diff --git a/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp b/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
index 16d3cd00d3..65e4bfa21e 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/ServerApp.cpp
@@ -2754,17 +2754,17 @@ ServerApp::_DispatchMessage(int32 code, BPrivate::LinkReceiver& link)
 			link.Read<uint32>(&index);
 
 			fLink.StartMessage(B_OK);
-			fDesktop->Lock();
+			fDesktop->LockSingleWindow();
 
 			// we're nice to our children (and also take the default case
 			// into account which asks for the current workspace)
 			if (index >= (uint32)kMaxWorkspaces)
 				index = fDesktop->CurrentWorkspace();
 
-			Workspace workspace(*fDesktop, index);
+			Workspace workspace(*fDesktop, index, true);
 			fLink.Attach<rgb_color>(workspace.Color());
 
-			fDesktop->Unlock();
+			fDesktop->UnlockSingleWindow();
 			fLink.Flush();
 			break;
 		}
@@ -2782,7 +2782,7 @@ ServerApp::_DispatchMessage(int32 code, BPrivate::LinkReceiver& link)
 			if (link.Read<bool>(&makeDefault) != B_OK)
 				break;
 
-			fDesktop->Lock();
+			fDesktop->LockAllWindows();
 
 			// we're nice to our children (and also take the default case
 			// into account which asks for the current workspace)
@@ -2792,7 +2792,7 @@ ServerApp::_DispatchMessage(int32 code, BPrivate::LinkReceiver& link)
 			Workspace workspace(*fDesktop, index);
 			workspace.SetColor(color, makeDefault);
 
-			fDesktop->Unlock();
+			fDesktop->UnlockAllWindows();
 			break;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Workspace.cpp b/src/servers/app/Workspace.cpp
index b2aa0ff25b..1b890dd3ed 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Workspace.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/Workspace.cpp
@@ -79,13 +79,14 @@ Workspace::Private::_SetDefaults()
 //	#pragma mark -
 
 
-Workspace::Workspace(Desktop& desktop, int32 index)
+Workspace::Workspace(Desktop& desktop, int32 index, bool readOnly)
 	:
 	fWorkspace(desktop.WorkspaceAt(index)),
 	fDesktop(desktop),
 	fCurrentWorkspace(index == desktop.CurrentWorkspace())
 {
-	ASSERT(desktop.IsLocked());
+	ASSERT(desktop.WindowLocker().IsWriteLocked()
+		|| ( readOnly && desktop.WindowLocker().IsReadLocked()));
 	RewindWindows();
 }
 
diff --git a/src/servers/app/Workspace.h b/src/servers/app/Workspace.h
index 4921133092..7e0bfe96a9 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/Workspace.h
+++ b/src/servers/app/Workspace.h
@@ -15,10 +15,16 @@
 class Desktop;
 class Window;
 
-
+/*!
+Workspace objects are intended to be short-lived. You create them while
+already holding a lock to the Desktop read-write lock and then you can use them
+to query information, and then you destroy them again, for example by letting
+them go out of scope.
+*/
 class Workspace {
 public:
-								Workspace(Desktop& desktop, int32 index);
+								Workspace(Desktop& desktop, int32 index,
+									bool readOnly = false);
 								~Workspace();
 
 			const rgb_color&	Color() const;
diff --git a/src/servers/app/WorkspacesView.cpp b/src/servers/app/WorkspacesView.cpp
index c20e12c609..a475aad31a 100644
--- a/src/servers/app/WorkspacesView.cpp
+++ b/src/servers/app/WorkspacesView.cpp
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ WorkspacesView::_DrawWorkspace(DrawingEngine* drawingEngine,
 {
 	BRect rect = _WorkspaceAt(index);
 
-	Workspace workspace(*Window()->Desktop(), index);
+	Workspace workspace(*Window()->Desktop(), index, true);
 	bool workspaceActive = workspace.IsCurrent();
 	if (workspaceActive) {
 		// draw active frame