diff --git a/repos/os/include/decorator/window.h b/repos/os/include/decorator/window.h
index 59f9d545ed..023c437054 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/decorator/window.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/decorator/window.h
@@ -142,11 +142,14 @@ class Decorator::Window_base : private Genode::List_model<Window_base>::Element
 			_stacked  = true;
 		}
 
-		bool stacked() const { return _stacked; }
+		bool back_most() const
+		{
+			return _stacked && !_neighbor.valid();
+		}
 
 		bool in_front_of(Window_base const &neighbor) const
 		{
-			return _neighbor == neighbor.frontmost_view();
+			return _stacked && (_neighbor == neighbor.frontmost_view());
 		}
 
 		void geometry(Rect geometry) { _geometry = geometry; }
diff --git a/repos/os/include/decorator/window_stack.h b/repos/os/include/decorator/window_stack.h
index 636b3de00b..9cd28a5ef3 100644
--- a/repos/os/include/decorator/window_stack.h
+++ b/repos/os/include/decorator/window_stack.h
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ void Decorator::Window_stack::update_model(Genode::Xml_node root_node,
 
 	auto stack_back_most_window = [&] (Window_base &window) {
 
-		if (window.stacked())
+		if (window.back_most())
 			return;
 
 		if (new_front_most_window(window))
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ void Decorator::Window_stack::update_model(Genode::Xml_node root_node,
 
 	auto stack_window = [&] (Window_base &window, Window_base &neighbor) {
 
-		if (window.stacked() && window.in_front_of(neighbor))
+		if (window.in_front_of(neighbor))
 			return;
 
 		if (new_front_most_window(window))