diff --git a/emain/emain-window.ts b/emain/emain-window.ts
index 068703a70..539297cff 100644
--- a/emain/emain-window.ts
+++ b/emain/emain-window.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { delay, ensureBoundsAreVisible, waveKeyToElectronKey } from "./emain-uti
 import { log } from "./log";
 import { getElectronAppBasePath, unamePlatform } from "./platform";
 import { updater } from "./updater";
+
 export type WindowOpts = {
     unamePlatform: string;
 };
@@ -303,7 +304,8 @@ export class WaveBrowserWindow extends BaseWindow {
         const workspaceList = await WorkspaceService.ListWorkspaces();
         if (!workspaceList?.find((wse) => wse.workspaceid === workspaceId)?.windowid) {
             const curWorkspace = await WorkspaceService.GetWorkspace(this.workspaceId);
-            if (isNonEmptyUnsavedWorkspace(curWorkspace)) {
+
+            if (curWorkspace && isNonEmptyUnsavedWorkspace(curWorkspace)) {
                 console.log(
                     `existing unsaved workspace ${this.workspaceId} has content, opening workspace ${workspaceId} in new window`
                 );
@@ -693,17 +695,22 @@ ipcMain.on("delete-workspace", (event, workspaceId) => {
             type: "question",
             buttons: ["Cancel", "Delete Workspace"],
             title: "Confirm",
-            message: `Deleting workspace will also delete its contents.${workspaceHasWindow ? "\nWorkspace is open in a window, which will be closed." : ""}\n\nContinue?`,
+            message: `Deleting workspace will also delete its contents.\n\nContinue?`,
         });
         if (choice === 0) {
             console.log("user cancelled workspace delete", workspaceId, ww?.waveWindowId);
             return;
         }
-        await WorkspaceService.DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId);
+
+        const newWorkspaceId = await WorkspaceService.DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId);
         console.log("delete-workspace done", workspaceId, ww?.waveWindowId);
         if (ww?.workspaceId == workspaceId) {
-            console.log("delete-workspace closing window", workspaceId, ww?.waveWindowId);
-            ww.destroy();
+            if (newWorkspaceId) {
+                await ww.switchWorkspace(newWorkspaceId);
+            } else {
+                console.log("delete-workspace closing window", workspaceId, ww?.waveWindowId);
+                ww.destroy();
+            }
         }
     });
 });
diff --git a/frontend/app/store/services.ts b/frontend/app/store/services.ts
index 5705af21c..94f81765e 100644
--- a/frontend/app/store/services.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/store/services.ts
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ class WorkspaceServiceType {
     }
 
     // @returns object updates
-    DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId: string): Promise<void> {
+    DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId: string): Promise<string> {
         return WOS.callBackendService("workspace", "DeleteWorkspace", Array.from(arguments))
     }
 
diff --git a/pkg/service/workspaceservice/workspaceservice.go b/pkg/service/workspaceservice/workspaceservice.go
index b6c97ac8b..0675da01e 100644
--- a/pkg/service/workspaceservice/workspaceservice.go
+++ b/pkg/service/workspaceservice/workspaceservice.go
@@ -54,7 +54,8 @@ func (svc *WorkspaceService) UpdateWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceId st
 	}
 
 	wps.Broker.Publish(wps.WaveEvent{
-		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate})
+		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate,
+	})
 
 	updates := waveobj.ContextGetUpdatesRtn(ctx)
 	go func() {
@@ -87,23 +88,26 @@ func (svc *WorkspaceService) DeleteWorkspace_Meta() tsgenmeta.MethodMeta {
 	}
 }
 
-func (svc *WorkspaceService) DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId string) (waveobj.UpdatesRtnType, error) {
+func (svc *WorkspaceService) DeleteWorkspace(workspaceId string) (waveobj.UpdatesRtnType, string, error) {
 	ctx, cancelFn := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), DefaultTimeout)
 	defer cancelFn()
 	ctx = waveobj.ContextWithUpdates(ctx)
-	deleted, err := wcore.DeleteWorkspace(ctx, workspaceId, true)
+	deleted, claimableWorkspace, err := wcore.DeleteWorkspace(ctx, workspaceId, true)
+	if claimableWorkspace != "" {
+		return nil, claimableWorkspace, nil
+	}
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error deleting workspace: %w", err)
+		return nil, claimableWorkspace, fmt.Errorf("error deleting workspace: %w", err)
 	}
 	if !deleted {
-		return nil, nil
+		return nil, claimableWorkspace, nil
 	}
 	updates := waveobj.ContextGetUpdatesRtn(ctx)
 	go func() {
 		defer panichandler.PanicHandler("WorkspaceService:DeleteWorkspace:SendUpdateEvents")
 		wps.Broker.SendUpdateEvents(updates)
 	}()
-	return updates, nil
+	return updates, claimableWorkspace, nil
 }
 
 func (svc *WorkspaceService) ListWorkspaces() (waveobj.WorkspaceList, error) {
diff --git a/pkg/wcore/window.go b/pkg/wcore/window.go
index 19dea5392..f44ac02f0 100644
--- a/pkg/wcore/window.go
+++ b/pkg/wcore/window.go
@@ -52,10 +52,13 @@ func SwitchWorkspace(ctx context.Context, windowId string, workspaceId string) (
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error updating window: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	deleted, err := DeleteWorkspace(ctx, curWsId, false)
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error deleting current workspace: %w", err)
+	deleted, _, err := DeleteWorkspace(ctx, curWsId, false)
+	if err != nil && deleted {
+		print(err.Error()) // @jalileh isolated the error for now, curwId/workspace was deleted when this occurs.
+	} else if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error deleting workspace: %w", err)
 	}
+
 	if !deleted {
 		log.Printf("current workspace %s was not deleted\n", curWsId)
 	} else {
@@ -131,7 +134,7 @@ func CloseWindow(ctx context.Context, windowId string, fromElectron bool) error
 	window, err := GetWindow(ctx, windowId)
 	if err == nil {
 		log.Printf("got window %s\n", windowId)
-		deleted, err := DeleteWorkspace(ctx, window.WorkspaceId, false)
+		deleted, _, err := DeleteWorkspace(ctx, window.WorkspaceId, false)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Printf("error deleting workspace: %v\n", err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
index 1cc8ce1cf..ef41b4645 100644
--- a/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
+++ b/pkg/wcore/workspace.go
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ func CreateWorkspace(ctx context.Context, name string, icon string, color string
 	}
 
 	wps.Broker.Publish(wps.WaveEvent{
-		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate})
+		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate,
+	})
 
 	ws, _, err = UpdateWorkspace(ctx, ws.OID, name, icon, color, applyDefaults)
 	return ws, err
@@ -114,15 +115,24 @@ func UpdateWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceId string, name string, icon
 // If force is true, it will delete even if workspace is named.
 // If workspace is empty, it will be deleted, even if it is named.
 // Returns true if workspace was deleted, false if it was not deleted.
-func DeleteWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceId string, force bool) (bool, error) {
+func DeleteWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceId string, force bool) (bool, string, error) {
 	log.Printf("DeleteWorkspace %s\n", workspaceId)
 	workspace, err := wstore.DBMustGet[*waveobj.Workspace](ctx, workspaceId)
+	if err != nil && wstore.ErrNotFound == err {
+		return true, "", fmt.Errorf("workspace already deleted %w", err)
+	}
+	// @jalileh list needs to be saved early on i assume
+	workspaces, err := ListWorkspaces(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("error getting workspace: %w", err)
+		return false, "", fmt.Errorf("error retrieving workspaceList: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, "", fmt.Errorf("error getting workspace: %w", err)
 	}
 	if workspace.Name != "" && workspace.Icon != "" && !force && (len(workspace.TabIds) > 0 || len(workspace.PinnedTabIds) > 0) {
 		log.Printf("Ignoring DeleteWorkspace for workspace %s as it is named\n", workspaceId)
-		return false, nil
+		return false, "", nil
 	}
 
 	// delete all pinned and unpinned tabs
@@ -130,24 +140,49 @@ func DeleteWorkspace(ctx context.Context, workspaceId string, force bool) (bool,
 		log.Printf("deleting tab %s\n", tabId)
 		_, err := DeleteTab(ctx, workspaceId, tabId, false)
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("error closing tab: %w", err)
+			return false, "", fmt.Errorf("error closing tab: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
 	windowId, err := wstore.DBFindWindowForWorkspaceId(ctx, workspaceId)
 	err = wstore.DBDelete(ctx, waveobj.OType_Workspace, workspaceId)
 	if err != nil {
-		return false, fmt.Errorf("error deleting workspace: %w", err)
+		return false, "", fmt.Errorf("error deleting workspace: %w", err)
 	}
 	log.Printf("deleted workspace %s\n", workspaceId)
 	wps.Broker.Publish(wps.WaveEvent{
-		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate})
+		Event: wps.Event_WorkspaceUpdate,
+	})
+
 	if windowId != "" {
-		err = CloseWindow(ctx, windowId, false)
+
+		UnclaimedWorkspace, findAfter := "", false
+		for _, ws := range workspaces {
+			if ws.WorkspaceId == workspaceId {
+				if UnclaimedWorkspace != "" {
+					break
+				}
+				findAfter = true
+				continue
+			}
+			if findAfter && ws.WindowId == "" {
+				UnclaimedWorkspace = ws.WorkspaceId
+				break
+			} else if ws.WindowId == "" {
+				UnclaimedWorkspace = ws.WorkspaceId
+			}
+		}
+
+		if UnclaimedWorkspace != "" {
+			return true, UnclaimedWorkspace, nil
+		} else {
+			err = CloseWindow(ctx, windowId, false)
+		}
+
 		if err != nil {
-			return false, fmt.Errorf("error closing window: %w", err)
+			return false, "", fmt.Errorf("error closing window: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
-	return true, nil
+	return true, "", nil
 }
 
 func GetWorkspace(ctx context.Context, wsID string) (*waveobj.Workspace, error) {