diff --git a/include/sway/tree/workspace.h b/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
index b0fef4ca..55412c37 100644
--- a/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
+++ b/include/sway/tree/workspace.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ struct sway_workspace {
 	list_t *tiling;             // struct sway_container
 	list_t *output_priority;
 	bool urgent;
+	bool persistent;
 
 	struct sway_workspace_state current;
 };
diff --git a/sway/commands/workspace.c b/sway/commands/workspace.c
index 03e488ba..01da27fc 100644
--- a/sway/commands/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/commands/workspace.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "list.h"
 #include "log.h"
 #include "stringop.h"
+#include "util.h"
 
 static struct workspace_config *workspace_config_find_or_create(char *ws_name) {
 	struct workspace_config *wsc = workspace_find_config(ws_name);
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_workspace(int argc, char **argv) {
 
 	int output_location = -1;
 	int gaps_location = -1;
+	int persistent_location = -1;
 
 	for (int i = 0; i < argc; ++i) {
 		if (strcasecmp(argv[i], "output") == 0) {
@@ -143,6 +145,13 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_workspace(int argc, char **argv) {
 			break;
 		}
 	}
+	for (int i = 0; i < argc; ++i) {
+		if (strcasecmp(argv[i], "persistent") == 0) {
+			persistent_location = i;
+			break;
+		}
+	}
+
 	if (output_location == 0) {
 		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID,
 			"Expected 'workspace <name> output <output>'");
@@ -165,6 +174,24 @@ struct cmd_results *cmd_workspace(int argc, char **argv) {
 		if ((error = cmd_workspace_gaps(argc, argv, gaps_location))) {
 			return error;
 		}
+	} else if (persistent_location == 0) {
+		return cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID,
+			"Expected 'workspace <name> persistent yes|no'");
+	} else if (persistent_location > 0) {
+		if ((error = checkarg(argc, "workspace", EXPECTED_AT_LEAST,
+						persistent_location + 2))) {
+			return error;
+		}
+
+		struct sway_workspace *ws = NULL;
+
+		char *ws_name = join_args(argv, persistent_location);
+		if (!(ws = workspace_by_name(ws_name))) {
+			ws = workspace_create(NULL, ws_name);
+		}
+		free(ws_name);
+		ws->persistent = parse_boolean(argv[persistent_location + 1], ws->persistent);
+		workspace_consider_destroy(ws);
 	} else {
 		if (config->reading || !config->active) {
 			return cmd_results_new(CMD_DEFER, NULL);
diff --git a/sway/tree/workspace.c b/sway/tree/workspace.c
index 18218768..b32f15aa 100644
--- a/sway/tree/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/tree/workspace.c
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ struct sway_workspace *workspace_create(struct sway_output *output,
 	ws->floating = create_list();
 	ws->tiling = create_list();
 	ws->output_priority = create_list();
+	ws->persistent = false;
 
 	ws->gaps_outer = config->gaps_outer;
 	ws->gaps_inner = config->gaps_inner;
@@ -154,6 +155,10 @@ void workspace_begin_destroy(struct sway_workspace *workspace) {
 }
 
 void workspace_consider_destroy(struct sway_workspace *ws) {
+	if (ws->persistent) {
+		return;
+	}
+
 	if (ws->tiling->length || ws->floating->length) {
 		return;
 	}