)
 	} else {
 		/* reposition if original geometry is offscreen */
 		struct wlr_box box = view->natural_geometry;
-		if (view_compute_centered_position(view, NULL, NULL,
-				box.width, box.height, &box.x, &box.y)) {
+		if (view_compute_centered_position(view, NULL, box.width,
+				box.height, &box.x, &box.y)) {
 			view_move_resize(view, box);
 		}
 	}
@@ -777,7 +775,7 @@ view_adjust_for_layout_change(struct view *view)
 			if (!wlr_output_layout_intersects(
 					view->server->output_layout,
 					NULL, &view->pending)) {
-				view_center(view, NULL, NULL);
+				view_center(view, NULL);
 			}
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/xdg.c b/src/xdg.c
index 7123ce58..f2d1aaca 100644
--- a/src/xdg.c
+++ b/src/xdg.c
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ position_xdg_toplevel_view(struct view *view)
 		xdg_toplevel_from_view(view)->parent;
 
 	if (!parent_xdg_toplevel) {
-		view_center(view, output_nearest_to_cursor(view->server), NULL);
+		view_center(view, NULL);
 	} else {
 		/*
 		 * If child-toplevel-views, we center-align relative to their
@@ -315,7 +315,8 @@ position_xdg_toplevel_view(struct view *view)
 		struct view *parent = lookup_view_by_xdg_toplevel(
 			view->server, parent_xdg_toplevel);
 		assert(parent);
-		view_center(view, view_output(parent), &parent->pending);
+		view->output = view_output(parent);
+		view_center(view, &parent->pending);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/xwayland.c b/src/xwayland.c
index 5235cd57..765f0f16 100644
--- a/src/xwayland.c
+++ b/src/xwayland.c
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ set_initial_position(struct view *view,
 		/* Just make sure the view is on-screen */
 		view_adjust_for_layout_change(view);
 	} else {
-		view_center(view, output_nearest_to_cursor(view->server), NULL);
+		view_center(view, NULL);
 	}
 }