diff --git a/cmd/wmii/column.c b/cmd/wmii/column.c
index 7881e5a0..098e9642 100644
--- a/cmd/wmii/column.c
+++ b/cmd/wmii/column.c
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@ column_minwidth(void)
 	return 4 * labelh(def.font);
 }
 
+static void
+columns_update(View *v) {
+	Area *a;
+	Frame *f;
+	int s;
+
+	foreach_frame(v, s, a, f) {
+		f->screen = s;
+		f->column = area_idx(a);
+	}
+}
+
 Area*
 column_new(View *v, Area *pos, int scrn, uint w) {
 	Area *a;
@@ -84,6 +96,7 @@ column_new(View *v, Area *pos, int scrn, uint w) {
 		return nil;
 
 	view_arrange(v);
+	columns_update(v);
 	view_update(v);
 #endif
 }
@@ -101,6 +114,15 @@ column_insert(Area *a, Frame *f, Frame *pos) {
 		area_setsel(a, f);
 }
 
+void
+column_destroy(Area *a) {
+	View *v;
+
+	v = a->view;
+	area_destroy(a);
+	columns_update(v);
+}
+
 void
 column_attach(Area *a, Frame *f) {
 	Frame *first;
@@ -135,7 +157,7 @@ column_detach(Frame *f) {
 			stack_scale(first, dy);
 		column_arrange(a, false);
 	}else if(a->view->areas[a->screen]->next)
-		area_destroy(a);
+		column_destroy(a);
 }
 
 static void column_scale(Area*);
diff --git a/cmd/wmii/fns.h b/cmd/wmii/fns.h
index 0737e1b7..cc2e7e05 100644
--- a/cmd/wmii/fns.h
+++ b/cmd/wmii/fns.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ char*	column_getmode(Area*);
 void	column_arrange(Area*, bool dirty);
 void	column_attach(Area*, Frame*);
 void	column_attachrect(Area*, Frame*, Rectangle);
+void	column_destroy(Area*);
 void	column_detach(Frame*);
 void	column_frob(Area*);
 void	column_insert(Area*, Frame*, Frame*);