diff --git a/src/fe-common/core/window-items.c b/src/fe-common/core/window-items.c
index e53e5a1d..7d0b98d1 100644
--- a/src/fe-common/core/window-items.c
+++ b/src/fe-common/core/window-items.c
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ void window_item_add(WINDOW_REC *window, WI_ITEM_REC *item, int automatic)
 		window_set_active(window);
 	}
 
-	window->items = g_slist_append(window->items, item);
+	window->items = g_slist_prepend(window->items, item);
 	signal_emit("window item new", 2, window, item);
 
 	if (g_slist_length(window->items) == 1 ||
@@ -112,7 +112,11 @@ void window_item_set_active(WINDOW_REC *window, WI_ITEM_REC *item)
                 /* move item to different window */
                 window_item_remove(item);
                 window_item_add(window, item, FALSE);
-        }
+	} else if (item != NULL) {
+		/* reorder the window item stack */
+		window->items = g_slist_remove(window->items, item);
+		window->items = g_slist_prepend(window->items, item);
+	}
 
 	if (window->active != item) {
 		window->active = item;