diff --git a/cmd/wm/area.c b/cmd/wm/area.c
index 69ee8f94..b470fe93 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/area.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/area.c
@@ -32,11 +32,9 @@ update_area_geometry(Area *a)
 void
 destroy_area(Area *a)
 {
-	size_t i;
 	Page *p = a->page;
-	while(a->nclient)
-		detach_client(client[i], False);
-	free(a->client);
+	if(a->client)
+		free(a->client);
 	cext_array_detach((void **)p->area, a, &p->areasz);
 	p->narea--;
 	free(a);
diff --git a/cmd/wm/fs.c b/cmd/wm/fs.c
index a9c16b01..47538896 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/fs.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/fs.c
@@ -600,6 +600,10 @@ xremove(IXPConn *c, Fcall *fcall)
 	if((i1 == -1) || (i2 == -1) || (i3 == -1))
 		return Enofile;
 	switch(type) {
+	case Dpage:
+		if(destroy_page(page[i1]) == page[i1])
+			return Enoperm;
+		break;
 	case Dlabel:
 		{
 			Label *l = label[i1];
diff --git a/cmd/wm/page.c b/cmd/wm/page.c
index 52875322..d4b047dd 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/page.c
+++ b/cmd/wm/page.c
@@ -27,13 +27,17 @@ alloc_page()
     return p;
 }
 
-void
+Page *
 destroy_page(Page *p)
 {
 	unsigned int i;
 	Page *old = p->revert;
 	Client *c;
 
+	for(i = 0; i < p->narea; i++)
+		if(p->area[i]->nclient)
+			return p;
+
 	while(p->narea)
 		destroy_area(p->area[0]);
 
@@ -55,6 +59,7 @@ destroy_page(Page *p)
 	}
 	else
 		write_event("PN -\n");
+	return nil;
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/cmd/wm/wm.h b/cmd/wm/wm.h
index 755c73e4..3fac7ec8 100644
--- a/cmd/wm/wm.h
+++ b/cmd/wm/wm.h
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ char *warp_mouse(char *arg);
 
 /* page.c */
 Page *alloc_page();
-void destroy_page(Page *p);
+Page *destroy_page(Page *p);
 void focus_page(Page *p);
 XRectangle *rectangles(unsigned int *num);
 int pid_to_index(unsigned short id);