diff --git a/common/util.c b/common/util.c
index e760443a..12cb7470 100644
--- a/common/util.c
+++ b/common/util.c
@@ -74,30 +74,22 @@ pid_t get_parent_pid(pid_t child) {
 	char file_name[100];
 	char *buffer = NULL;
 	char *token = NULL;
-	const char sep[2] = " ";
+	const char *sep = " ";
 	FILE *stat = NULL;
 
-	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "trying to get parent pid for child pid %d", child);
-
 	sprintf(file_name, "/proc/%d/stat", child);
 
-	if (!(stat = fopen(file_name, "r")) || !(buffer = read_line(stat))) {
-		return -1;
+	if ((stat = fopen(file_name, "r")) && (buffer = read_line(stat))) {
+		fclose(stat);
+
+		token = strtok(buffer, sep); // pid
+		token = strtok(NULL, sep);   // executable name
+		token = strtok(NULL, sep);   // state
+		token = strtok(NULL, sep);   // parent pid
+
+		parent = strtol(token, NULL, 10);
+		return (parent == child) ? -1 : parent;
 	}
 
-	fclose(stat);
-
-	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "buffer string is %s", buffer);
-
-	token = strtok(buffer, sep);
-
-	for (int i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
-		token = strtok(NULL, sep);
-	}
-
-	parent = strtol(token, NULL, 10);
-
-	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "found parent pid %d for child pid %d", parent, child);
-
-	return (parent == child) ? -1 : parent;
+	return -1;
 }
diff --git a/include/config.h b/include/config.h
index 35797ac2..bf278ddb 100644
--- a/include/config.h
+++ b/include/config.h
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 #ifndef _SWAY_CONFIG_H
 #define _SWAY_CONFIG_H
 
+#define PID_WORKSPACE_TIMEOUT 60
+
 #include <libinput.h>
 #include <stdint.h>
 #include <wlc/geometry.h>
 #include <wlc/wlc.h>
 #include <xkbcommon/xkbcommon.h>
+#include <time.h>
 #include "wayland-desktop-shell-server-protocol.h"
 #include "list.h"
 #include "layout.h"
@@ -95,8 +98,10 @@ struct workspace_output {
 struct pid_workspace {
 	pid_t *pid;
 	char *workspace;
+	time_t *time_added;
 };
 
+void pid_workspace_add(struct pid_workspace *pw);
 void free_pid_workspace(struct pid_workspace *pw);
 
 struct bar_config {
diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 3a6b2af5..5e84ea9a 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -555,7 +555,7 @@ static struct cmd_results *cmd_exec_always(int argc, char **argv) {
 		struct pid_workspace *pw = malloc(sizeof(struct pid_workspace));
 		pw->pid = child;
 		pw->workspace = strdup(ws->name);
-		list_add(config->pid_workspaces, pw);
+		pid_workspace_add(pw);
 		// TODO: keep track of this pid and open the corresponding view on the current workspace
 		// blocked pending feature in wlc
 	} else {
diff --git a/sway/config.c b/sway/config.c
index 07b1f2f7..819a70ce 100644
--- a/sway/config.c
+++ b/sway/config.c
@@ -89,12 +89,57 @@ static void free_workspace_output(struct workspace_output *wo) {
 	free(wo);
 }
 
+static void pid_workspace_cleanup() {
+	struct timespec ts;
+	struct pid_workspace *pw = NULL;
+
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
+
+	// work backwards through list and remove any entries
+	// older than PID_WORKSPACE_TIMEOUT
+	for (int i = config->pid_workspaces->length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
+		pw = config->pid_workspaces->items[i];
+
+		if (difftime(ts.tv_sec, *pw->time_added) >= PID_WORKSPACE_TIMEOUT) {
+			list_del(config->pid_workspaces, i);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// de-dupe pid_workspaces to ensure pid uniqueness
+void pid_workspace_add(struct pid_workspace *pw) {
+	struct pid_workspace *list_pw = NULL;
+	struct timespec ts;
+	time_t *now = malloc(sizeof(time_t));
+
+	pid_workspace_cleanup();
+
+	// add current time to pw
+	clock_gettime(CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &ts);
+	*now = ts.tv_sec;
+
+	pw->time_added = now;
+
+	// work backwards through list and delete any entries that
+	// have the same pid as that in our new pid_workspace
+	for (int i = config->pid_workspaces->length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
+		list_pw = config->pid_workspaces->items[i];
+
+		if (pw->pid == list_pw->pid) {
+			list_del(config->pid_workspaces, i);
+		}
+	}
+
+	list_add(config->pid_workspaces, pw);
+}
+
 void free_pid_workspace(struct pid_workspace *pw) {
 	if (!pw) {
 		return;
 	}
 	free(pw->pid);
 	free(pw->workspace);
+	free(pw->time_added);
 	free(pw);
 }
 
diff --git a/sway/workspace.c b/sway/workspace.c
index 0c5c70a3..5319aec4 100644
--- a/sway/workspace.c
+++ b/sway/workspace.c
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ swayc_t *workspace_for_pid(pid_t pid) {
 	// sway_log(L_DEBUG, "all pid_workspaces");
 	// for (int k = 0; k < config->pid_workspaces->length; k++) {
 	// 	pw = config->pid_workspaces->items[k];
-	// 	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "pid %d workspace %s", *pw->pid, pw->workspace);
+	// 	sway_log(L_DEBUG, "pid %d workspace %s time_added %li", *pw->pid, pw->workspace, *pw->time_added);
 	// }
 
 	do {
@@ -352,13 +352,12 @@ swayc_t *workspace_for_pid(pid_t pid) {
 		ws = workspace_by_name(pw->workspace);
 
 		if (!ws) {
-			sway_log(L_DEBUG, "creating workspace %s because it disappeared", pw->workspace);
+			sway_log(L_DEBUG, "Creating workspace %s for pid %d because it disappeared", pw->workspace, pid);
 			ws = workspace_create(pw->workspace);
 		}
 
 		list_del(config->pid_workspaces, i);
 	}
 
-	free_pid_workspace(pw);
 	return ws;
 }