diff --git a/src/logic/Window.swift b/src/logic/Window.swift
index da98f482..a13e2530 100644
--- a/src/logic/Window.swift
+++ b/src/logic/Window.swift
@@ -321,8 +321,9 @@ class Window {
         return nil
     }
 
-    /// some apps will not trigger AXApplicationActivated, where we usually update application.focusedWindow
-    /// workaround: we check and possibly do it here
+    /// Scenarios addressed by this:
+    /// * Some apps will not trigger AXApplicationActivated, where we usually update application.focusedWindow
+    /// * Sometimes, we subscribe to an app after it has emitted the focusedWindow / applicationActivated events, so we never receive these
     private func checkIfFocused() {
         let app = application
         guard let appAxUiElement = app.axUiElement else { return }
@@ -332,6 +333,9 @@ class Window {
             DispatchQueue.main.async {
                 guard let window = (Windows.list.first { $0.isEqualRobust(focusedWindow, focusedWid) }) else { return }
                 app.focusedWindow = window
+                if let windows = Windows.updateLastFocusOrder(window) {
+                    App.refreshOpenUiAfterExternalEvent(windows)
+                }
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/logic/Windows.swift b/src/logic/Windows.swift
index b96287a0..7532ebfe 100644
--- a/src/logic/Windows.swift
+++ b/src/logic/Windows.swift
@@ -243,9 +243,8 @@ class Windows {
             hoveredWindowIndex = nil
             TilesView.highlight(oldIndex)
         }
-        if let frontmostPid = Applications.frontmostPid,
-           let frontmostApp = Applications.findOrCreate(frontmostPid, false),
-           (frontmostApp.focusedWindow == nil || Preferences.windowOrder[App.shortcutIndex] != .recentlyFocused),
+        if Applications.frontmostPid != nil,
+           Preferences.windowOrder[App.shortcutIndex] != .recentlyFocused,
            let lastFocusedOrderWindowIndex = getLastFocusedOrderWindowIndex() {
             updateSelectedAndHoveredWindowIndex(lastFocusedOrderWindowIndex)
         } else {
@@ -511,9 +510,7 @@ class Windows {
     }
 
     static func appendWindow(_ window: Window) {
-        list.forEach {
-            $0.lastFocusOrder += 1
-        }
+        window.lastFocusOrder = list.count
         list.append(window)
         if list.count > TilesView.recycledViews.count {
             TilesView.recycledViews.append(TileView())