@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ <!-- 'Smart' or 'UnderMouse' -->
   <center>yes</center>
   <!-- whether to place windows in the center of the free area found or
        the top left corner -->
+  <active>no</active>
+  <!-- force new windows ont the active monitor on a multi-head system, unless
+       they are part of an application already on another monitor -->
 </placement>
 
 <theme>

@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ <xsd:documentation>defines how new windows are placed</xsd:documentation>
         </xsd:annotation>
         <xsd:element name="policy" type="ob:placementpolicy"/>
         <xsd:element name="center" type="ob:bool"/>
+        <xsd:element name="active" type="ob:bool"/>
     </xsd:complexType>
     <xsd:complexType name="margins">
         <xsd:annotation>

@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ gboolean config_focus_under_mouse;
 
 ObPlacePolicy config_place_policy;
 gboolean      config_place_center;
+gboolean      config_place_active;
 
 StrutPartial config_margins;
 
@@ -500,6 +501,8 @@ if (parse_contains("UnderMouse", doc, n))
             config_place_policy = OB_PLACE_POLICY_MOUSE;
     if ((n = parse_find_node("center", node)))
         config_place_center = parse_bool(doc, n);
+    if ((n = parse_find_node("active", node)))
+        config_place_active = parse_bool(doc, n);
 }
 
 static void parse_margins(ObParseInst *i, xmlDocPtr doc, xmlNodePtr node,
@@ -880,6 +883,7 @@ parse_register(i, "focus", parse_focus, NULL);
 
     config_place_policy = OB_PLACE_POLICY_SMART;
     config_place_center = TRUE;
+    config_place_active = FALSE;
 
     parse_register(i, "placement", parse_placement, NULL);
 

@@ -75,9 +75,13 @@ /*! Try keep focus on the window under the mouse when the mouse is not moving
  */
 extern gboolean config_focus_under_mouse;
 
+/*! The algorithm to use for placing new windows */
 extern ObPlacePolicy config_place_policy;
 /*! Place windows in the center of the free area */
 extern gboolean config_place_center;
+/*! Place windows on the active monitor (unless they are part of an application
+  already on another monitor) */
+extern gboolean config_place_active;
 
 /*! User-specified margins around the edge of the screen(s) */
 extern StrutPartial config_margins;

@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@ }
         }
     }
 
-    if (focus_client) {
+    if (focus_client && client_normal(focus_client)) {
         add_choice(choice, client_monitor(focus_client));
-        ob_debug("placement adding choice %d for focused window\n",
+        ob_debug("placement adding choice %d for normal focused window\n",
                  client_monitor(focus_client));
     }
 
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ Rect **areas;
     guint i;
 
     areas = pick_head(client);
-    i = g_random_int_range(0, screen_num_monitors);
+    i = config_place_active ? 0 : g_random_int_range(0, screen_num_monitors);
 
     l = areas[i]->x;
     t = areas[i]->y;
@@ -254,8 +254,11 @@ maxit = NULL;
 
     /* try ignoring different things to find empty space */
     for (ignore = 0; ignore < IGNORE_END && !ret; ignore++) {
-        /* try all monitors in order of preference */
-        for (i = 0; i < screen_num_monitors && !ret; ++i) {
+        /* try all monitors in order of preference, but only the first one
+           if config_place_active is true */
+        for (i = 0; (i < (config_place_active ? 1 : screen_num_monitors) &&
+                     !ret); ++i)
+        {
             GList *it;
 
             /* add the whole monitor */