diff --git a/komorebi/src/border_manager/mod.rs b/komorebi/src/border_manager/mod.rs
index 4d9d6a9d..6d07d795 100644
--- a/komorebi/src/border_manager/mod.rs
+++ b/komorebi/src/border_manager/mod.rs
@@ -427,7 +427,7 @@ pub fn handle_notifications(wm: Arc<Mutex<WindowManager>>) -> color_eyre::Result
                             borders.remove(id);
                         }
 
-                        for (idx, c) in ws.containers().iter().enumerate() {
+                        'containers: for (idx, c) in ws.containers().iter().enumerate() {
                             // Get the border entry for this container from the map or create one
                             let mut new_border = false;
                             let border = match borders.entry(c.id().clone()) {
@@ -471,7 +471,17 @@ pub fn handle_notifications(wm: Arc<Mutex<WindowManager>>) -> color_eyre::Result
                             let reference_hwnd =
                                 c.focused_window().copied().unwrap_or_default().hwnd;
 
-                            let rect = WindowsApi::window_rect(reference_hwnd)?;
+                            // avoid getting into a thread restart loop if we try to look up
+                            // rect info for a window that has been destroyed by the time
+                            // we get here
+                            let rect = match WindowsApi::window_rect(reference_hwnd) {
+                                Ok(rect) => rect,
+                                Err(_) => {
+                                    let _ = border.destroy();
+                                    borders.remove(c.id());
+                                    continue 'containers;
+                                }
+                            };
 
                             let should_invalidate = match last_focus_state {
                                 None => true,
diff --git a/komorebi/src/reaper.rs b/komorebi/src/reaper.rs
index 28341725..6ca14e2f 100644
--- a/komorebi/src/reaper.rs
+++ b/komorebi/src/reaper.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ pub fn find_orphans(wm: Arc<Mutex<WindowManager>>) -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
         let mut wm = arc.lock();
         let offset = wm.work_area_offset;
 
+        let mut update_borders = false;
+
         for (i, monitor) in wm.monitors_mut().iter_mut().enumerate() {
             let work_area = *monitor.work_area_size();
             let window_based_work_area_offset = (
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ pub fn find_orphans(wm: Arc<Mutex<WindowManager>>) -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
                 let reaped_orphans = workspace.reap_orphans()?;
                 if reaped_orphans.0 > 0 || reaped_orphans.1 > 0 {
                     workspace.update(&work_area, offset, window_based_work_area_offset)?;
-                    border_manager::send_notification(None);
+                    update_borders = true;
                     tracing::info!(
                         "reaped {} orphan window(s) and {} orphaned container(s) on monitor: {}, workspace: {}",
                         reaped_orphans.0,
@@ -62,5 +64,9 @@ pub fn find_orphans(wm: Arc<Mutex<WindowManager>>) -> color_eyre::Result<()> {
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        if update_borders {
+            border_manager::send_notification(None);
+        }
     }
 }