diff --git a/src/floating.c b/src/floating.c
index 6506941a..a88d498a 100644
--- a/src/floating.c
+++ b/src/floating.c
@@ -22,6 +22,44 @@ void floating_enable(Con *con, bool automatic) {
         return;
     }
 
+    /* 1: If the container is a workspace container, we need to create a new
+     * split-container with the same orientation and make that one floating. We
+     * cannot touch the workspace container itself because floating containers
+     * are children of the workspace. */
+    if (con->type == CT_WORKSPACE) {
+        LOG("This is a workspace, creating new container around content\n");
+        /* TODO: refactor this with src/con.c:con_set_layout */
+        Con *new = con_new(NULL);
+        new->parent = con;
+        new->orientation = con->orientation;
+
+        /* since the new container will be set into floating mode directly
+         * afterwards, we need to copy the workspace rect. */
+        memcpy(&(new->rect), &(con->rect), sizeof(Rect));
+
+        Con *old_focused = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->focus_head));
+        if (old_focused == TAILQ_END(&(con->focus_head)))
+            old_focused = NULL;
+
+        /* 4: move the existing cons of this workspace below the new con */
+        DLOG("Moving cons\n");
+        Con *child;
+        while (!TAILQ_EMPTY(&(con->nodes_head))) {
+            child = TAILQ_FIRST(&(con->nodes_head));
+            con_detach(child);
+            con_attach(child, new, true);
+        }
+
+        /* 4: attach the new split container to the workspace */
+        DLOG("Attaching new split to ws\n");
+        con_attach(new, con, false);
+
+        if (old_focused)
+            con_focus(old_focused);
+
+        con = new;
+    }
+
     /* 1: detach the container from its parent */
     /* TODO: refactor this with tree_close() */
     TAILQ_REMOVE(&(con->parent->nodes_head), con, nodes);