diff --git a/include/sway/tree/container.h b/include/sway/tree/container.h
index 5d15f12b..1286316a 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/container.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/container.h
@@ -128,11 +128,11 @@ struct sway_container *container_view_create(
 		struct sway_container *sibling, struct sway_view *sway_view);
 
 // TODO don't return the parent on destroy
-struct sway_container *container_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
+void container_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
 
 struct sway_container *container_workspace_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
 struct sway_container *container_output_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
-struct sway_container *container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
+void container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *container);
 
 struct sway_container *container_close(struct sway_container *container);
 
diff --git a/include/sway/tree/layout.h b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
index 8badb244..9d33d561 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/layout.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/layout.h
@@ -41,7 +41,9 @@ struct sway_container *container_add_sibling(struct sway_container *parent,
 struct sway_container *container_remove_child(struct sway_container *child);
 
 // TODO PRIVATE in tree.h
-struct sway_container *container_reap_empty(struct sway_container *container);
+
+struct sway_container *container_replace_child(struct sway_container *child,
+		struct sway_container *new_child);
 
 // TODO move to tree.h
 void container_move_to(struct sway_container* container,
diff --git a/sway/tree/container.c b/sway/tree/container.c
index 8688edd6..686a52c7 100644
--- a/sway/tree/container.c
+++ b/sway/tree/container.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #define _POSIX_C_SOURCE 200809L
+#include <assert.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
@@ -109,12 +110,55 @@ static struct sway_container *_container_destroy(struct sway_container *cont) {
 	return parent;
 }
 
-struct sway_container *container_destroy(struct sway_container *cont) {
-	struct sway_container *parent = _container_destroy(cont);
-	parent = container_reap_empty(parent);
+static void reap_empty_func(struct sway_container *con, void *data) {
+	switch (con->type) {
+		case C_TYPES:
+		case C_ROOT:
+		case C_OUTPUT:
+			// dont reap these
+			break;
+		case C_WORKSPACE:
+			if (!workspace_is_visible(con) && con->children->length == 0) {
+				container_workspace_destroy(con);
+			}
+			break;
+		case C_CONTAINER:
+			if (con->children->length == 0) {
+				_container_destroy(con);
+			} else if (con->children->length == 1) {
+				struct sway_container *only_child = con->children->items[0];
+				if (only_child->type == C_CONTAINER) {
+					container_remove_child(only_child);
+					container_replace_child(con, only_child);
+					_container_destroy(con);
+				}
+			}
+		case C_VIEW:
+			break;
+	}
+}
+
+struct sway_container *container_reap_empty(struct sway_container *container) {
+	struct sway_container *parent = container->parent;
+
+	container_for_each_descendant_dfs(container, reap_empty_func, NULL);
+
 	return parent;
 }
 
+void container_destroy(struct sway_container *cont) {
+	if (cont == NULL) {
+		return;
+	}
+
+	if (cont->children != NULL && cont->children->length) {
+		assert(false && "dont destroy containers with children");
+	}
+
+	_container_destroy(cont);
+	container_reap_empty(&root_container);
+}
+
 static void container_close_func(struct sway_container *container, void *data) {
 	if (container->type == C_VIEW) {
 		view_close(container->sway_view);
@@ -126,6 +170,8 @@ struct sway_container *container_close(struct sway_container *con) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	struct sway_container *parent = con->parent;
+
 	switch (con->type) {
 		case C_TYPES:
 			wlr_log(L_ERROR, "tried to close an invalid container");
@@ -148,7 +194,7 @@ struct sway_container *container_close(struct sway_container *con) {
 
 	}
 
-	return con->parent;
+	return parent;
 }
 
 struct sway_container *container_output_create(
diff --git a/sway/tree/layout.c b/sway/tree/layout.c
index b0ce4aaf..79470f98 100644
--- a/sway/tree/layout.c
+++ b/sway/tree/layout.c
@@ -103,32 +103,6 @@ void container_add_child(struct sway_container *parent,
 	child->parent = parent;
 }
 
-struct sway_container *container_reap_empty(struct sway_container *container) {
-	if (container == NULL) {
-		return NULL;
-	}
-	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "Reaping %p %s '%s'", container,
-			container_type_to_str(container->type), container->name);
-	while (container->type != C_ROOT && container->type != C_OUTPUT
-			&& container->children && container->children->length == 0) {
-		if (container->type == C_WORKSPACE) {
-			if (!workspace_is_visible(container)) {
-				struct sway_container *parent = container->parent;
-				container_workspace_destroy(container);
-				return parent;
-			}
-			return container;
-		} else if (container->type == C_CONTAINER) {
-			struct sway_container *parent = container->parent;
-			container_destroy(container);
-			container = parent;
-		} else {
-			container = container->parent;
-		}
-	}
-	return container;
-}
-
 struct sway_container *container_remove_child(struct sway_container *child) {
 	struct sway_container *parent = child->parent;
 	for (int i = 0; i < parent->children->length; ++i) {
@@ -309,6 +283,8 @@ void arrange_windows(struct sway_container *container,
 			container->children->length);
 		break;
 	case L_VERT:
+		assert(container);
+		assert(container->children);
 		apply_vert_layout(container, x, y, width, height, 0,
 			container->children->length);
 		break;
@@ -381,6 +357,7 @@ void apply_vert_layout(struct sway_container *container,
 		const double x, const double y,
 		const double width, const double height, const int start,
 		const int end) {
+	assert(container);
 	int i;
 	double scale = 0;
 	// Calculate total height
diff --git a/sway/tree/view.c b/sway/tree/view.c
index 4e695b5f..eeadc5d8 100644
--- a/sway/tree/view.c
+++ b/sway/tree/view.c
@@ -78,14 +78,12 @@ void view_close(struct sway_view *view) {
 	}
 }
 
-struct sway_container *container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *view) {
+void container_view_destroy(struct sway_container *view) {
 	if (!view) {
-		return NULL;
+		return;
 	}
 	wlr_log(L_DEBUG, "Destroying view '%s'", view->name);
-	struct sway_container *parent = container_destroy(view);
-	arrange_windows(&root_container, -1, -1);
-	return parent;
+	container_destroy(view);
 }
 
 void view_damage_whole(struct sway_view *view) {
@@ -164,6 +162,8 @@ void view_unmap(struct sway_view *view) {
 
 	view->swayc = NULL;
 	view->surface = NULL;
+
+	arrange_windows(&root_container, -1, -1);
 }
 
 void view_update_position(struct sway_view *view, double ox, double oy) {