diff --git a/src/desktop.c b/src/desktop.c
index 15e54f1..bf6c80f 100644
--- a/src/desktop.c
+++ b/src/desktop.c
@@ -56,6 +56,17 @@ void focus_desktop(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d)
 
 bool activate_desktop(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d)
 {
+	if (d == NULL) {
+		d = history_last_desktop(m, NULL);
+		if (d == NULL) {
+			d = m->desk_head;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (d == NULL) {
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	if (m == mon || d == m->desk) {
 		return false;
 	}
@@ -159,9 +170,12 @@ bool transfer_desktop(monitor_t *ms, monitor_t *md, desktop_t *d)
 
 	if (was_active) {
 		if (mon == ms) {
-			focus_node(ms, NULL, NULL);
+			focus_node(md, d, d->focus);
 		} else {
-			activate_node(ms, NULL, NULL);
+			activate_desktop(ms, NULL);
+			if (ms->desk != NULL) {
+				activate_node(ms, ms->desk, NULL);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -174,12 +188,8 @@ bool transfer_desktop(monitor_t *ms, monitor_t *md, desktop_t *d)
 	adapt_geometry(&ms->rectangle, &md->rectangle, d->root);
 	arrange(md, d);
 
-	if (md->desk == d) {
-		if (mon == md) {
-			focus_node(md, d, d->focus);
-		} else {
-			activate_node(md, d, d->focus);
-		}
+	if (md->desk == d && mon != md) {
+		activate_node(md, d, d->focus);
 	}
 
 	ewmh_update_wm_desktops();
@@ -308,7 +318,10 @@ void remove_desktop(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d)
 		if (m == mon) {
 			focus_node(m, NULL, NULL);
 		} else {
-			activate_node(m, NULL, NULL);
+			activate_desktop(m, NULL);
+			if (m->desk != NULL) {
+				activate_node(m, m->desk, m->desk->focus);
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -333,8 +346,10 @@ bool swap_desktops(monitor_t *m1, desktop_t *d1, monitor_t *m2, desktop_t *d2)
 
 	put_status(SBSC_MASK_DESKTOP_SWAP, "desktop_swap 0x%08X 0x%08X 0x%08X 0x%08X\n", m1->id, d1->id, m2->id, d2->id);
 
-	bool d1_focused = (m1->desk == d1);
-	bool d2_focused = (m2->desk == d2);
+	bool d1_was_active = (m1->desk == d1);
+	bool d2_was_active = (m2->desk == d2);
+	bool d1_was_focused = (mon->desk == d1);
+	bool d2_was_focused = (mon->desk == d2);
 
 	if (m1 != m2) {
 		if (m1->desk == d1) {
@@ -404,21 +419,21 @@ bool swap_desktops(monitor_t *m1, desktop_t *d1, monitor_t *m2, desktop_t *d2)
 		arrange(m2, d1);
 	}
 
-	if (d1_focused && !d2_focused) {
+	if (d1_was_active && !d2_was_active) {
 		hide_desktop(d1);
 		show_desktop(d2);
-	} else if (!d1_focused && d2_focused) {
+	} else if (!d1_was_active && d2_was_active) {
 		show_desktop(d1);
 		hide_desktop(d2);
 	}
 
-	if (d1 == mon->desk) {
+	if (d1_was_focused) {
 		focus_node(m2, d1, d1->focus);
 	} else if (d1 == m2->desk) {
 		activate_node(m2, d1, d1->focus);
 	}
 
-	if (d2 == mon->desk) {
+	if (d2_was_focused) {
 		focus_node(m1, d2, d2->focus);
 	} else if (d2 == m1->desk) {
 		activate_node(m1, d2, d2->focus);
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index 52e1ca1..8d1585f 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -438,17 +438,6 @@ void insert_receptacle(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d, node_t *n)
 
 bool activate_node(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d, node_t *n)
 {
-	if (d == NULL) {
-		d = history_last_desktop(m, NULL);
-		if (d == NULL) {
-			d = m->desk_head;
-		}
-	}
-
-	if (d == NULL) {
-		return false;
-	}
-
 	if (n == NULL && d->root != NULL) {
 		n = history_last_node(d, NULL);
 		if (n == NULL) {
@@ -475,8 +464,6 @@ bool activate_node(monitor_t *m, desktop_t *d, node_t *n)
 		draw_border(n, true, (m == mon));
 	}
 
-	activate_desktop(m, d);
-
 	d->focus = n;
 	history_add(m, d, n);
 
@@ -1344,9 +1331,12 @@ bool swap_nodes(monitor_t *m1, desktop_t *d1, node_t *n1, monitor_t *m2, desktop
 			show_node(d1, n2);
 		}
 
+		bool d1_was_focused = (d1 == mon->desk);
+		bool d2_was_focused = (d2 == mon->desk);
+
 		if (n1_held_focus) {
-			if (d1 == mon->desk) {
-				focus_node(m1, d1, d1->focus);
+			if (d1_was_focused) {
+				focus_node(m2, d2, last_d1_focus);
 			} else {
 				activate_node(m1, d1, d1->focus);
 			}
@@ -1355,8 +1345,8 @@ bool swap_nodes(monitor_t *m1, desktop_t *d1, node_t *n1, monitor_t *m2, desktop
 		}
 
 		if (n2_held_focus) {
-			if (d2 == mon->desk) {
-				focus_node(m2, d2, d2->focus);
+			if (d2_was_focused) {
+				focus_node(m1, d1, last_d2_focus);
 			} else {
 				activate_node(m2, d2, d2->focus);
 			}
@@ -1431,16 +1421,15 @@ bool transfer_node(monitor_t *ms, desktop_t *ds, node_t *ns, monitor_t *md, desk
 	} else {
 		if (held_focus) {
 			if (ds == mon->desk) {
-				focus_node(ms, ds, ds->focus);
-			} else {
-				activate_node(ms, ds, ds->focus);
+				focus_node(md, dd, last_ds_focus);
 			}
+			activate_node(ms, ds, ds->focus);
 		}
 		if (dd->focus == ns) {
 			if (dd == mon->desk) {
-				focus_node(md, dd, held_focus ? last_ds_focus : dd->focus);
+				focus_node(md, dd, held_focus ? last_ds_focus : ns);
 			} else {
-				activate_node(md, dd, held_focus ? last_ds_focus : dd->focus);
+				activate_node(md, dd, held_focus ? last_ds_focus : ns);
 			}
 		} else {
 			draw_border(ns, is_descendant(ns, dd->focus), (md == mon));
diff --git a/tests/desktop/swap b/tests/desktop/swap
index 4796b7f..8d7389a 100755
--- a/tests/desktop/swap
+++ b/tests/desktop/swap
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ bspc desktop "TEST-SWAP-A:^1" -s "TEST-SWAP-B:^1"
 [ "$(bspc query -N -m 'TEST-SWAP-A')" = "$nodes_b" ] || fail "Wrong nodes in first monitor"
 [ "$(bspc query -N -m 'TEST-SWAP-B')" = "$nodes_a" ] || fail "Wrong nodes in second monitor"
 
-window remove 3
-bspc monitor -f "TEST-SWAP-A"
 window remove 2
+bspc monitor -f "TEST-SWAP-B"
+window remove 3
 
 bspc monitor "TEST-SWAP-A" -r
 bspc monitor "TEST-SWAP-B" -r
diff --git a/tests/node/swap b/tests/node/swap
index 0a40e6f..613a4f0 100755
--- a/tests/node/swap
+++ b/tests/node/swap
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ bspc node @/2 -s @test-swap-b:/1
 
 [ "$(bspc query -N -n @test-swap-b:)" = "$next_focus_b" ] || fail "Invalid focus after swap."
 
-window remove 2
-bspc desktop -f "test-swap-b"
 window remove 1 2
 window remove 4
+bspc desktop -f "test-swap-a"
+window remove 2
 
 bspc desktop "test-swap-a" -r
 bspc desktop "test-swap-b" -r
diff --git a/tests/node/transfer b/tests/node/transfer
index 1146b70..2da4cdb 100755
--- a/tests/node/transfer
+++ b/tests/node/transfer
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ next_focus_b=$(bspc query -N -n @/2/2/1)
 bspc node -f $next_focus_b
 bspc node @/2 -d "test-transfer-b"
 
-[ "$next_focus_a" = "$(bspc query -N -n)" ] || fail "Invalid focus after transfer from source."
+[ "$next_focus_a" = "$(bspc query -N -n @test-transfer-a:)" ] || fail "Invalid focus after transfer from source."
 [ "$next_focus_b" = "$(bspc query -N -n @test-transfer-b:)" ] || fail "Invalid focus after transfer in destination."
 
-window remove
-bspc desktop -f "test-transfer-b"
 window remove 1 2
 window remove 2
+bspc desktop -f "test-transfer-a"
+window remove
 
 bspc desktop "test-transfer-a" -r
 bspc desktop "test-transfer-b" -r