diff --git a/client.cpp b/client.cpp
index 8bf10e8058..a6fbf3ea92 100644
--- a/client.cpp
+++ b/client.cpp
@@ -990,12 +990,12 @@ void Client::updateVisibility()
         return;
     }
     if (isManaged())
-        resetShowingDesktop(true);
+        resetShowingDesktop();
     internalShow();
 }
 
 
-void Client::resetShowingDesktop(bool keep_hidden)
+void Client::resetShowingDesktop()
 {
     if (isDock() || !workspace()->showingDesktop())
         return;
@@ -1006,7 +1006,7 @@ void Client::resetShowingDesktop(bool keep_hidden)
             break;
 
     if (!belongs_to_desktop)
-        workspace()->resetShowingDesktop(keep_hidden);
+        workspace()->setShowingDesktop(false);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/client.h b/client.h
index b574aa26ab..40d503cfa9 100644
--- a/client.h
+++ b/client.h
@@ -717,7 +717,7 @@ private:
     bool processDecorationButtonPress(int button, int state, int x, int y, int x_root, int y_root,
                                       bool ignoreMenu = false);
     Client* findAutogroupCandidate() const;
-    void resetShowingDesktop(bool keep_hidden);
+    void resetShowingDesktop();
 
 protected:
     virtual void debug(QDebug& stream) const;
diff --git a/layers.cpp b/layers.cpp
index ae08207504..b6d5b75f8f 100644
--- a/layers.cpp
+++ b/layers.cpp
@@ -827,7 +827,7 @@ Layer Client::layer() const
 Layer Client::belongsToLayer() const
 {
     if (isDesktop())
-        return DesktopLayer;
+        return workspace()->showingDesktop() ? AboveLayer : DesktopLayer;
     if (isSplash())          // no damn annoying splashscreens
         return NormalLayer; // getting in the way of everything else
     if (isDock()) {
diff --git a/manage.cpp b/manage.cpp
index 241d322b9d..75af4e519b 100644
--- a/manage.cpp
+++ b/manage.cpp
@@ -603,7 +603,7 @@ bool Client::manage(xcb_window_t w, bool isMapped)
             }
         }
 
-        resetShowingDesktop(false);
+        resetShowingDesktop();
 
         if (isOnCurrentDesktop() && !isMapped && !allow && (!session || session->stackingOrder < 0))
             workspace()->restackClientUnderActive(this);
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
index f9c1ab189e..45cf15e626 100644
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -113,7 +113,6 @@ Workspace::Workspace(bool restore)
     , force_restacking(false)
     , x_stacking_dirty(true)
     , showing_desktop(false)
-    , block_showing_desktop(0)
     , was_user_interaction(false)
     , session_saving(false)
     , block_focus(0)
@@ -550,7 +549,6 @@ void Workspace::removeClient(Client* c)
     desktops.removeAll(c);
     x_stacking_dirty = true;
     attention_chain.removeAll(c);
-    showing_desktop_clients.removeAll(c);
     Group* group = findGroup(c->window());
     if (group != NULL)
         group->lostLeader();
@@ -849,7 +847,6 @@ void Workspace::slotCurrentDesktopChanged(uint oldDesktop, uint newDesktop)
 
 void Workspace::updateClientVisibilityOnDesktopChange(uint oldDesktop, uint newDesktop)
 {
-    ++block_showing_desktop;
     ObscuringWindows obs_wins;
     for (ToplevelList::ConstIterator it = stacking_order.constBegin();
             it != stacking_order.constEnd();
@@ -879,9 +876,8 @@ void Workspace::updateClientVisibilityOnDesktopChange(uint oldDesktop, uint newD
         if (c->isOnDesktop(newDesktop) && c->isOnCurrentActivity())
             c->updateVisibility();
     }
-    --block_showing_desktop;
     if (showingDesktop())   // Do this only after desktop change to avoid flicker
-        resetShowingDesktop(false);
+        setShowingDesktop(false);
 }
 
 void Workspace::activateClientOnNewDesktop(uint desktop)
@@ -956,7 +952,6 @@ void Workspace::updateCurrentActivity(const QString &new_activity)
     // TODO: Q_ASSERT( block_stacking_updates == 0 ); // Make sure stacking_order is up to date
     StackingUpdatesBlocker blocker(this);
 
-    ++block_showing_desktop; //FIXME should I be using that?
     // Optimized Desktop switching: unmapping done from back to front
     // mapping done from front to back => less exposure events
     //Notify::raise((Notify::Event) (Notify::DesktopChange+new_desktop));
@@ -997,10 +992,9 @@ void Workspace::updateCurrentActivity(const QString &new_activity)
             c->updateVisibility();
     }
 
-    --block_showing_desktop;
     //FIXME not sure if I should do this either
     if (showingDesktop())   // Do this only after desktop change to avoid flicker
-        resetShowingDesktop(false);
+        setShowingDesktop(false);
 
     // Restore the focus on this desktop
     --block_focus;
@@ -1206,68 +1200,12 @@ void Workspace::setShowingDesktop(bool showing)
 {
     rootInfo()->setShowingDesktop(showing);
     showing_desktop = showing;
-    ++block_showing_desktop;
-    if (showing_desktop) {
-        showing_desktop_clients.clear();
-        ++block_focus;
-        ToplevelList cls = stackingOrder();
-        // Find them first, then minimize, otherwise transients may get minimized with the window
-        // they're transient for
-        for (ToplevelList::ConstIterator it = cls.constBegin();
-                it != cls.constEnd();
-                ++it) {
-            Client *c = qobject_cast<Client*>(*it);
-            if (!c) {
-                continue;
-            }
-            if (c->isOnCurrentActivity() && c->isOnCurrentDesktop() && c->isShown(true) && !c->isSpecialWindow())
-                showing_desktop_clients.prepend(c);   // Topmost first to reduce flicker
-        }
-        for (ClientList::ConstIterator it = showing_desktop_clients.constBegin();
-                it != showing_desktop_clients.constEnd();
-                ++it)
-            (*it)->minimize();
-        --block_focus;
-        if (Client* desk = findDesktop(true, VirtualDesktopManager::self()->current()))
+    if (Client* desk = findDesktop(true, VirtualDesktopManager::self()->current())) {
+        desk->updateLayer();
+        lowerClient(desk);
+        if (showing_desktop)
             requestFocus(desk);
-    } else {
-        for (ClientList::ConstIterator it = showing_desktop_clients.constBegin();
-                it != showing_desktop_clients.constEnd();
-                ++it)
-            (*it)->unminimize();
-        if (showing_desktop_clients.count() > 0)
-            requestFocus(showing_desktop_clients.first());
-        showing_desktop_clients.clear();
     }
-    --block_showing_desktop;
-}
-
-/**
- * Following Kicker's behavior:
- * Changing a virtual desktop resets the state and shows the windows again.
- * Unminimizing a window resets the state but keeps the windows hidden (except
- * the one that was unminimized).
- * A new window resets the state and shows the windows again, with the new window
- * being active. Due to popular demand (#67406) by people who apparently
- * don't see a difference between "show desktop" and "minimize all", this is not
- * true if "showDesktopIsMinimizeAll" is set in kwinrc. In such case showing
- * a new window resets the state but doesn't show windows.
- */
-void Workspace::resetShowingDesktop(bool keep_hidden)
-{
-    if (block_showing_desktop > 0)
-        return;
-    rootInfo()->setShowingDesktop(false);
-    showing_desktop = false;
-    ++block_showing_desktop;
-    if (!keep_hidden) {
-        for (ClientList::ConstIterator it = showing_desktop_clients.constBegin();
-                it != showing_desktop_clients.constEnd();
-                ++it)
-            (*it)->unminimize();
-    }
-    showing_desktop_clients.clear();
-    --block_showing_desktop;
 }
 
 void Workspace::disableGlobalShortcutsForClient(bool disable)
diff --git a/workspace.h b/workspace.h
index 0b7389f0a6..999a1c24f2 100644
--- a/workspace.h
+++ b/workspace.h
@@ -277,7 +277,6 @@ public:
     void setCurrentScreen(int new_screen);
 
     void setShowingDesktop(bool showing);
-    void resetShowingDesktop(bool keep_hidden);
     bool showingDesktop() const;
 
     void sendPingToWindow(xcb_window_t w, xcb_timestamp_t timestamp);   // Called from Client::pingWindow()
@@ -535,8 +534,6 @@ private:
     ClientList attention_chain;
 
     bool showing_desktop;
-    ClientList showing_desktop_clients;
-    int block_showing_desktop;
 
     GroupList groups;