diff --git a/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp b/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
index c69263c0ea..3de855f34d 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/Desktop.cpp
@@ -1532,8 +1532,26 @@ Desktop::_BringWindowsToFront(WindowList& windows, int32 list,
 }
 
 
-/*!
-	\brief Tries to move the specified window to the front of the screen,
+/*!	Returns the last focussed non-hidden subset window belonging to the
+	specified \a window.
+*/
+Window*
+Desktop::_LastFocusSubsetWindow(Window* window)
+{
+	if (window == NULL)
+		return NULL;
+
+	for (Window* front = fFocusList.LastWindow(); front != NULL;
+			front = front->PreviousWindow(kFocusList)) {
+		if (front != window && !front->IsHidden() && window->HasInSubset(front))
+			return front;
+	}
+
+	return NULL;
+}
+
+
+/*!	\brief Tries to move the specified window to the front of the screen,
 		and make it the focus window.
 
 	If there are any modal windows on this screen, it might not actually
@@ -1550,13 +1568,11 @@ Desktop::ActivateWindow(Window* window)
 		fFront = NULL;
 		return;
 	}
-	if (window->Workspaces() == 0)
+	if (window->Workspaces() == 0
+		&& !window->IsFloating() && !window->IsModal())
 		return;
 
-	// TODO: take care about floating windows
-
-	if (!LockAllWindows())
-		return;
+	AutoWriteLocker _(fWindowLock);
 
 	bool windowOnOtherWorkspace = !window->InWorkspace(fCurrentWorkspace);
 	if (windowOnOtherWorkspace
@@ -1573,17 +1589,26 @@ Desktop::ActivateWindow(Window* window)
 					break;
 				}
 			}
-		} else {
-			UnlockAllWindows();
+		} else
 			return;
-		}
 	}
 
 	if (windowOnOtherWorkspace) {
-		// Bring the window to the current workspace
-		// TODO: what if this window is on multiple workspaces?!?
-		uint32 workspaces = workspace_to_workspaces(fCurrentWorkspace);
-		SetWindowWorkspaces(window, workspaces);
+		if (window->IsFloating() || window->IsModal()) {
+			// Bring a window to front that this floating window belongs to
+			Window* front = _LastFocusSubsetWindow(window);
+			if (front == NULL) {
+				// We can't do anything about those.
+				return;
+			}
+
+			ActivateWindow(front);
+		} else {
+			// Bring the window to the current workspace
+			// TODO: what if this window is on multiple workspaces?!?
+			uint32 workspaces = workspace_to_workspaces(fCurrentWorkspace);
+			SetWindowWorkspaces(window, workspaces);
+		}
 	}
 
 	if (window->IsMinimized()) {
@@ -1602,11 +1627,10 @@ Desktop::ActivateWindow(Window* window)
 		}
 
 		if (avoidsFront == NULL) {
-			// we're already the frontmost window, we might just not have focus yet
+			// we're already the frontmost window, we might just not have focus
+			// yet
 			if ((window->Flags() & B_AVOID_FOCUS) == 0)
 				SetFocusWindow(window);
-
-			UnlockAllWindows();
 			return;
 		}
 	}
@@ -1642,10 +1666,9 @@ Desktop::ActivateWindow(Window* window)
 	}
 
 	_BringWindowsToFront(windows, kWorkingList, true);
+
 	if ((window->Flags() & B_AVOID_FOCUS) == 0)
 		SetFocusWindow(window);
-
-	UnlockAllWindows();
 }
 
 
@@ -1706,19 +1729,19 @@ Desktop::ShowWindow(Window* window)
 	if (!window->IsHidden())
 		return;
 
-	LockAllWindows();
+	AutoWriteLocker locker(fWindowLock);
 
 	window->SetHidden(false);
 	fFocusList.AddWindow(window);
 
-	if (window->InWorkspace(fCurrentWorkspace)) {
+	if (window->InWorkspace(fCurrentWorkspace)
+		|| (window->IsFloating() && _LastFocusSubsetWindow(window) != NULL)) {
 		_ShowWindow(window, true);
 		_UpdateSubsetWorkspaces(window);
 		ActivateWindow(window);
 	} else {
 		// then we don't need to send the fake mouse event either
 		_WindowChanged(window);
-		UnlockAllWindows();
 		return;
 	}
 
@@ -1728,8 +1751,6 @@ Desktop::ShowWindow(Window* window)
 		window->FindWorkspacesViews(fWorkspacesViews);
 	}
 
-	UnlockAllWindows();
-
 	// If the mouse cursor is directly over the newly visible window,
 	// we'll send a fake mouse moved message to the window, so that
 	// it knows the mouse is over it.
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Desktop.h b/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
index 21f9a550e8..9888f862a7 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/Desktop.h
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ class Desktop : public MessageLooper, public ScreenOwner {
 									uint32 oldWorkspaces, uint32 newWorkspaces);
 		void					_BringWindowsToFront(WindowList& windows,
 									int32 list, bool wereVisible);
+		Window*					_LastFocusSubsetWindow(Window* window);
  		status_t				_ActivateApp(team_id team);
  		void					_SendFakeMouseMoved(Window* window = NULL);
 
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Window.cpp b/src/servers/app/Window.cpp
index 683d1a7524..90f789984d 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Window.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/Window.cpp
@@ -1571,7 +1571,7 @@ Window::FindWorkspacesViews(BObjectList<WorkspacesView>& list) const
 
 /*!	\brief Returns on which workspaces the window should be visible.
 
-	A modal or floating window may be visible on a workscreen if one
+	A modal or floating window may be visible on a workspace if one
 	of its subset windows is visible there. Floating windows also need
 	to have a subset as front window to be visible.
 */