diff --git a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-gtk-shell.c b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-gtk-shell.c
index c629e3a4d..cbbe9d5f9 100644
--- a/src/wayland/meta-wayland-gtk-shell.c
+++ b/src/wayland/meta-wayland-gtk-shell.c
@@ -172,13 +172,16 @@ gtk_surface_request_focus (struct wl_client   *client,
 
   if (sequence)
     {
-      uint32_t timestamp;
+      uint32_t timestamp, workspace_idx;
 
+      workspace_idx = meta_startup_sequence_get_workspace (sequence);
       timestamp = meta_startup_sequence_get_timestamp (sequence);
 
       meta_startup_sequence_complete (sequence);
       meta_startup_notification_remove_sequence (display->startup_notification,
                                                  sequence);
+      if (workspace_idx >= 0)
+        meta_window_change_workspace_by_index (window, workspace_idx, TRUE);
 
       meta_window_activate_full (window, timestamp,
                                  META_CLIENT_TYPE_APPLICATION, NULL);