diff --git a/lib/Utils.vala b/lib/Utils.vala
index f651d622a..e66f014ac 100644
--- a/lib/Utils.vala
+++ b/lib/Utils.vala
@@ -266,14 +266,20 @@ namespace Gala {
 
         /**
          * Get the number of toplevel windows on a workspace excluding those that are
-         * on all workspaces
+         * on all workspaces.
+         *
+         * We need `exclude` here because on Meta.Workspace.window_removed
+         * the windows gets removed from workspace's internal window list but not display's window list
+         * which Meta.Workspace uses for Meta.Workspace.list_windows ().
          *
          * @param workspace The workspace on which to count the windows
+         * @param exclude a window to not count
+         * 
          */
-        public static uint get_n_windows (Meta.Workspace workspace, bool on_primary = false) {
+        public static uint get_n_windows (Meta.Workspace workspace, bool on_primary = false, Meta.Window? exclude = null) {
             var n = 0;
             foreach (unowned var window in workspace.list_windows ()) {
-                if (window.on_all_workspaces) {
+                if (window.on_all_workspaces || window == exclude) {
                     continue;
                 }
 
diff --git a/src/WorkspaceManager.vala b/src/WorkspaceManager.vala
index 9aa797a37..7d0eb4314 100644
--- a/src/WorkspaceManager.vala
+++ b/src/WorkspaceManager.vala
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ namespace Gala {
             // or we are in modal-mode
             if ((!is_active_workspace || wm.is_modal ())
                 && remove_freeze_count < 1
-                && Utils.get_n_windows (workspace, true) == 0
+                && Utils.get_n_windows (workspace, true, window) == 0
                 && workspace != last_workspace) {
                 remove_workspace (workspace);
             }
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ namespace Gala {
             // if window is the second last and empty, make it the last workspace
             if (is_active_workspace
                 && remove_freeze_count < 1
-                && Utils.get_n_windows (workspace, true) == 0
+                && Utils.get_n_windows (workspace, true, window) == 0
                 && workspace.index () == last_workspace_index - 1) {
                 remove_workspace (last_workspace);
             }