diff --git a/sway/commands/kill.c b/sway/commands/kill.c
index f1e95e4bb..eaa2d118d 100644
--- a/sway/commands/kill.c
+++ b/sway/commands/kill.c
@@ -6,10 +6,58 @@
 #include "sway/tree/workspace.h"
 #include "sway/commands.h"
 
+/** Killing x from either A[x B[y]] or A[C[x] B[y]]
+ * leaves A[B[y]], which should be flattened to B[y]. 
+ * obsolete_if_killed(x) returns B.
+ */
+struct sway_container *obsolete_if_killed(struct sway_container *con) {
+    if (container_get_siblings(con)->length==1) {
+      if (con->pending.parent) {
+        con = con->pending.parent;
+      } else {
+        return con;
+      }
+    }
+    if (container_get_siblings(con)->length !=2) {
+      return con;
+    }
+
+    list_t *siblings = container_get_siblings(con);
+    int idX = list_find(siblings, con);
+    struct sway_container *sibling = siblings->items[1 - idX];
+    if (sibling->view || !sibling->pending.layout) {
+      return con;
+    }
+  
+    sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Killing %p will obsolete %p", con, sibling);
+    return sibling;
+}
+
+void flatten_obsolete(struct sway_container *obs) {
+  enum sway_container_layout layout = obs->pending.layout;
+  if (obs->pending.parent) {
+    obs->pending.parent->pending.layout = layout;
+  } else if (obs->pending.workspace) {
+    obs->pending.workspace->layout = layout;
+  }
+  while (obs->pending.children->length) {
+    struct sway_container *current = obs->pending.children->items[0];
+    container_detach(current);
+    container_add_sibling(obs, current, 0);
+  }
+  container_detach(obs);
+  container_begin_destroy(obs);
+  return;
+}
+
 static void close_container_iterator(struct sway_container *con, void *data) {
 	if (con->view) {
+    struct sway_container *obs = obsolete_if_killed(con);
 		view_close(con->view);
-	}
+    if (obs && obs != con) {
+      flatten_obsolete(obs);
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 struct cmd_results *cmd_kill(int argc, char **argv) {