diff --git a/src/tree.c b/src/tree.c
index cf7f60dd..491548da 100644
--- a/src/tree.c
+++ b/src/tree.c
@@ -332,7 +332,8 @@ void tree_render() {
 void tree_next(char way, orientation_t orientation) {
     /* 1: get the first parent with the same orientation */
     Con *parent = focused->parent;
-    while (con_orientation(parent) != orientation) {
+    while (focused->type != CT_WORKSPACE &&
+           con_orientation(parent) != orientation) {
         LOG("need to go one level further up\n");
         /* if the current parent is an output, we are at a workspace
          * and the orientation still does not match */