diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.cpp
index d72fa9265a..a06cd1fe18 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.cpp
@@ -721,6 +721,11 @@ void FindAndReplaceWidget::updateButtons()
 }
 
 
+bool FindAndReplaceWidget::hasWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa) const
+{
+	return wa == find_work_area_ || wa == replace_work_area_;
+}
+
 } // namespace frontend
 } // namespace lyx
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.h b/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.h
index 41c211dc93..3bb40076ce 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/FindAndReplace.h
@@ -36,6 +36,9 @@ public:
 	void updateGUI();
 	void updateButtons();
 
+	// return true if \c wa is one if the adv. F&R workareas
+	bool hasWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa) const;
+
 public Q_SLOTS:
 	///
 	void dockLocationChanged(Qt::DockWidgetArea area);
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@ public:
 	void dispatchParams() override {}
 	bool isBufferDependent() const override { return false; }
 	bool canApplyToReadOnly() const override { return true; }
+	bool hasWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa) const { return widget_->hasWorkArea(wa); }
 	void selectAll();
 
 	/// update
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.cpp
index 8afa3b2fe0..24969c2112 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.cpp
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "DialogFactory.h"
 #include "DispatchResult.h"
 #include "FileDialog.h"
+#include "FindAndReplace.h"
 #include "FontLoader.h"
 #include "GuiApplication.h"
 #include "GuiClickableLabel.h"
@@ -1867,6 +1868,17 @@ void GuiView::removeWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa)
 }
 
 
+bool GuiView::hasVisibleWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa) const
+{
+	for (int i = 0; i < d.splitter_->count(); ++i)
+		if (d.tabWorkArea(i)->currentWorkArea() == wa)
+			return true;
+
+	FindAndReplace * fr = static_cast<FindAndReplace*>(find("findreplaceadv", false));
+	return fr->isVisible() && fr->hasWorkArea(wa);
+}
+
+
 LayoutBox * GuiView::getLayoutDialog() const
 {
 	return d.layout_;
@@ -5034,7 +5046,7 @@ void GuiView::flatGroupBoxes(const QObject * widget, bool flag)
 }
 
 
-Dialog * GuiView::findOrBuild(string const & name, bool hide_it)
+Dialog * GuiView::find(string const & name, bool hide_it) const
 {
 	if (!isValidName(name))
 		return nullptr;
@@ -5046,8 +5058,17 @@ Dialog * GuiView::findOrBuild(string const & name, bool hide_it)
 			it->second->hideView();
 		return it->second.get();
 	}
+	return nullptr;
+}
 
-	Dialog * dialog = build(name);
+
+Dialog * GuiView::findOrBuild(string const & name, bool hide_it)
+{
+	Dialog * dialog = find(name, hide_it);
+	if (dialog != nullptr)
+		return dialog;
+
+	dialog = build(name);
 	d.dialogs_[name].reset(dialog);
 #if (QT_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 0, 0))
 	// Force a uniform style for group boxes
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.h b/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.h
index 7237017e0c..241701cb8f 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.h
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/GuiView.h
@@ -206,6 +206,8 @@ public:
 	void setCurrentWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * work_area);
 	///
 	void removeWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * work_area);
+	/// return true if \c wa is one of the visibles workareas of this view
+	bool hasVisibleWorkArea(GuiWorkArea * wa) const;
 	/// return the current WorkArea (the one that has the focus).
 	GuiWorkArea const * currentWorkArea() const;
 	/// return the current WorkArea (the one that has the focus).
@@ -472,6 +474,8 @@ private:
 	/// Is the dialog currently visible?
 	bool isDialogVisible(std::string const & name) const;
 	///
+	Dialog * find(std::string const & name, bool hide_it) const;
+	///
 	Dialog * findOrBuild(std::string const & name, bool hide_it);
 	///
 	Dialog * build(std::string const & name);
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
index e0f1faf822..c236327f56 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt/TocWidget.cpp
@@ -380,7 +380,22 @@ void TocWidget::sendDispatch(FuncRequest fr)
 {
 
 	fr.setViewOrigin(&gui_view_);
+	GuiWorkArea * old_wa = gui_view_.currentWorkArea();
+	GuiWorkArea * doc_wa = gui_view_.currentMainWorkArea();
+	/* The ToC command should be dispatched to the document work area,
+	 * not the Adv. Find&Replace (which is the only other know
+	 * possibility.
+	 */
+	if (doc_wa != nullptr && doc_wa != old_wa)
+		gui_view_.setCurrentWorkArea(doc_wa);
 	DispatchResult const & dr = dispatch(fr);
+	/* If the current workarea has not explicitely changed, and the
+	 * original one is still visible, let's reset it.
+	 */
+	if (gui_view_.currentWorkArea() == doc_wa
+	     && gui_view_.hasVisibleWorkArea(old_wa)
+	     && doc_wa != old_wa)
+		gui_view_.setCurrentWorkArea(old_wa);
 	if (dr.error())
 		gui_view_.message(dr.message());
 }