diff --git a/include/con.h b/include/con.h
index 655fde7f..db5fcfbf 100644
--- a/include/con.h
+++ b/include/con.h
@@ -30,6 +30,12 @@ Con *con_new(Con *parent, i3Window *window);
  */
 void con_focus(Con *con);
 
+/**
+ * Closes the given container.
+ *
+ */
+void con_close(Con *con, kill_window_t kill_window);
+
 /**
  * Returns true when this node is a leaf node (has no children)
  *
diff --git a/include/tree.h b/include/tree.h
index 4a640446..c64c173d 100644
--- a/include/tree.h
+++ b/include/tree.h
@@ -56,12 +56,6 @@ bool level_down(void);
  */
 void tree_render(void);
 
-/**
- * Closes the current container using tree_close_internal().
- *
- */
-void tree_close_con(kill_window_t kill_window);
-
 /**
  * Changes focus in the given way (next/previous) and given orientation
  * (horizontal/vertical).
diff --git a/src/commands.c b/src/commands.c
index eb1834e7..579b5e0e 100644
--- a/src/commands.c
+++ b/src/commands.c
@@ -1258,7 +1258,6 @@ void cmd_split(I3_CMD, const char *direction) {
 void cmd_kill(I3_CMD, const char *kill_mode_str) {
     if (kill_mode_str == NULL)
         kill_mode_str = "window";
-    owindow *current;
 
     DLOG("kill_mode=%s\n", kill_mode_str);
 
@@ -1273,16 +1272,11 @@ void cmd_kill(I3_CMD, const char *kill_mode_str) {
         return;
     }
 
-    HANDLE_INVALID_MATCH;
+    HANDLE_EMPTY_MATCH;
 
-    /* check if the match is empty, not if the result is empty */
-    if (match_is_empty(current_match))
-        tree_close_con(kill_mode);
-    else {
-        TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
-            DLOG("matching: %p / %s\n", current->con, current->con->name);
-            tree_close_internal(current->con, kill_mode, false, false);
-        }
+    owindow *current;
+    TAILQ_FOREACH(current, &owindows, owindows) {
+        con_close(current->con, kill_mode);
     }
 
     cmd_output->needs_tree_render = true;
diff --git a/src/con.c b/src/con.c
index f0353f97..591419e4 100644
--- a/src/con.c
+++ b/src/con.c
@@ -220,6 +220,36 @@ void con_focus(Con *con) {
     }
 }
 
+/*
+ * Closes the given container.
+ *
+ */
+void con_close(Con *con, kill_window_t kill_window) {
+    assert(con != NULL);
+    DLOG("Closing con = %p.\n", con);
+
+    /* We never close output or root containers. */
+    if (con->type == CT_OUTPUT || con->type == CT_ROOT) {
+        DLOG("con = %p is of type %d, not closing anything.\n", con, con->type);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (con->type == CT_WORKSPACE) {
+        DLOG("con = %p is a workspace, closing all children instead.\n", con);
+        Con *child, *nextchild;
+        for (child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->focus_head)); child;) {
+            nextchild = TAILQ_NEXT(child, focused);
+            DLOG("killing child = %p.\n", child);
+            tree_close_internal(child, kill_window, false, false);
+            child = nextchild;
+        }
+
+        return;
+    }
+
+    tree_close_internal(con, kill_window, false, false);
+}
+
 /*
  * Returns true when this node is a leaf node (has no children)
  *
diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index e296a981..5642c5c7 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -362,34 +362,6 @@ bool tree_close_internal(Con *con, kill_window_t kill_window, bool dont_kill_par
     return true;
 }
 
-/*
- * Closes the current container using tree_close_internal().
- *
- */
-void tree_close_con(kill_window_t kill_window) {
-    assert(focused != NULL);
-
-    /* There *should* be no possibility to focus outputs / root container */
-    assert(focused->type != CT_OUTPUT);
-    assert(focused->type != CT_ROOT);
-
-    if (focused->type == CT_WORKSPACE) {
-        DLOG("Workspaces cannot be close, closing all children instead\n");
-        Con *child, *nextchild;
-        for (child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(focused->focus_head)); child;) {
-            nextchild = TAILQ_NEXT(child, focused);
-            DLOG("killing child=%p\n", child);
-            tree_close_internal(child, kill_window, false, false);
-            child = nextchild;
-        }
-
-        return;
-    }
-
-    /* Kill con */
-    tree_close_internal(focused, kill_window, false, false);
-}
-
 /*
  * Splits (horizontally or vertically) the given container by creating a new
  * container which contains the old one and the future ones.
diff --git a/testcases/t/261-match-con_id-con_mark-combinations.t b/testcases/t/261-match-con_id-con_mark-combinations.t
index b255558e..61ff1ff0 100644
--- a/testcases/t/261-match-con_id-con_mark-combinations.t
+++ b/testcases/t/261-match-con_id-con_mark-combinations.t
@@ -27,9 +27,11 @@ $ws = fresh_workspace;
 open_window(wm_class => 'matchme');
 
 cmd '[con_id=__focused__ class=doesnotmatch] kill';
+sync_with_i3;
 is(@{get_ws($ws)->{nodes}}, 1, 'window was not killed');
 
 cmd '[con_id=__focused__ class=matchme] kill';
+sync_with_i3;
 is(@{get_ws($ws)->{nodes}}, 0, 'window was killed');
 
 ###############################################################################
@@ -41,9 +43,11 @@ open_window(wm_class => 'matchme');
 cmd 'mark marked';
 
 cmd '[con_mark=marked class=doesnotmatch] kill';
+sync_with_i3;
 is(@{get_ws($ws)->{nodes}}, 1, 'window was not killed');
 
 cmd '[con_mark=marked class=matchme] kill';
+sync_with_i3;
 is(@{get_ws($ws)->{nodes}}, 0, 'window was killed');
 
 ###############################################################################