diff --git a/js/ui/windowManager.js b/js/ui/windowManager.js
index 75be4c53b..31b7d2dfe 100644
--- a/js/ui/windowManager.js
+++ b/js/ui/windowManager.js
@@ -254,6 +254,8 @@ const WorkspaceTracker = new Lang.Class({
         if (removingCurrentWorkspace) {
             // "Merge" the empty workspace we are removing with the one at the end
             this._wm.blockAnimations();
+            global.screen.get_workspace_by_index(global.screen.n_workspaces - 1).activate(global.get_current_time());
+            this._wm.unblockAnimations();
         }
 
         // Delete other empty workspaces; do it from the end to avoid index changes
@@ -262,11 +264,6 @@ const WorkspaceTracker = new Lang.Class({
                 global.screen.remove_workspace(this._workspaces[i], global.get_current_time());
         }
 
-        if (removingCurrentWorkspace) {
-            global.screen.get_workspace_by_index(global.screen.n_workspaces - 1).activate(global.get_current_time());
-            this._wm.unblockAnimations();
-        }
-
         this._checkWorkspacesId = 0;
         return false;
     },