diff --git a/src/session.c b/src/session.c
index 8ae5fb8b..2d020c72 100644
--- a/src/session.c
+++ b/src/session.c
@@ -518,8 +518,8 @@ void wSessionRestoreState(WScreen * scr)
 void wSessionRestoreLastWorkspace(WScreen * scr)
 {
 	WMPropList *wks;
-	int w, i;
-	char *tmp;
+	int w;
+	char *value;
 
 	make_keys();
 
@@ -532,23 +532,18 @@ void wSessionRestoreLastWorkspace(WScreen * scr)
 	if (!wks || !WMIsPLString(wks))
 		return;
 
-	tmp = WMGetFromPLString(wks);
+	value = WMGetFromPLString(wks);
 
+	if (!value)
+		return;
 
 	/* clean up */
 	WMPLSetCaseSensitive(False);
 
-	if (sscanf(tmp, "%i", &w) != 1) {
-		w = -1;
-		for (i = 0; i < scr->workspace_count; i++) {
-			if (strcmp(scr->workspaces[i]->name, tmp) == 0) {
-				w = i;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		w--;
-	}
+	/* Get the workspace number for the workspace name */
+	w = wGetWorkspaceNumber(scr, value);
+
+	wfree(value);
 
 	if (w != scr->current_workspace && w < scr->workspace_count)
 		wWorkspaceChange(scr, w);
diff --git a/src/wdefaults.c b/src/wdefaults.c
index c22ad5b1..d89671bd 100644
--- a/src/wdefaults.c
+++ b/src/wdefaults.c
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ RImage *wDefaultGetImage(WScreen * scr, char *winstance, char *wclass, int max_s
 int wDefaultGetStartWorkspace(WScreen * scr, char *instance, char *class)
 {
 	WMPropList *value;
-	int w, i;
+	int w;
 	char *tmp;
 
 	if (!ANoTitlebar)
@@ -452,17 +452,10 @@ int wDefaultGetStartWorkspace(WScreen * scr, char *instance, char *class)
 	if (!tmp || strlen(tmp) == 0)
 		return -1;
 
-	if (sscanf(tmp, "%i", &w) != 1) {
-		w = -1;
-		for (i = 0; i < scr->workspace_count; i++) {
-			if (strcmp(scr->workspaces[i]->name, tmp) == 0) {
-				w = i;
-				break;
-			}
-		}
-	} else {
-		w--;
-	}
+	/* Get the workspace number for the workspace name */
+	w = wGetWorkspaceNumber(scr, tmp);
+
+	wfree(value);
 
 	return w;
 }
diff --git a/src/workspace.c b/src/workspace.c
index dc53d03b..7702d124 100644
--- a/src/workspace.c
+++ b/src/workspace.c
@@ -877,3 +877,23 @@ void wWorkspaceRestoreState(WScreen * scr)
 		WMPostNotificationName(WMNWorkspaceNameChanged, scr, (void *)(uintptr_t) i);
 	}
 }
+
+/* Returns the workspace number for a given workspace name */
+int wGetWorkspaceNumber(WScreen * scr, char * value)
+{
+        int w, i;
+
+	if (sscanf(value, "%i", &w) != 1) {
+		w = -1;
+		for (i = 0; i < scr->workspace_count; i++) {
+			if (strcmp(scr->workspaces[i]->name, value) == 0) {
+				w = i;
+				break;
+			}
+		}
+	} else {
+		w--;
+	}
+
+	return w;
+}
diff --git a/src/workspace.h b/src/workspace.h
index 3dad8e7e..e28c5c21 100644
--- a/src/workspace.h
+++ b/src/workspace.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ typedef struct WWorkspace {
 
 void wWorkspaceMake(WScreen *scr, int count);
 int wWorkspaceNew(WScreen *scr);
+int wGetWorkspaceNumber(WScreen * scr, char * value);
 Bool wWorkspaceDelete(WScreen *scr, int workspace);
 void wWorkspaceChange(WScreen *scr, int workspace);
 void wWorkspaceForceChange(WScreen *scr, int workspace);