diff --git a/emain/emain-window.ts b/emain/emain-window.ts
index 761da97c1..0f6e4d431 100644
--- a/emain/emain-window.ts
+++ b/emain/emain-window.ts
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ export class WaveBrowserWindow extends BaseWindow {
 
     async switchWorkspace(workspaceId: string) {
         const curWorkspace = await WorkspaceService.GetWorkspace(this.workspaceId);
-        if ((curWorkspace.tabids.length > 1 && !curWorkspace.name) || !curWorkspace.icon) {
+        if (curWorkspace.tabids.length > 1 && (!curWorkspace.name || !curWorkspace.icon)) {
             const choice = dialog.showMessageBoxSync(this, {
                 type: "question",
                 buttons: ["Cancel", "Open in New Window", "Yes"],
@@ -487,20 +487,24 @@ export function getAllWaveWindows(): WaveBrowserWindow[] {
     return Array.from(waveWindowMap.values());
 }
 
-// TODO:
 // note, this does not *show* the window.
 // to show, await win.readyPromise and then win.show()
 export async function createBrowserWindow(
-    clientId: string,
     waveWindow: WaveWindow,
     fullConfig: FullConfigType,
     opts: WindowOpts
 ): Promise<WaveBrowserWindow> {
+    let workspace: Workspace;
+    if (!waveWindow) {
+        [waveWindow, workspace] = await WindowService.CreateWindow(null, "");
+    } else {
+        workspace = await WorkspaceService.GetWorkspace(waveWindow.workspaceid);
+    }
+    console.log("workspace", workspace);
+
     console.log("createBrowserWindow", waveWindow.oid);
     const bwin = new WaveBrowserWindow(waveWindow, fullConfig, opts);
 
-    const workspace = await WorkspaceService.GetWorkspace(waveWindow.workspaceid);
-    console.log("workspace", workspace);
     if (workspace.activetabid) {
         console.log("set active tab id");
         await bwin.setActiveTab(workspace.activetabid);
diff --git a/emain/emain.ts b/emain/emain.ts
index 3a3486d80..b07826b1d 100644
--- a/emain/emain.ts
+++ b/emain/emain.ts
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ function handleWSEvent(evtMsg: WSEventType) {
             }
             const clientData = await services.ClientService.GetClientData();
             const fullConfig = await services.FileService.GetFullConfig();
-            const newWin = await createBrowserWindow(clientData.oid, windowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
+            const newWin = await createBrowserWindow(windowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
             await newWin.waveReadyPromise;
             newWin.show();
         } else if (evtMsg.eventtype == "electron:closewindow") {
@@ -374,7 +374,7 @@ async function createNewWaveWindow(): Promise<void> {
         const existingWindowId = clientData.windowids[0];
         const existingWindowData = (await services.ObjectService.GetObject("window:" + existingWindowId)) as WaveWindow;
         if (existingWindowData != null) {
-            const win = await createBrowserWindow(clientData.oid, existingWindowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
+            const win = await createBrowserWindow(existingWindowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
             await win.waveReadyPromise;
             win.show();
             recreatedWindow = true;
@@ -383,9 +383,7 @@ async function createNewWaveWindow(): Promise<void> {
     if (recreatedWindow) {
         return;
     }
-    console.log("makewindow");
-    const newWindow = await services.WindowService.MakeWindow();
-    const newBrowserWindow = await createBrowserWindow(clientData.oid, newWindow, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
+    const newBrowserWindow = await createBrowserWindow(null, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
     await newBrowserWindow.waveReadyPromise;
     newBrowserWindow.show();
 }
@@ -660,7 +658,7 @@ async function relaunchBrowserWindows(): Promise<void> {
             });
             continue;
         }
-        const win = await createBrowserWindow(clientData.oid, windowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
+        const win = await createBrowserWindow(windowData, fullConfig, { unamePlatform });
         wins.push(win);
     }
     for (const win of wins) {
diff --git a/frontend/app/store/wos.ts b/frontend/app/store/wos.ts
index dadb43d49..72b29a4c9 100644
--- a/frontend/app/store/wos.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/store/wos.ts
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ function callBackendService(service: string, method: string, args: any[], noUICo
             }
             const durationStr = Date.now() - startTs + "ms";
             debugLogBackendCall(methodName, durationStr, args);
+            console.log("callBackendService", methodName, durationStr, respData);
             return respData.data;
         });
     return prtn;
diff --git a/pkg/service/service.go b/pkg/service/service.go
index c0373db12..72a234cb2 100644
--- a/pkg/service/service.go
+++ b/pkg/service/service.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package service
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -172,6 +173,7 @@ func convertSpecial(argType reflect.Type, jsonArg any) (any, error) {
 }
 
 func convertSpecialForReturn(argType reflect.Type, nativeArg any) (any, error) {
+	log.Printf("convertSpecialForReturn(%s, %T)", argType, nativeArg)
 	if argType == waveObjRType {
 		return waveobj.ToJsonMap(nativeArg.(waveobj.WaveObj))
 	} else if argType == waveObjSliceRType {
@@ -279,6 +281,7 @@ func convertReturnValues(rtnVals []reflect.Value) *WebReturnType {
 	if len(rtnVals) == 0 {
 		return rtn
 	}
+	rtnData := make([]any, 0)
 	for _, val := range rtnVals {
 		if isNilable(val) && val.IsNil() {
 			continue
@@ -299,10 +302,15 @@ func convertReturnValues(rtnVals []reflect.Value) *WebReturnType {
 				rtn.Error = fmt.Errorf("cannot convert special return value: %v", err).Error()
 				continue
 			}
-			rtn.Data = jsonVal
+			rtnData = append(rtnData, jsonVal)
 			continue
 		}
-		rtn.Data = val.Interface()
+		rtnData = append(rtnData, val.Interface())
+	}
+	if len(rtnData) > 1 {
+		rtn.Data = rtnData
+	} else if len(rtnData) == 1 {
+		rtn.Data = rtnData[0]
 	}
 	if rtn.Error == "" {
 		rtn.Success = true
diff --git a/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go b/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
index 77f672d5a..01c7d14ee 100644
--- a/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
+++ b/pkg/service/windowservice/windowservice.go
@@ -55,15 +55,19 @@ func (svc *WindowService) CreateWindow(ctx context.Context, winSize *waveobj.Win
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting workspace: %w", err)
 	}
 	if len(ws.TabIds) == 0 {
+		_, err = wcore.CreateTab(ctx, ws.OID, "", true)
+		if err != nil {
+			return window, ws, fmt.Errorf("error creating tab: %w", err)
+		}
+		ws, err = wcore.GetWorkspace(ctx, window.WorkspaceId)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("error getting updated workspace: %w", err)
+		}
 		err = wlayout.BootstrapNewWorkspaceLayout(ctx, ws)
 		if err != nil {
 			return window, ws, fmt.Errorf("error bootstrapping new workspace layout: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
-	ws, err = wcore.GetWorkspace(ctx, window.WorkspaceId)
-	if err != nil {
-		return window, ws, fmt.Errorf("error getting updated workspace: %w", err)
-	}
 	return window, ws, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
index f541fcebc..c0c65c672 100644
--- a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
+++ b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
@@ -19,10 +19,6 @@ func CreateWorkspace(ctx context.Context) (*waveobj.Workspace, error) {
 		TabIds: []string{},
 	}
 	wstore.DBInsert(ctx, ws)
-	_, err := CreateTab(ctx, ws.OID, "", true)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error inserting tab: %w", err)
-	}
 	return ws, nil
 }