diff --git a/sway/tree/workspace.c b/sway/tree/workspace.c
index d6819c612..30cf3ebe7 100644
--- a/sway/tree/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/tree/workspace.c
@@ -499,19 +499,28 @@ static int find_output(const void *id1, const void *id2) {
 	return strcmp(id1, id2);
 }
 
+static int workspace_output_get_priority(struct sway_workspace *ws,
+		struct sway_output *output) {
+	char identifier[128];
+	output_get_identifier(identifier, sizeof(identifier), output);
+	int index_id = list_seq_find(ws->output_priority, find_output, identifier);
+	int index_name = list_seq_find(ws->output_priority, find_output,
+			output->wlr_output->name);
+	return index_name < 0 || index_id < index_name ? index_id : index_name;
+}
+
 void workspace_output_raise_priority(struct sway_workspace *ws,
 		struct sway_output *old_output, struct sway_output *output) {
-	int old_index = list_seq_find(ws->output_priority, find_output,
-			old_output->wlr_output->name);
+	int old_index = workspace_output_get_priority(ws, old_output);
 	if (old_index < 0) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	int new_index = list_seq_find(ws->output_priority, find_output,
-			output->wlr_output->name);
+	int new_index = workspace_output_get_priority(ws, output);
 	if (new_index < 0) {
-		list_insert(ws->output_priority, old_index,
-				strdup(output->wlr_output->name));
+		char identifier[128];
+		output_get_identifier(identifier, sizeof(identifier), output);
+		list_insert(ws->output_priority, old_index, strdup(identifier));
 	} else if (new_index > old_index) {
 		char *name = ws->output_priority->items[new_index];
 		list_del(ws->output_priority, new_index);
@@ -521,10 +530,10 @@ void workspace_output_raise_priority(struct sway_workspace *ws,
 
 void workspace_output_add_priority(struct sway_workspace *workspace,
 		struct sway_output *output) {
-	int index = list_seq_find(workspace->output_priority,
-			find_output, output->wlr_output->name);
-	if (index < 0) {
-		list_add(workspace->output_priority, strdup(output->wlr_output->name));
+	if (workspace_output_get_priority(workspace, output) < 0) {
+		char identifier[128];
+		output_get_identifier(identifier, sizeof(identifier), output);
+		list_add(workspace->output_priority, strdup(identifier));
 	}
 }