diff --git a/js/ui/appDisplay.js b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
index 9ecfc116b..7025e4e76 100644
--- a/js/ui/appDisplay.js
+++ b/js/ui/appDisplay.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ const Mainloop = imports.mainloop;
 
 const DND = imports.ui.dnd;
 const GenericDisplay = imports.ui.genericDisplay;
+const Main = imports.ui.main;
 const Workspaces = imports.ui.workspaces;
 
 const ENTERED_MENU_COLOR = new Clutter.Color();
@@ -527,17 +528,10 @@ WellDisplayItem.prototype = {
         if (this._windows.length == 0)
             this.launch();
         else {
-            /* Pick the first window and activate it, switching to its workspace
-             * if necessary.  In the future, we want to have a menu dropdown here. */
+            /* Pick the first window and activate it;
+             * In the future, we want to have a menu dropdown here. */
             let first = this._windows[0];
-            let firstWorkspace = first.get_workspace();
-            let currentWorkspaceIndex = Shell.Global.get().screen.get_active_workspace_index();
-            let currentWorkspace = Shell.Global.get().screen.get_workspace_by_index(currentWorkspaceIndex);
-            let ts = Clutter.get_current_event_time();
-            if (currentWorkspace != firstWorkspace)
-                firstWorkspace.activate_with_focus(first, ts);
-            else
-                first.activate(ts);
+            Main.overlay.activateWindow (first, Clutter.get_current_event_time());
         }
         this.emit('activated');
     },
diff --git a/js/ui/overlay.js b/js/ui/overlay.js
index f0ea2e770..235b0ee0f 100644
--- a/js/ui/overlay.js
+++ b/js/ui/overlay.js
@@ -934,6 +934,21 @@ Overlay.prototype = {
             this.show();
     },
 
+    /**
+     * activateWindow:
+     * @metaWindow: A #MetaWindow
+     * @time: Event timestamp integer
+     *
+     * Make the given MetaWindow be the focus window, switching
+     * to the workspace it's on if necessary.  This function
+     * should only be used when the overlay is currently active;
+     * outside of that, use the relevant methods on MetaDisplay.
+     */
+    activateWindow: function (metaWindow, time) {
+         this._workspaces.activateWindowFromOverlay(metaWindow, time);
+         this.hide();
+    },
+
     //// Private methods ////
 
     // Raises the Dash to the top, so that we can tell if the pointer is above one of its items.
diff --git a/js/ui/workspaces.js b/js/ui/workspaces.js
index e70329456..7da0e40ec 100644
--- a/js/ui/workspaces.js
+++ b/js/ui/workspaces.js
@@ -364,6 +364,23 @@ Workspace.prototype = {
         }
     },
 
+    _lookupIndexAndClone: function (metaWindow) {
+        let index, clone;
+        for (let i = 0; i < this._windows.length; i++) {
+            if (this._windows[i].metaWindow == metaWindow) {
+                index = i;
+                clone = this._windows[index];
+                return [index, clone];
+            }
+        }
+        return [-1, null];
+    },
+
+    lookupCloneForMetaWindow: function (metaWindow) {
+        let [index, clone] = this._lookupIndexAndClone (metaWindow);
+        return clone;
+    },
+
     _adjustRemoveButton : function() {
         this._removeButton.set_scale(1.0 / this.actor.scale_x,
                                      1.0 / this.actor.scale_y);
@@ -450,14 +467,7 @@ Workspace.prototype = {
         let win = metaWin.get_compositor_private();
 
         // find the position of the window in our list
-        let index = - 1, clone;
-        for (let i = 0; i < this._windows.length; i++) {
-            if (this._windows[i].metaWindow == metaWin) {
-                index = i;
-                clone = this._windows[index];
-                break;
-            }
-        }
+        let [index, clone] = this._lookupIndexAndClone (metaWin);
 
         if (index == -1)
             return;
@@ -712,15 +722,7 @@ Workspace.prototype = {
     },
 
     _onCloneSelected : function (clone, time) {
-        let global = Shell.Global.get();
-        let activeWorkspace = global.screen.get_active_workspace_index();
-
-        if (this.workspaceNum != activeWorkspace) {
-            let workspace = global.screen.get_workspace_by_index(this.workspaceNum);
-            workspace.activate_with_focus(clone.metaWindow, time);
-        } else
-            clone.metaWindow.activate(time);
-        Main.overlay.hide();
+        Main.overlay.activateWindow(clone.metaWindow, time);
     },
 
     _removeSelf : function(actor, event) {
@@ -828,6 +830,32 @@ Workspaces.prototype = {
                                           Lang.bind(this, this._activeWorkspaceChanged));
     },
 
+    _lookupCloneForMetaWindow: function (metaWindow) {
+        for (let i = 0; i < this._workspaces.length; i++) {
+            let clone = this._workspaces[i].lookupCloneForMetaWindow(metaWindow);
+            if (clone)
+                return clone;
+        }
+        return null;
+    },
+
+    // Should only be called from active overlay context
+    activateWindowFromOverlay: function (metaWindow, time) {
+        let global = Shell.Global.get();
+        let activeWorkspaceNum = global.screen.get_active_workspace_index();
+        let windowWorkspaceNum = metaWindow.get_workspace().index();
+
+        let clone = this._lookupCloneForMetaWindow (metaWindow);
+        clone.actor.raise_top();
+
+        if (windowWorkspaceNum != activeWorkspaceNum) {
+            let workspace = global.screen.get_workspace_by_index(windowWorkspaceNum);
+            workspace.activate_with_focus(metaWindow, time);
+        } else {
+            metaWindow.activate(time);
+        }
+    },
+
     // Updates position of the workspaces display based on the new coordinates.
     // Preserves the old value for the coordinate, if the passed value is null.
     updatePosition : function(x, y) {