diff --git a/pkg/waveobj/ctxupdate.go b/pkg/waveobj/ctxupdate.go
index 7bce8102c..5ee01fdab 100644
--- a/pkg/waveobj/ctxupdate.go
+++ b/pkg/waveobj/ctxupdate.go
@@ -135,3 +135,19 @@ func ContextGetUpdatesRtn(ctx context.Context) UpdatesRtnType {
 	}
 	return rtn
 }
+
+func ContextPrintUpdates(ctx context.Context) {
+	updatesVal := ctx.Value(waveObjUpdateKey)
+	if updatesVal == nil {
+		log.Print("no updates\n")
+		return
+	}
+	updates := updatesVal.(*contextUpdatesType)
+	log.Printf("updates len:%d\n", len(updates.UpdatesStack))
+	for idx, update := range updates.UpdatesStack {
+		log.Printf("  update[%d]:\n", idx)
+		for k, v := range update {
+			log.Printf("    %s:%s %s\n", k.OType, k.OID, v.UpdateType)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/pkg/wshrpc/wshserver/wshserver.go b/pkg/wshrpc/wshserver/wshserver.go
index be4f1f16d..82e8daffa 100644
--- a/pkg/wshrpc/wshserver/wshserver.go
+++ b/pkg/wshrpc/wshserver/wshserver.go
@@ -269,8 +269,6 @@ func (ws *WshServer) CreateBlockCommand(ctx context.Context, data wshrpc.Command
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error creating block: %w", err)
 	}
 	blockRef := &waveobj.ORef{OType: waveobj.OType_Block, OID: blockData.OID}
-	updates := waveobj.ContextGetUpdatesRtn(ctx)
-	sendWStoreUpdatesToEventBus(updates)
 	windowId, err := wstore.DBFindWindowForTabId(ctx, tabId)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error finding window for tab: %w", err)
@@ -278,12 +276,17 @@ func (ws *WshServer) CreateBlockCommand(ctx context.Context, data wshrpc.Command
 	if windowId == "" {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no window found for tab")
 	}
-	wlayout.QueueLayoutActionForTab(ctx, tabId, waveobj.LayoutActionData{
+	err = wlayout.QueueLayoutActionForTab(ctx, tabId, waveobj.LayoutActionData{
 		ActionType: wlayout.LayoutActionDataType_Insert,
 		BlockId:    blockRef.OID,
 		Magnified:  data.Magnified,
 		Focused:    true,
 	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("error queuing layout action: %w", err)
+	}
+	updates := waveobj.ContextGetUpdatesRtn(ctx)
+	sendWStoreUpdatesToEventBus(updates)
 	return &waveobj.ORef{OType: waveobj.OType_Block, OID: blockRef.OID}, nil
 }