diff --git a/include/labwc.h b/include/labwc.h
index 91c9cfdc..d7f5cbde 100644
--- a/include/labwc.h
+++ b/include/labwc.h
@@ -377,7 +377,7 @@ void foreign_toplevel_update_outputs(struct view *view);
  *              cannot assume this means that the window actually has keyboard
  *              or pointer focus, in this compositor are they called together.
  */
-void desktop_focus_view(struct view *view);
+void desktop_focus_view(struct view *view, bool raise);
 void desktop_arrange_all_views(struct server *server);
 void desktop_focus_output(struct output *output);
 struct view *desktop_topmost_mapped_view(struct server *server);
diff --git a/include/workspaces.h b/include/workspaces.h
index e533f7f9..997865f2 100644
--- a/include/workspaces.h
+++ b/include/workspaces.h
@@ -2,10 +2,12 @@
 #ifndef LABWC_WORKSPACES_H
 #define LABWC_WORKSPACES_H
 
+#include <stdbool.h>
+#include <wayland-util.h>
+
 struct seat;
-struct view;
 struct server;
-struct wl_list;
+struct wlr_scene_tree;
 
 /* Double use: as config in config/rcxml.c and as instance in workspaces.c */
 struct workspace {
@@ -20,7 +22,7 @@ struct workspace {
 };
 
 void workspaces_init(struct server *server);
-void workspaces_switch_to(struct workspace *target);
+void workspaces_switch_to(struct workspace *target, bool update_focus);
 void workspaces_destroy(struct server *server);
 void workspaces_osd_hide(struct seat *seat);
 struct workspace *workspaces_find(struct workspace *anchor, const char *name,
diff --git a/src/action.c b/src/action.c
index 8433268d..cf8b4558 100644
--- a/src/action.c
+++ b/src/action.c
@@ -634,7 +634,7 @@ actions_run(struct view *activator, struct server *server,
 			break;
 		case ACTION_TYPE_FOCUS:
 			if (view) {
-				desktop_focus_view(view);
+				desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ false);
 			}
 			break;
 		case ACTION_TYPE_ICONIFY:
@@ -711,7 +711,8 @@ actions_run(struct view *activator, struct server *server,
 					follow = get_arg_value_bool(action, "follow", true);
 				}
 				if (follow) {
-					workspaces_switch_to(target);
+					workspaces_switch_to(target,
+						/*update_focus*/ true);
 				}
 			}
 			break;
diff --git a/src/cursor.c b/src/cursor.c
index 4a5b30cd..16d9e824 100644
--- a/src/cursor.c
+++ b/src/cursor.c
@@ -478,10 +478,7 @@ process_cursor_motion(struct server *server, uint32_t time)
 	}
 
 	if (ctx.view && rc.focus_follow_mouse) {
-		desktop_focus_view(ctx.view);
-		if (rc.raise_on_focus) {
-			view_move_to_front(ctx.view);
-		}
+		desktop_focus_view(ctx.view, rc.raise_on_focus);
 	}
 
 	struct mousebind *mousebind;
@@ -522,10 +519,7 @@ _cursor_update_focus(struct server *server)
 			&& !rc.focus_follow_mouse_requires_movement
 			&& !server->osd_state.cycle_view) {
 		/* Prevents changing keyboard focus during A-Tab */
-		desktop_focus_view(ctx.view);
-		if (rc.raise_on_focus) {
-			view_move_to_front(ctx.view);
-		}
+		desktop_focus_view(ctx.view, rc.raise_on_focus);
 	}
 
 	cursor_update_common(server, &ctx, msec(&now),
diff --git a/src/desktop.c b/src/desktop.c
index 58177224..cbaa0de6 100644
--- a/src/desktop.c
+++ b/src/desktop.c
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ desktop_arrange_all_views(struct server *server)
 }
 
 void
-desktop_focus_view(struct view *view)
+desktop_focus_view(struct view *view, bool raise)
 {
 	assert(view);
 	/*
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ desktop_focus_view(struct view *view)
 	if (view->minimized) {
 		/*
 		 * Unminimizing will map the view which triggers a call to this
-		 * function again.
+		 * function again (with raise=true).
 		 */
 		view_minimize(view, false);
 		return;
@@ -66,7 +66,19 @@ desktop_focus_view(struct view *view)
 		return;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Switch workspace if necessary to make the view visible
+	 * (unnecessary for "always on top" views).
+	 */
+	if (!view_is_always_on_top(view)) {
+		workspaces_switch_to(view->workspace, /*update_focus*/ false);
+	}
+
 	view_focus(view);
+
+	if (raise) {
+		view_move_to_front(view);
+	}
 }
 
 static struct wl_list *
@@ -225,8 +237,7 @@ desktop_focus_topmost_mapped_view(struct server *server)
 {
 	struct view *view = desktop_topmost_mapped_view(server);
 	if (view) {
-		desktop_focus_view(view);
-		view_move_to_front(view);
+		desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ true);
 	} else {
 		/*
 		 * Defocus previous focused surface/view if no longer
@@ -262,7 +273,7 @@ desktop_focus_output(struct output *output)
 		}
 		if (wlr_output_layout_intersects(layout,
 				output->wlr_output, &view->current)) {
-			desktop_focus_view(view);
+			desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ false);
 			wlr_cursor_warp(output->server->seat.cursor, NULL,
 				view->current.x + view->current.width / 2,
 				view->current.y + view->current.height / 2);
diff --git a/src/foreign.c b/src/foreign.c
index fd5237d7..e71292d7 100644
--- a/src/foreign.c
+++ b/src/foreign.c
@@ -34,11 +34,7 @@ handle_request_activate(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 	struct view *view = wl_container_of(listener, view, toplevel.activate);
 	// struct wlr_foreign_toplevel_handle_v1_activated_event *event = data;
 	/* In a multi-seat world we would select seat based on event->seat here. */
-	if (view->workspace != view->server->workspace_current) {
-		workspaces_switch_to(view->workspace);
-	}
-	desktop_focus_view(view);
-	view_move_to_front(view);
+	desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ true);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/keyboard.c b/src/keyboard.c
index 73b8c9fe..b3d44766 100644
--- a/src/keyboard.c
+++ b/src/keyboard.c
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ static void
 end_cycling(struct server *server)
 {
 	if (server->osd_state.cycle_view) {
-		desktop_focus_view(server->osd_state.cycle_view);
-		view_move_to_front(server->osd_state.cycle_view);
+		desktop_focus_view(server->osd_state.cycle_view,
+			/*raise*/ true);
 	}
 
 	/* osd_finish() additionally resets cycle_view to NULL */
diff --git a/src/view-impl-common.c b/src/view-impl-common.c
index 1c7a1e71..ea0fe1a7 100644
--- a/src/view-impl-common.c
+++ b/src/view-impl-common.c
@@ -51,8 +51,7 @@ view_impl_move_sub_views(struct view *parent, enum z_direction z_direction)
 void
 view_impl_map(struct view *view)
 {
-	desktop_focus_view(view);
-	view_move_to_front(view);
+	desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ true);
 	view_update_title(view);
 	view_update_app_id(view);
 	if (!view->been_mapped) {
diff --git a/src/workspaces.c b/src/workspaces.c
index e3943ac4..48be68f3 100644
--- a/src/workspaces.c
+++ b/src/workspaces.c
@@ -255,8 +255,13 @@ workspaces_init(struct server *server)
 	}
 }
 
+/*
+ * update_focus should normally be set to true. It is set to false only
+ * when this function is called from desktop_focus_view(), in order to
+ * avoid unnecessary extra focus changes and possible recursion.
+ */
 void
-workspaces_switch_to(struct workspace *target)
+workspaces_switch_to(struct workspace *target, bool update_focus)
 {
 	assert(target);
 	struct server *server = target->server;
@@ -281,9 +286,11 @@ workspaces_switch_to(struct workspace *target)
 	 * Make sure we are focusing what the user sees.
 	 * Only refocus if the focus is not already on an always-on-top view.
 	 */
-	struct view *view = desktop_focused_view(server);
-	if (!view || !view_is_always_on_top(view)) {
-		desktop_focus_topmost_mapped_view(server);
+	if (update_focus) {
+		struct view *view = desktop_focused_view(server);
+		if (!view || !view_is_always_on_top(view)) {
+			desktop_focus_topmost_mapped_view(server);
+		}
 	}
 
 	/* And finally show the OSD */
diff --git a/src/xdg.c b/src/xdg.c
index 2f429aff..65f164d3 100644
--- a/src/xdg.c
+++ b/src/xdg.c
@@ -607,16 +607,8 @@ xdg_activation_handle_request(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/*
-	 * TODO: This is the exact same code as used in foreign.c.
-	 *       Refactor it into a public helper function somewhere.
-	 */
 	wlr_log(WLR_DEBUG, "Activating surface");
-	if (view->workspace != view->server->workspace_current) {
-		workspaces_switch_to(view->workspace);
-	}
-	desktop_focus_view(view);
-	view_move_to_front(view);
+	desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ true);
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/src/xwayland.c b/src/xwayland.c
index 3a0a8a9a..4423345b 100644
--- a/src/xwayland.c
+++ b/src/xwayland.c
@@ -256,8 +256,7 @@ handle_request_activate(struct wl_listener *listener, void *data)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	desktop_focus_view(view);
-	view_move_to_front(view);
+	desktop_focus_view(view, /*raise*/ true);
 }
 
 static void