diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 7f305fd82..82b2ff1ab 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+2002-08-14  Mark McLoughlin  <mark@skynet.ie>
+
+	* src/screen.c: (set_number_of_spaces_hint), move from
+	workspace.c.
+	(update_num_workspaces): set the hint here. Fixes #90123.
+
+	* src/workspace.c:
+	(meta_workspace_new), (meta_workspace_free): don't set
+	the hint here.
+	(update_num_workspaces): move to screen.c
+
 2002-08-12  Havoc Pennington  <hp@redhat.com>
 
 	* src/stack.c (compute_layer): window is in fullscreen layer if
diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index 9319f7f4f..90f728b62 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -744,6 +744,27 @@ meta_screen_get_n_workspaces (MetaScreen *screen)
   return i;
 }
 
+static int
+set_number_of_spaces_hint (MetaScreen *screen,
+			   int         n_spaces)
+{
+  unsigned long data[1];
+
+  if (screen->closing > 0)
+    return 0;
+
+  data[0] = n_spaces;
+
+  meta_verbose ("Setting _NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS to %ld\n", data[0]);
+
+  meta_error_trap_push (screen->display);
+  XChangeProperty (screen->display->xdisplay, screen->xroot,
+                   screen->display->atom_net_number_of_desktops,
+                   XA_CARDINAL,
+                   32, PropModeReplace, (guchar*) data, 1);
+  return meta_error_trap_pop (screen->display);
+}
+
 static void
 update_num_workspaces (MetaScreen *screen)
 {
@@ -818,16 +839,14 @@ update_num_workspaces (MetaScreen *screen)
   
   g_list_free (extras);
   
-  /* Add missing workspaces. FIXME This will keep setting the
-   * number-of-workspaces root window property on each workspace
-   * creation, kind of a lame thing
-   */
   while (i < new_num)
     {
       meta_workspace_new (screen);
       ++i;
     }
 
+  set_number_of_spaces_hint (screen, new_num);
+
   meta_screen_queue_workarea_recalc (screen);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index 1e9e5b6a3..dedde22fa 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 
 void meta_workspace_queue_calc_showing  (MetaWorkspace *workspace);
 
-static int set_number_of_spaces_hint  (MetaScreen *screen);
 static int set_active_space_hint      (MetaScreen *screen);
 
 MetaWorkspace*
@@ -51,9 +50,6 @@ meta_workspace_new (MetaScreen *screen)
   workspace->name = g_strdup_printf (_("Workspace %d"),
                                      meta_workspace_index (workspace) + 1);
   
-  /* Update hint for current number of workspaces */
-  set_number_of_spaces_hint (screen);
-  
   return workspace;
 }
 
@@ -94,8 +90,6 @@ meta_workspace_free (MetaWorkspace *workspace)
   
   g_free (workspace);
 
-  /* Update hint for current number of workspaces */
-  set_number_of_spaces_hint (screen);
   /* don't bother to reset names, pagers can just ignore
    * extra ones
    */
@@ -308,26 +302,6 @@ meta_workspace_list_windows (MetaWorkspace *workspace)
   return workspace_windows;
 }
 
-static int
-set_number_of_spaces_hint (MetaScreen *screen)
-{
-  unsigned long data[1];
-
-  if (screen->closing > 0)
-    return 0;
-  
-  data[0] = meta_screen_get_n_workspaces (screen);
-
-  meta_verbose ("Setting _NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS to %ld\n", data[0]);
-  
-  meta_error_trap_push (screen->display);
-  XChangeProperty (screen->display->xdisplay, screen->xroot,
-                   screen->display->atom_net_number_of_desktops,
-                   XA_CARDINAL,
-                   32, PropModeReplace, (guchar*) data, 1);
-  return meta_error_trap_pop (screen->display);
-}
-
 static int
 set_active_space_hint (MetaScreen *screen)
 {