diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index 00d8b97d..2d8fce3c 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -1114,9 +1114,17 @@ void cmd_move_workspace_to_output(I3_CMD, char *name) {
  *
  */
 void cmd_split(I3_CMD, char *direction) {
+    owindow *current;
     /* TODO: use matches */
     LOG("splitting in direction %c\n", direction[0]);
-    tree_split(focused, (direction[0] == 'v' ? VERT : HORIZ));
+    if (match_is_empty(current_match))
+        tree_split(focused, (direction[0] == 'v' ? VERT : HORIZ));
+    else {
+        TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
+            DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
+            tree_split(current->con, (direction[0] == 'v' ? VERT : HORIZ));
+        }
+    }
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
     // XXX: default reply for now, make this a better reply
@@ -1429,7 +1437,7 @@ void cmd_layout(I3_CMD, char *layout_str) {
 
     /* check if the match is empty, not if the result is empty */
     if (match_is_empty(current_match))
-        con_set_layout(focused->parent, layout);
+        con_set_layout(focused, layout);
     else {
         TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
             DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
@@ -1456,7 +1464,7 @@ void cmd_layout_toggle(I3_CMD, char *toggle_mode) {
 
     /* check if the match is empty, not if the result is empty */
     if (match_is_empty(current_match))
-        con_toggle_layout(focused->parent, toggle_mode);
+        con_toggle_layout(focused, toggle_mode);
     else {
         TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
             DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index 0c82163a..cb756b6d 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -1082,6 +1082,15 @@ void con_set_border_style(Con *con, int border_style) {
  *
  */
 void con_set_layout(Con *con, int layout) {
+    DLOG("con_set_layout(%p, %d), con->type = %d\n",
+         con, layout, con->type);
+
+    /* Users can focus workspaces, but not any higher in the hierarchy.
+     * Focus on the workspace is a special case, since in every other case, the
+     * user means "change the layout of the parent split container". */
+    if (con->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
+        con = con->parent;
+
     /* We fill in last_split_layout when switching to a different layout
      * since there are many places in the code that don’t use
      * con_set_layout(). */
@@ -1092,7 +1101,8 @@ void con_set_layout(Con *con, int layout) {
      * whole workspace into stacked/tabbed mode. To do this and still allow
      * intuitive operations (like level-up and then opening a new window), we
      * need to create a new split container. */
-    if (con->type == CT_WORKSPACE) {
+    if (con->type == CT_WORKSPACE &&
+        (layout == L_STACKED || layout == L_TABBED)) {
         DLOG("Creating new split container\n");
         /* 1: create a new split container */
         Con *new = con_new(NULL, NULL);
@@ -1100,7 +1110,7 @@ void con_set_layout(Con *con, int layout) {
 
         /* 2: Set the requested layout on the split container and mark it as
          * split. */
-        con_set_layout(new, layout);
+        new->layout = layout;
         new->last_split_layout = con->last_split_layout;
         new->split = true;
 
@@ -1156,30 +1166,38 @@ void con_set_layout(Con *con, int layout) {
  *
  */
 void con_toggle_layout(Con *con, const char *toggle_mode) {
+    Con *parent = con;
+    /* Users can focus workspaces, but not any higher in the hierarchy.
+     * Focus on the workspace is a special case, since in every other case, the
+     * user means "change the layout of the parent split container". */
+    if (con->type != CT_WORKSPACE)
+        parent = con->parent;
+    DLOG("con_toggle_layout(%p, %s), parent = %p\n", con, toggle_mode, parent);
+
     if (strcmp(toggle_mode, "split") == 0) {
         /* Toggle between splits. When the current layout is not a split
          * layout, we just switch back to last_split_layout. Otherwise, we
          * change to the opposite split layout. */
-        if (con->layout != L_SPLITH && con->layout != L_SPLITV)
-            con_set_layout(con, con->last_split_layout);
+        if (parent->layout != L_SPLITH && parent->layout != L_SPLITV)
+            con_set_layout(con, parent->last_split_layout);
         else {
-            if (con->layout == L_SPLITH)
+            if (parent->layout == L_SPLITH)
                 con_set_layout(con, L_SPLITV);
             else con_set_layout(con, L_SPLITH);
         }
     } else {
-        if (con->layout == L_STACKED)
+        if (parent->layout == L_STACKED)
             con_set_layout(con, L_TABBED);
-        else if (con->layout == L_TABBED) {
+        else if (parent->layout == L_TABBED) {
             if (strcmp(toggle_mode, "all") == 0)
                 con_set_layout(con, L_SPLITH);
-            else con_set_layout(con, con->last_split_layout);
-        } else if (con->layout == L_SPLITH || con->layout == L_SPLITV) {
+            else con_set_layout(con, parent->last_split_layout);
+        } else if (parent->layout == L_SPLITH || parent->layout == L_SPLITV) {
             if (strcmp(toggle_mode, "all") == 0) {
                 /* When toggling through all modes, we toggle between
                  * splith/splitv, whereas normally we just directly jump to
                  * stacked. */
-                if (con->layout == L_SPLITH)
+                if (parent->layout == L_SPLITH)
                     con_set_layout(con, L_SPLITV);
                 else con_set_layout(con, L_STACKED);
             } else {
diff --git a/testcases/t/122-split.t b/testcases/t/122-split.t
index d491c37a..7f8f392d 100644
--- a/testcases/t/122-split.t
+++ b/testcases/t/122-split.t
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 # Tests splitting
 #
 use i3test;
+use List::Util qw(first);
 
 my $tmp;
 my $ws;
@@ -119,4 +120,29 @@ cmd 'open';
 is(scalar @content, 1, 'Still one container on this ws');
 is(scalar @{$content[0]->{nodes}}, 1, 'Stacked con still has one child node');
 
+################################################################################
+# When focusing the workspace, changing the layout should have an effect on the
+# workspace, not on the parent (CT_CONTENT) container.
+################################################################################
+
+sub get_output_content {
+    my $tree = i3(get_socket_path())->get_tree->recv;
+
+    my @outputs = grep { $_->{name} !~ /^__/ } @{$tree->{nodes}};
+    is(scalar @outputs, 1, 'exactly one output (testcase not multi-monitor capable)');
+    my $output = $outputs[0];
+    # get the first (and only) CT_CON
+    return first { $_->{type} == 2 } @{$output->{nodes}};
+}
+
+$tmp = fresh_workspace;
+
+cmd 'open';
+cmd 'split v';
+cmd 'open';
+cmd 'focus parent';
+is(get_output_content()->{layout}, 'splith', 'content container layout ok');
+cmd 'layout stacked';
+is(get_output_content()->{layout}, 'splith', 'content container layout still ok');
+
 done_testing;