diff --git a/sway/criteria.c b/sway/criteria.c
index e200d4c8f..230f47a18 100644
--- a/sway/criteria.c
+++ b/sway/criteria.c
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->title->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(title, view_get_title(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(title, view_get_title(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->shell->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && strcmp(shell, view_get_shell(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || strcmp(shell, view_get_shell(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->app_id->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(app_id, view_get_app_id(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(app_id, view_get_app_id(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->sandbox_engine->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(sandbox_engine, view_get_sandbox_engine(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(sandbox_engine, view_get_sandbox_engine(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->sandbox_app_id->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(sandbox_app_id, view_get_sandbox_app_id(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(sandbox_app_id, view_get_sandbox_app_id(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->sandbox_instance_id->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(sandbox_instance_id, view_get_sandbox_instance_id(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(sandbox_instance_id, view_get_sandbox_instance_id(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->tag->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(tag, view_get_tag(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(tag, view_get_tag(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->class->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(class, view_get_class(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(class, view_get_class(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->instance->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(instance, view_get_instance(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(instance, view_get_instance(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->window_role->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused && lenient_strcmp(window_role, view_get_window_role(focused))) {
+			if (!focused || lenient_strcmp(window_role, view_get_window_role(focused))) {
 				return false;
 			}
 			break;
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ static bool criteria_matches_view(struct criteria *criteria,
 
 		switch (criteria->workspace->match_type) {
 		case PATTERN_FOCUSED:
-			if (focused &&
+			if (!focused ||
 					strcmp(ws->name, focused->container->pending.workspace->name)) {
 				return false;
 			}