diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
index 66ed892998..c92d6e355d 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 
 	Timer::Connection _drop_timer { _env };
 
-	bool _defer_layout_change = false;
+	enum class Drag_state { IDLE, DRAGGING, SETTLING };
+
+	Drag_state _drag_state { Drag_state::IDLE };
 
 	Signal_handler<Main> _drop_timer_handler {
 		_env.ep(), *this, &Main::_handle_drop_timer };
@@ -138,21 +140,9 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 	 */
 	void layout_rules_changed() override
 	{
-		/*
-		 * When re-importing rules generated by the drop operation, issue an
-		 * updated resize request immediately instead of waiting for the
-		 * '_drop_timer_handler'. Clear '_defer_layout_change' before calling
-		 * '_update_window_layout' because '_gen_window_layout' evaluates
-		 * this flag.
-		 */
-		bool const issue_resize_request = _defer_layout_change;
-
-		_defer_layout_change = false;
-
 		_update_window_layout();
 
-		if (issue_resize_request)
-			_gen_resize_request();
+		_gen_resize_request();
 	}
 
 	/**
@@ -220,6 +210,11 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 
 	void drag(Window_id id, Window::Element element, Point clicked, Point curr) override
 	{
+		if (_drag_state == Drag_state::SETTLING)
+			return;
+
+		_drag_state = Drag_state::DRAGGING;
+
 		to_front(id);
 
 		bool window_layout_changed = false;
@@ -245,11 +240,15 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 
 	void _handle_drop_timer()
 	{
-		/* discharge '_defer_layout_change' */
-		layout_rules_changed();
+		_drag_state = Drag_state::IDLE;
+
+		_gen_rules();
+
+		_window_list.for_each_window([&] (Window &window) {
+			window.finalize_drag_operation(); });
 	}
 
-	void finalize_drag(Window_id id, Window::Element, Point, Point) override
+	void finalize_drag(Window_id, Window::Element, Point, Point) override
 	{
 		/*
 		 * Update window layout because highlighting may have changed after the
@@ -257,17 +256,9 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 		 * dragging of a resize handle, the resize handle is no longer hovered.
 		 */
 		_gen_window_layout();
-		_gen_rules();
 
-		_window_list.with_window(id, [&] (Window &window) {
-			window.finalize_drag_operation(); });
+		_drag_state = Drag_state::SETTLING;
 
-		/*
-		 * Mask the generation of resize requests until the updated rules are
-		 * imported the next time. Discharge the masking after a timeout for
-		 * the case where rules fixed and not fed back to the layouter.
-		 */
-		_defer_layout_change = true;
 		_drop_timer.trigger_once(250*1000);
 	}
 
@@ -400,9 +391,6 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 
 void Window_layouter::Main::_gen_window_layout()
 {
-	if (_defer_layout_change)
-		return;
-
 	/* update hover and focus state of each window */
 	_window_list.for_each_window([&] (Window &window) {
 
@@ -420,9 +408,6 @@ void Window_layouter::Main::_gen_window_layout()
 
 void Window_layouter::Main::_gen_resize_request()
 {
-	if (_defer_layout_change)
-		return;
-
 	bool resize_needed = false;
 	_assign_list.for_each([&] (Assign const &assign) {
 		assign.for_each_member([&] (Assign::Member const &member) {
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/window.h b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/window.h
index bab593ca04..957046995b 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/window.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/window.h
@@ -466,12 +466,13 @@ class Window_layouter::Window : public List_model<Window>::Element
 
 		void finalize_drag_operation()
 		{
-			_dragged            = false;
 			_drag_left_border   = false;
 			_drag_right_border  = false;
 			_drag_top_border    = false;
 			_drag_bottom_border = false;
-			_dragged_size       = effective_inner_geometry().area();
+			_geometry           = effective_inner_geometry();
+			_dragged_size       = _geometry.area();
+			_dragged            = false;
 		}
 
 		void to_front_cnt(unsigned to_front_cnt) { _to_front_cnt = to_front_cnt; }