diff --git a/src/screen.c b/src/screen.c
index 782ea1e6..e2cda33b 100644
--- a/src/screen.c
+++ b/src/screen.c
@@ -795,10 +795,15 @@ void wScreenUpdateUsableArea(WScreen * scr)
 	 * border.
 	 */
 
-	int i;
-	unsigned long best_area = 0, tmp_area;
 	WArea area;
-	int dock_head = scr->xine_info.primary_head;
+	int i, dock_head;
+	unsigned long best_area, tmp_area;
+	unsigned int size, position;
+
+	dock_head = scr->xine_info.primary_head;
+	best_area = 0;
+	size = wPreferences.workspace_border_size;
+	position = wPreferences.workspace_border_position;
 
 	if (scr->dock) {
 		WMRect rect;
@@ -826,14 +831,11 @@ void wScreenUpdateUsableArea(WScreen * scr)
 			}
 		}
 
-		{
-			WArea area;
-			if (wNETWMGetUsableArea(scr, i, &area)) {
-				scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1 = WMAX(scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1, area.x1);
-				scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1 = WMAX(scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1, area.y1);
-				scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2 = WMIN(scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2, area.x2);
-				scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2 = WMIN(scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2, area.y2);
-			}
+		if (wNETWMGetUsableArea(scr, i, &area)) {
+			scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1 = WMAX(scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1, area.x1);
+			scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1 = WMAX(scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1, area.y1);
+			scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2 = WMIN(scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2, area.x2);
+			scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2 = WMIN(scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2, area.y2);
 		}
 
 		scr->usableArea[i] = scr->totalUsableArea[i];
@@ -842,7 +844,6 @@ void wScreenUpdateUsableArea(WScreen * scr)
 		printf("usableArea[%d]: %d %d %d %d\n", i,
 		       scr->usableArea[i].x1, scr->usableArea[i].x2, scr->usableArea[i].y1, scr->usableArea[i].y2);
 #endif
-
 		if (wPreferences.no_window_over_icons) {
 			if (wPreferences.icon_yard & IY_VERT) {
 				if (wPreferences.icon_yard & IY_RIGHT) {
@@ -877,25 +878,18 @@ void wScreenUpdateUsableArea(WScreen * scr)
 			area = scr->totalUsableArea[i];
 		}
 
-		{
-			unsigned size = wPreferences.workspace_border_size;
-			unsigned position = wPreferences.workspace_border_position;
-
-			if (size > 0 && position != WB_NONE) {
-				if (position & WB_LEFTRIGHT) {
-					scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1 += size;
-					scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2 -= size;
-				}
-				if (position & WB_TOPBOTTOM) {
-					scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1 += size;
-					scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2 -= size;
-				}
+		if (size > 0 && position != WB_NONE) {
+			if (position & WB_LEFTRIGHT) {
+				scr->totalUsableArea[i].x1 += size;
+				scr->totalUsableArea[i].x2 -= size;
+			}
+			if (position & WB_TOPBOTTOM) {
+				scr->totalUsableArea[i].y1 += size;
+				scr->totalUsableArea[i].y2 -= size;
 			}
 		}
 	}
 
-	wNETWMUpdateWorkarea(scr, area);
-
 	if (wPreferences.auto_arrange_icons)
 		wArrangeIcons(scr, True);
 }
diff --git a/src/wmspec.c b/src/wmspec.c
index d166d289..d3bce77c 100644
--- a/src/wmspec.c
+++ b/src/wmspec.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ static Atom net_desktop_viewport;
 static Atom net_current_desktop;
 static Atom net_desktop_names;
 static Atom net_active_window;
-static Atom net_workarea;	/* XXX: not xinerama compatible */
 static Atom net_supporting_wm_check;
 static Atom net_virtual_roots;	/* N/A */
 static Atom net_desktop_layout;	/* XXX */
@@ -144,7 +143,6 @@ static atomitem_t atomNames[] = {
 	{"_NET_CURRENT_DESKTOP", &net_current_desktop},
 	{"_NET_DESKTOP_NAMES", &net_desktop_names},
 	{"_NET_ACTIVE_WINDOW", &net_active_window},
-	{"_NET_WORKAREA", &net_workarea},
 	{"_NET_SUPPORTING_WM_CHECK", &net_supporting_wm_check},
 	{"_NET_VIRTUAL_ROOTS", &net_virtual_roots},
 	{"_NET_DESKTOP_LAYOUT", &net_desktop_layout},
@@ -253,7 +251,6 @@ static void setSupportedHints(WScreen * scr)
 	atom[i++] = net_current_desktop;
 	atom[i++] = net_desktop_names;
 	atom[i++] = net_active_window;
-	atom[i++] = net_workarea;
 	atom[i++] = net_supporting_wm_check;
 	atom[i++] = net_showing_desktop;
 #if 0
@@ -629,32 +626,6 @@ void wNETWMUpdateActions(WWindow * wwin, Bool del)
 			XA_ATOM, 32, PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)action, i);
 }
 
-void wNETWMUpdateWorkarea(WScreen * scr, WArea usableArea)
-{
-	long *area;
-	int count, i;
-
-	/* XXX: not Xinerama compatible,
-	   xinerama gets the largest available */
-
-	if (!scr->netdata || scr->workspace_count == 0)
-		return;
-
-	count = scr->workspace_count * 4;
-	area = wmalloc(sizeof(long) * count);
-	for (i = 0; i < scr->workspace_count; i++) {
-		area[4 * i + 0] = usableArea.x1;
-		area[4 * i + 1] = usableArea.y1;
-		area[4 * i + 2] = usableArea.x2 - usableArea.x1;
-		area[4 * i + 3] = usableArea.y2 - usableArea.y1;
-	}
-
-	XChangeProperty(dpy, scr->root_win, net_workarea, XA_CARDINAL, 32,
-			PropModeReplace, (unsigned char *)area, count);
-
-	wfree(area);
-}
-
 Bool wNETWMGetUsableArea(WScreen * scr, int head, WArea * area)
 {
 	WReservedArea *cur;