diff --git a/sway/sway.5.scd b/sway/sway.5.scd
index bbcc94e23..b15d857b5 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.scd
+++ b/sway/sway.5.scd
@@ -841,6 +841,14 @@ Kill all windows with the title "Emacs":
 [class="Emacs"] kill
 ```
 
+Criteria are applied on state changes of a view. These currently are mapping
+(i.e. opening of a window), adding or removing marks and setting title, app_id,
+class, role or window type.
+
+Criteria will be executed once when first applied or when the view changes its
+attributes to match. They will be re-executed only after the view did not match
+a least once.
+
 You may like to use swaymsg -t get_tree for finding the values of these
 properties in practice for your applications.
 
diff --git a/sway/tree/view.c b/sway/tree/view.c
index de1e936aa..40e324ff8 100644
--- a/sway/tree/view.c
+++ b/sway/tree/view.c
@@ -414,29 +414,22 @@ static void view_handle_surface_new_subsurface(struct wl_listener *listener,
 	view_subsurface_create(view, subsurface);
 }
 
-static bool view_has_executed_criteria(struct sway_view *view,
-		struct criteria *criteria) {
-	for (int i = 0; i < view->executed_criteria->length; ++i) {
-		struct criteria *item = view->executed_criteria->items[i];
-		if (item == criteria) {
-			return true;
-		}
-	}
-	return false;
-}
-
 void view_execute_criteria(struct sway_view *view) {
-	list_t *criterias = criteria_for_view(view, CT_COMMAND);
-	for (int i = 0; i < criterias->length; i++) {
-		struct criteria *criteria = criterias->items[i];
+	// replacing list of executed criteria removes those that do no longer
+	// match the view, opening them up for re-execution once they match
+	// again
+	list_t *previously_executed = view->executed_criteria;
+	view->executed_criteria = criteria_for_view(view, CT_COMMAND);
+	for (int i = 0; i < view->executed_criteria->length; i++) {
+		struct criteria *criteria = view->executed_criteria->items[i];
 		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Checking criteria %s", criteria->raw);
-		if (view_has_executed_criteria(view, criteria)) {
+		if (list_find(previously_executed, criteria) >= 0) {
 			sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "Criteria already executed");
 			continue;
 		}
+
 		sway_log(SWAY_DEBUG, "for_window '%s' matches view %p, cmd: '%s'",
 				criteria->raw, view, criteria->cmdlist);
-		list_add(view->executed_criteria, criteria);
 		list_t *res_list = execute_command(
 				criteria->cmdlist, NULL, view->container);
 		while (res_list->length) {
@@ -446,7 +439,7 @@ void view_execute_criteria(struct sway_view *view) {
 		}
 		list_free(res_list);
 	}
-	list_free(criterias);
+	list_free(previously_executed);
 }
 
 static void view_populate_pid(struct sway_view *view) {