diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index f6d56bb4e..42105d5f4 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -1401,17 +1401,34 @@ struct cmd_results *handle_command(char *_exec) {
 
 	head = exec;
 	do {
-		// Handle criteria
+		// Extract criteria (valid for this command list only).
+		criteria = NULL;
 		if (*head == '[') {
+			++head;
 			criteria = argsep(&head, "]");
 			if (head) {
 				++head;
 				// TODO handle criteria
 			} else {
-				results = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, NULL, "Unmatched [");
+				if (!results) {
+					results = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, criteria, "Unmatched [");
+				}
+				goto cleanup;
 			}
 			// Skip leading whitespace
 			head += strspn(head, whitespace);
+
+			// TODO: it will yield unexpected results to execute commands
+			// (on any view) that where meant for certain views only.
+			if (!results) {
+				int len = strlen(criteria) + strlen(head) + 4;
+				char *tmp = malloc(len);
+				snprintf(tmp, len, "[%s] %s", criteria, head);
+				results = cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, tmp,
+					"Can't handle criteria string: Refusing to execute command");
+				free(tmp);
+			}
+			goto cleanup;
 		}
 		// Split command list
 		cmdlist = argsep(&head, ";");
diff --git a/sway/stringop.c b/sway/stringop.c
index fe5a97ca1..efa3a2073 100644
--- a/sway/stringop.c
+++ b/sway/stringop.c
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ char **split_args(const char *start, int *argc) {
 	bool in_token = false;
 	bool in_string = false;
 	bool in_char = false;
+	bool in_brackets = false; // brackets are used for critera
 	bool escaped = false;
 	const char *end = start;
 	if (start) {
@@ -129,10 +130,14 @@ char **split_args(const char *start, int *argc) {
 				in_string = !in_string;
 			} else if (*end == '\'' && !in_string && !escaped) {
 				in_char = !in_char;
+			} else if (*end == '[' && !in_string && !in_char && !in_brackets && !escaped) {
+				in_brackets = true;
+			} else if (*end == ']' && !in_string && !in_char && in_brackets && !escaped) {
+				in_brackets = false;
 			} else if (*end == '\\') {
 				escaped = !escaped;
-			} else if (*end == '\0' || (!in_string && !in_char && !escaped
-						&& strchr(whitespace, *end))) {
+			} else if (*end == '\0' || (!in_string && !in_char && !in_brackets
+						&& !escaped && strchr(whitespace, *end))) {
 				goto add_token;
 			}
 			if (*end != '\\') {