diff --git a/src/auto_tiler.ts b/src/auto_tiler.ts
index b1eeb919..7d233e13 100644
--- a/src/auto_tiler.ts
+++ b/src/auto_tiler.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ export class AutoTiler {
             log.debug(`attach to workspace: ${result.value}`)
             this.attach_to_workspace(ext, win, ext.workspace_id(win));
         } else {
+            log.debug(`attaching to window ${win.entity}`)
             this.attach_to_window(ext, result.value, win,  { auto: 0 })
         }
     }
@@ -656,7 +657,7 @@ export class AutoTiler {
             return Err('ignoring focus');
         }
 
-        const prev = ext.prev_focused[1]
+        const prev = ext.previously_focused(win)
 
         if (!prev) {
             return Err('no window has been previously focused');
@@ -684,9 +685,9 @@ export class AutoTiler {
             return Err('focused window is not attached');
         }
 
-        return onto.meta.get_monitor() == win.meta.get_monitor() && onto.workspace_id() == win.workspace_id()
+        return onto.workspace_id() == win.workspace_id()
             ? Ok(onto)
-            : Err('window is not on the same monitor or workspace');
+            : Err('window is not on the same workspace');
     }
 
     private toggle_orientation_(ext: Ext, focused: ShellWindow): Result<void, string> {
diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index c1af4d43..21672a80 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export class Ext extends Ecs.System<ExtEvent> {
     injections: Array<Injection> = new Array();
 
     /** The window that was focused before the last window */
-    prev_focused: [null | Entity, null | Entity] = [null, null];
+    private prev_focused: [null | Entity, null | Entity] = [null, null];
 
     tween_signals: Map<string, [SignalID, any]> = new Map();
 
@@ -792,8 +792,11 @@ export class Ext extends Ecs.System<ExtEvent> {
             this.exception_add(win)
         }
 
-        this.prev_focused[0] = this.prev_focused[1];
-        this.prev_focused[1] = win.entity;
+        // Track history of focused windows, but do not permit duplicates.
+        if (this.prev_focused[1] !== win.entity) {
+            this.prev_focused[0] = this.prev_focused[1];
+            this.prev_focused[1] = win.entity;
+        }
 
         // Update the active tab in the stack.
         if (null !== this.auto_tiler && null !== win.stack) {
@@ -1067,6 +1070,17 @@ export class Ext extends Ecs.System<ExtEvent> {
         }
     }
 
+    previously_focused(active: Window.ShellWindow): null | Ecs.Entity {
+        for (const id of [1, 0]) {
+            const prev = this.prev_focused[id]
+            if (prev && ! Ecs.entity_eq(active.entity, prev)) {
+                return prev;
+            }
+        }
+
+        return null
+    }
+
     movement_is_valid(win: Window.ShellWindow, movement: movement.Movement) {
         if ((movement & Movement.SHRINK) !== 0) {
             if ((movement & Movement.DOWN) !== 0) {
@@ -2021,7 +2035,7 @@ export class Ext extends Ecs.System<ExtEvent> {
                 let actor = window.meta.get_compositor_private();
                 if (actor) {
                     if (!window.meta.minimized) {
-                        tiler.auto_tile(this, window, false);
+                        tiler.auto_tile(this, window, true);
                     }
                 }
             }