diff --git a/sway/commands.c b/sway/commands.c
index 237bfc281..377f2d016 100644
--- a/sway/commands.c
+++ b/sway/commands.c
@@ -227,28 +227,31 @@ list_t *execute_command(char *_exec, struct sway_seat *seat,
 
 	head = exec;
 	do {
-		// Extract criteria (valid for this command list only).
-		config->handler_context.using_criteria = false;
-		if (*head == '[') {
-			char *error = NULL;
-			struct criteria *criteria = criteria_parse(head, &error);
-			if (!criteria) {
-				list_add(res_list, cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID,	"%s", error));
-				free(error);
-				goto cleanup;
-			}
-			views = criteria_get_views(criteria);
-			head += strlen(criteria->raw);
-			criteria_destroy(criteria);
-			config->handler_context.using_criteria = true;
-			// Skip leading whitespace
-			for (; isspace(*head); ++head) {}
-		}
 		// Split command list
 		cmdlist = argsep(&head, ";");
-		for (; isspace(*cmdlist); ++cmdlist) {}
 		do {
-			// Split commands
+			// Skip leading whitespace
+			for (; isspace(*cmdlist); ++cmdlist) {}
+			// Extract criteria (valid for this command chain only).
+			config->handler_context.using_criteria = false;
+			if (*cmdlist == '[') {
+				char *error = NULL;
+				struct criteria *criteria = criteria_parse(cmdlist, &error);
+				if (!criteria) {
+					list_add(res_list,
+							cmd_results_new(CMD_INVALID, "%s", error));
+					free(error);
+					goto cleanup;
+				}
+				list_free(views);
+				views = criteria_get_views(criteria);
+				cmdlist += strlen(criteria->raw);
+				criteria_destroy(criteria);
+				config->handler_context.using_criteria = true;
+				// Skip leading whitespace
+				for (; isspace(*cmdlist); ++cmdlist) {}
+			}
+			// Split command chain into commands
 			cmd = argsep(&cmdlist, ",");
 			for (; isspace(*cmd); ++cmd) {}
 			if (strcmp(cmd, "") == 0) {
diff --git a/sway/sway.5.scd b/sway/sway.5.scd
index 6d098d949..db6dda0dc 100644
--- a/sway/sway.5.scd
+++ b/sway/sway.5.scd
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ the bindsym command.
 Commands are split into several arguments using spaces. You can enclose
 arguments with quotation marks (*"..."* or *'...'*) to add spaces to a single
 argument. You may also run several commands in order by separating each with
-*,* or *;*.
+*,* or *;*. Criteria is retained across commands separated by *,*, but will be
+reset (and allow for new criteria, if desired) for commands separated by a *;*.
 
 Throughout the documentation, *|* is used to distinguish between arguments for
 which you may only select one. *[...]* is used for optional arguments, and
@@ -753,7 +754,9 @@ A criteria is a string in the form of, for example:
 
 The string contains one or more (space separated) attribute/value pairs. They
 are used by some commands to choose which views to execute actions on. All
-attributes must match for the criteria to match.
+attributes must match for the criteria to match. Criteria is retained across
+commands separated by a *,*, but will be reset (and allow for new criteria, if
+desired) for commands separated by a *;*.
 
 Criteria may be used with either the *for_window* or *assign* commands to
 specify operations to perform on new views. A criteria may also be used to