diff --git a/cmd/wm/area.c b/cmd/wm/area.c
index 441e4c7b..923afb0b 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/area.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/area.c
@@ -159,8 +159,22 @@ detach_fromarea(Area *a, Client *c)
 	if(a->nframe)
 		arrange_area(a);
 	else {
-		if(area2index(a) && t->narea > 2)
+		i = area2index(a);
+		if(i && t->narea > 2)
 			destroy_area(a);
+		else if(!i && !a->nframe) {
+			if(c->trans) {
+				/* focus area of transient, if possible */
+				Client *cl = win2client(c->trans);
+				if(cl && cl->nframe) {
+				   a = cl->frame[cl->sel]->area;
+				   if(a->tag == t)
+					   t->sel = area2index(a);
+				}
+			}
+			else if(t->area[1]->nframe)
+				t->sel = 1; /* focus first col as fallback */
+		}
 		arrange_tag(t, True);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/cmd/wm/fs.c b/cmd/wm/fs.c
index 1dddfdca..c8047a69 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/fs.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/fs.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ name2type(char *name, unsigned char dir_type)
 		return FsFmode;
 	if(!strncmp(name, "tag", 4))
 		return FsFtag;
-	if(has_tag(name) && (dir_type == FsDtags))
+	if(has_tag(ctag, name, nctag) && (dir_type == FsDtags))
 		return FsFtag;
 	if((dir_type == FsDclass) && name2class(name))
 		return FsFclasstag;
diff --git a/cmd/wm/tag.c b/cmd/wm/tag.c
index 86693a41..541dedab 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/tag.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/tag.c
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ get_tag(char *name)
 	unsigned int i, n = 0;
 	Tag *t;
 
-	if(!has_tag(name))
+	if(!has_tag(ctag, name, nctag))
 		return nil;
 	for(i = 0; i < ntag; i++) {
 		t = tag[i];
@@ -185,11 +185,11 @@ select_tag(char *arg)
 }
 
 Bool
-has_tag(char *tag)
+has_tag(char **tags, char *tag, unsigned int ntags)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
-	for(i = 0; i < nctag; i++)
-		if(!strncmp(ctag[i], tag, strlen(ctag[i])))
+	for(i = 0; i < ntags; i++)
+		if(!strncmp(tags[i], tag, strlen(tags[i])))
 			return True;
 	return False;
 }
@@ -212,12 +212,9 @@ update_tags()
 	char *tags[128];
 	char *t;
 
-	fprintf(stderr, "%s", "update_tags\n");
-	for(i = 0; i < nctag; i++) {
-		free(ctag[i]);
-		ctag[i] = nil;
-	}
-	nctag = 0;
+	char **newctag = nil;
+	unsigned int newctagsz = 0;
+	unsigned int nnewctag = 0;
 
 	for(i = 0; i < nclient; i++) {
 		cext_strlcpy(buf, client[i]->tags, sizeof(buf));
@@ -226,14 +223,32 @@ update_tags()
 			t = tags[k];
 			if(*t == '~')
 				t++;
-			if(!has_tag(t)) {
-				ctag = (char **)cext_array_attach((void **)ctag, strdup(t),
-						sizeof(char *), &ctagsz);
-				nctag++;
+			if(!has_tag(newctag, t, nnewctag)) {
+				newctag = (char **)cext_array_attach((void **)newctag, strdup(t),
+							sizeof(char *), &newctagsz);
+				nnewctag++;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* propagate tagging events */
+	for(i = 0; i < nnewctag; i++)
+		if(!has_tag(ctag, newctag[i], nctag)) {
+			snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "NT %s\n", newctag[i]);
+			write_event(buf);
+		}
+	for(i = 0; i < nctag; i++) {
+		if(!has_tag(newctag, ctag[i], nnewctag)) {
+			snprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), "RT %s\n", ctag[i]);
+			write_event(buf);
+		}
+		free(ctag[i]);
+	}
+	free(ctag);
+	ctag = newctag;
+	nctag = nnewctag;
+	ctagsz = newctagsz;
+
 	for(i = 0; i < nclient; i++)
 		for(j = 0; j < ntag; j++) {
 			if(strstr(client[i]->tags, tag[j]->name)) {
diff --git a/cmd/wm/wm.h b/cmd/wm/wm.h
index 83ca4ea6..26765456 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/wm.h
+++ b/cmd/wm/wm.h
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ XRectangle *rectangles(unsigned int *num);
 int tid2index(unsigned short id);
 void select_tag(char *arg);
 int tag2index(Tag *t);
-Bool has_tag(char *tag);
+Bool has_tag(char **tags, char *tag, unsigned int ntags);
 void update_tags();
 Bool clientoftag(Tag *t, Client *c);
 void detach_fromtag(Tag *t, Client *c, Bool unmap);