diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/decorator/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/app/decorator/main.cc
index cde5e547a4..bcb9c1ed76 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/decorator/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/decorator/main.cc
@@ -296,31 +296,16 @@ void Decorator::Main::_handle_gui_sync()
 
 	if (_window_layout_update_needed && _window_layout.valid()) {
 
-		try {
-			Xml_node xml(_window_layout.local_addr<char>(),
-			             _window_layout.size());
+		_window_stack.update_model(_window_layout.xml(), flush_window_stack_changes);
 
-			_window_stack.update_model(xml, flush_window_stack_changes);
+		model_updated = true;
 
-			model_updated = true;
-
-			/*
-			 * A decorator element might have appeared or disappeared under
-			 * the pointer.
-			 */
-			if (_pointer.valid())
-				update_hover_report(Xml_node(_pointer.local_addr<char>()),
-				                    _window_stack, _hover, _hover_reporter);
-
-		} catch (Xml_node::Invalid_syntax) {
-
-			/*
-			 * An error occured with processing the XML model. Flush the
-			 * internal representation with an empty window layout.
-			 */
-			_window_stack.update_model(Xml_node("<window_layout/>"),
-			                           flush_window_stack_changes);
-		}
+		/*
+		 * A decorator element might have appeared or disappeared under
+		 * the pointer.
+		 */
+		update_hover_report(_pointer.xml(),
+		                    _window_stack, _hover, _hover_reporter);
 
 		_window_layout_update_needed = false;
 	}
@@ -359,9 +344,7 @@ void Decorator::Main::_handle_pointer_update()
 {
 	_pointer.update();
 
-	if (_pointer.valid())
-		update_hover_report(Xml_node(_pointer.local_addr<char>()),
-		                    _window_stack, _hover, _hover_reporter);
+	update_hover_report(_pointer.xml(), _window_stack, _hover, _hover_reporter);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
index f908a7af51..d0b7e505f7 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/main.cc
@@ -259,8 +259,10 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 		 * Update window layout because highlighting may have changed after the
 		 * drag operation. E.g., if the window has not kept up with the
 		 * dragging of a resize handle, the resize handle is no longer hovered.
+		 *
+		 * The call of '_handle_hover' implicitly triggers '_gen_window_layout'.
 		 */
-		_gen_window_layout();
+		_handle_hover();
 
 		_drag_state = Drag_state::SETTLING;
 
@@ -308,10 +310,6 @@ struct Window_layouter::Main : Operations,
 	Signal_handler<Main> _decorator_margins_handler {
 		_env.ep(), *this, &Main::_handle_decorator_margins};
 
-
-	/**
-	 * Install handler for responding to user input
-	 */
 	void _handle_input()
 	{
 		while (_input.pending())
@@ -601,10 +599,11 @@ void Window_layouter::Main::_handle_hover()
 
 	/*
 	 * An exception may occur during the 'Xml_node' construction if the hover
-	 * model is malformed. Under this condition, we invalidate the hover state.
+	 * model lacks a window. Under this condition, we invalidate the hover
+	 * state.
 	 */
 	catch (...) {
-		
+
 		_user_state.reset_hover();
 
 		/*
diff --git a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/user_state.h b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/user_state.h
index e2967c5a40..255b17dca8 100644
--- a/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/user_state.h
+++ b/repos/gems/src/app/window_layouter/user_state.h
@@ -282,21 +282,22 @@ void Window_layouter::User_state::_handle_event(Input::Event const &e,
 	}
 
 	/* detect end of drag operation */
-	if (e.release() && _key_cnt == 0 && _dragged_window_id.valid()) {
+	if (e.release() && _key_cnt == 0) {
 
 		_drag_state = false;
 
-		/*
-		 * Issue resize to 0x0 when releasing the the window closer
-		 */
-		if (_dragged_element == Window::Element::CLOSER) {
+		if (_dragged_window_id.valid()) {
 
-			if (_dragged_element == _hovered_element)
-				_operations.close(_dragged_window_id);
+			/*
+			 * Issue resize to 0x0 when releasing the the window closer
+			 */
+			if (_dragged_element == Window::Element::CLOSER)
+				if (_dragged_element == _hovered_element)
+					_operations.close(_dragged_window_id);
+
+			_operations.finalize_drag(_dragged_window_id, _dragged_element,
+			                          _pointer_clicked, _pointer_curr);
 		}
-
-		_operations.finalize_drag(_dragged_window_id, _dragged_element,
-		                          _pointer_clicked, _pointer_curr);
 	}
 
 	/* handle key sequences */