diff --git a/include/sway/tree/container.h b/include/sway/tree/container.h
index 40847f5a2..02f2a6c06 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/container.h
@@ -164,8 +164,7 @@ struct sway_container *tiling_container_at(
 		struct sway_node *parent, double lx, double ly,
 		struct wlr_surface **surface, double *sx, double *sy);
 
-void container_get_first_view(struct sway_container *container,
-		struct sway_container **view);
+struct sway_container *container_get_first_view(struct sway_container *container);
 
 void container_for_each_child(struct sway_container *container,
 		void (*f)(struct sway_container *container, void *data), void *data);
diff --git a/sway/commands/swap_workspace.c b/sway/commands/swap_workspace.c
index 6aacdd4c1..1138ce572 100644
--- a/sway/commands/swap_workspace.c
+++ b/sway/commands/swap_workspace.c
@@ -90,10 +90,13 @@ static void set_new_focus(struct sway_workspace *ws, struct sway_seat *seat) {
 	if (ws->tiling->length) {
 		// this needs to be more specific (focus not just every container,
 		// but single windows
-		struct sway_container *first_view;
 		struct sway_container *container = ws->tiling->items[0];
+		struct sway_container *first_view = container_get_first_view(container);
+
+		if (!first_view) {
+			seat_set_focus(seat, &ws->node);
+		}
 
-		container_get_first_view(container, &first_view);
 		seat_set_focus(seat, &first_view->node);
 	} else if (ws->floating->length) {
 		seat_set_focus(seat, ws->floating->items[0]);
diff --git a/sway/tree/container.c b/sway/tree/container.c
index acc9778bd..36499ed35 100644
--- a/sway/tree/container.c
+++ b/sway/tree/container.c
@@ -430,18 +430,23 @@ struct sway_container *container_at(struct sway_workspace *workspace,
 	return NULL;
 }
 
-void container_get_first_view(struct sway_container *container,
-		struct sway_container **view) {
+struct sway_container *container_get_first_view(struct sway_container *container) {
 	if (container->view) {
-	    *view = container;
+	    return container;
 	}
 
 	if (container->pending.children)  {
 		for (int i = 0; i < container->pending.children->length; ++i) {
 			struct sway_container *child = container->pending.children->items[i];
-			container_get_first_view(child, view);
+			struct sway_container *view = container_get_first_view(child);
+
+			if (view) {
+			    return view;
+			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	return NULL;
 }
 
 void container_for_each_child(struct sway_container *container,