diff --git a/src/cmdparse.y b/src/cmdparse.y
index aa440046..49e0e4d7 100644
--- a/src/cmdparse.y
+++ b/src/cmdparse.y
@@ -448,7 +448,11 @@ mode:
             toggle_floating_mode(focused, false);
         } else {
             printf("should switch mode to %s\n", ($<number>3 == TOK_FLOATING ? "floating" : "tiling"));
-            /* TODO: actually switch mode (not toggle) */
+            if ($<number>3 == TOK_FLOATING) {
+                floating_enable(focused, false);
+            } else {
+                floating_disable(focused, false);
+            }
         }
     }
     ;
diff --git a/src/floating.c b/src/floating.c
index d6009320..8f144113 100644
--- a/src/floating.c
+++ b/src/floating.c
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@
 extern xcb_connection_t *conn;
 
 void floating_enable(Con *con, bool automatic) {
+    if (con_is_floating(con)) {
+        LOG("Container is already in floating mode, not doing anything.\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
     /* 1: detach the container from its parent */
     /* TODO: refactor this with tree_close() */
     TAILQ_REMOVE(&(con->parent->nodes_head), con, nodes);
@@ -45,6 +50,11 @@ void floating_enable(Con *con, bool automatic) {
 }
 
 void floating_disable(Con *con, bool automatic) {
+    if (!con_is_floating(con)) {
+        LOG("Container isn't floating, not doing anything.\n");
+        return;
+    }
+
     assert(con->old_parent != NULL);
 
     /* 1: detach from parent container */