diff --git a/include/sway/tree/workspace.h b/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
index 58bde20cb..27ed649fd 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void workspace_output_add_priority(struct sway_workspace *workspace,
 		struct sway_output *output);
 
 struct sway_output *workspace_output_get_highest_available(
-		struct sway_workspace *ws, struct sway_output *exclude);
+		struct sway_workspace *ws);
 
 void workspace_detect_urgent(struct sway_workspace *workspace);
 
diff --git a/sway/tree/output.c b/sway/tree/output.c
index bc3806298..b02c1a2ce 100644
--- a/sway/tree/output.c
+++ b/sway/tree/output.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ static void restore_workspaces(struct sway_output *output) {
 		for (int j = 0; j < other->workspaces->length; j++) {
 			struct sway_workspace *ws = other->workspaces->items[j];
 			struct sway_output *highest =
-				workspace_output_get_highest_available(ws, NULL);
+				workspace_output_get_highest_available(ws);
 			if (highest == output) {
 				workspace_detach(ws);
 				output_add_workspace(output, ws);
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ static void output_evacuate(struct sway_output *output) {
 		workspace_detach(workspace);
 
 		struct sway_output *new_output =
-			workspace_output_get_highest_available(workspace, output);
+			workspace_output_get_highest_available(workspace);
 		if (!new_output) {
 			new_output = fallback_output;
 		}
diff --git a/sway/tree/workspace.c b/sway/tree/workspace.c
index a09dc3a45..f2be4cd13 100644
--- a/sway/tree/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/tree/workspace.c
@@ -659,13 +659,9 @@ void workspace_output_add_priority(struct sway_workspace *workspace,
 }
 
 struct sway_output *workspace_output_get_highest_available(
-		struct sway_workspace *ws, struct sway_output *exclude) {
+		struct sway_workspace *ws) {
 	for (int i = 0; i < ws->output_priority->length; i++) {
 		const char *name = ws->output_priority->items[i];
-		if (exclude && output_match_name_or_id(exclude, name)) {
-			continue;
-		}
-
 		struct sway_output *output = output_by_name_or_id(name);
 		if (output) {
 			return output;