diff --git a/sway/desktop/output.c b/sway/desktop/output.c
index aec1d0a6b..e6fe2ee4d 100644
--- a/sway/desktop/output.c
+++ b/sway/desktop/output.c
@@ -422,13 +422,6 @@ void force_modeset(void) {
 }
 
 static void begin_destroy(struct sway_output *output) {
-	if (output->enabled) {
-		output_disable(output);
-	}
-
-	output_begin_destroy(output);
-
-	wl_list_remove(&output->link);
 
 	wl_list_remove(&output->layout_destroy.link);
 	wl_list_remove(&output->destroy.link);
@@ -436,8 +429,17 @@ static void begin_destroy(struct sway_output *output) {
 	wl_list_remove(&output->frame.link);
 	wl_list_remove(&output->request_state.link);
 
+	// Remove the scene_output first to ensure that the scene does not emit
+	// events for this output.
 	wlr_scene_output_destroy(output->scene_output);
 	output->scene_output = NULL;
+
+	if (output->enabled) {
+		output_disable(output);
+	}
+	output_begin_destroy(output);
+	wl_list_remove(&output->link);
+
 	output->wlr_output->data = NULL;
 	output->wlr_output = NULL;
 
diff --git a/sway/tree/output.c b/sway/tree/output.c
index 65d9e3e71..bc3806298 100644
--- a/sway/tree/output.c
+++ b/sway/tree/output.c
@@ -205,11 +205,8 @@ static void output_evacuate(struct sway_output *output) {
 		return;
 	}
 	struct sway_output *fallback_output = NULL;
-	if (root->outputs->length > 1) {
+	if (root->outputs->length > 0) {
 		fallback_output = root->outputs->items[0];
-		if (fallback_output == output) {
-			fallback_output = root->outputs->items[1];
-		}
 	}
 
 	while (output->workspaces->length) {
@@ -289,11 +286,13 @@ void output_disable(struct sway_output *output) {
 	sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Disabling output '%s'", output->wlr_output->name);
 	wl_signal_emit_mutable(&output->events.disable, output);
 
-	output_evacuate(output);
-
+	// Remove the output now to avoid interacting with it during e.g.,
+	// transactions, as the output might be physically removed with the scene
+	// output destroyed.
 	list_del(root->outputs, index);
-
 	output->enabled = false;
+
+	output_evacuate(output);
 }
 
 void output_begin_destroy(struct sway_output *output) {