diff --git a/doc/WhatsNew.rst b/doc/WhatsNew.rst
index 63a9e8fd7..8b532d169 100644
--- a/doc/WhatsNew.rst
+++ b/doc/WhatsNew.rst
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ Ver 5.2.0 (unreleased)
 - Deprecate Gtk.Table from GTK3 backend (switch to Gtk.Grid)
 - Added experimental support for GTK4 backend
 - Fixed an issue with toggling CheckBoxes in Qt6
+- Closing a workspace now doesn't require closing all windows first
 
 Ver 5.1.0 (2024-05-22)
 ======================
diff --git a/ginga/gw/PluginManager.py b/ginga/gw/PluginManager.py
index 1994c380b..e8ff07c3d 100644
--- a/ginga/gw/PluginManager.py
+++ b/ginga/gw/PluginManager.py
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ def start_plugin_future(self, chname, opname, future,
                     wd, ht = self.ds.get_ws_size(in_ws)
                     vbox.extdata.size = (wd, ht)
 
-                    vbox.resize(wd, ht)
+                    #vbox.resize(wd, ht)
 
                 if future is not None:
                     p_info.obj.build_gui(vbox, future=future)
diff --git a/ginga/rv/Control.py b/ginga/rv/Control.py
index 40a900b48..a1daa2a0f 100644
--- a/ginga/rv/Control.py
+++ b/ginga/rv/Control.py
@@ -103,7 +103,8 @@ def __init__(self, logger, thread_pool, module_manager, preferences,
         # For callbacks
         for name in ('add-image', 'channel-change', 'remove-image',
                      'add-channel', 'delete-channel', 'field-info',
-                     'add-image-info', 'remove-image-info', 'viewer-select'):
+                     'add-image-info', 'remove-image-info', 'viewer-select',
+                     'delete-workspace'):
             self.enable_callback(name)
 
         # Initialize the timer factory
@@ -2649,15 +2650,10 @@ def page_switch_cb(self, ws, child):
 
     def workspace_closed_cb(self, ws):
         self.logger.debug("workspace requests close")
-        num_children = ws.num_pages()
-        if num_children > 0:
-            self.show_error(
-                "Please close all windows in this workspace first!",
-                raisetab=True)
-            return
 
         # TODO: this will prompt the user if we should close the workspace
-        lbl = Widgets.Label("Really delete workspace '%s' ?" % (ws.name))
+        lbl = Widgets.Label(f"Really delete workspace '{ws.name}' ?\n\n"
+                            "This will close all open channels in that workspace.")
         dialog = Widgets.Dialog(title="Delete Workspace",
                                 flags=0,
                                 buttons=[['Cancel', 0], ['Ok', 1]],
@@ -2675,6 +2671,16 @@ def delete_workspace_cb(self, w, rsp, ws):
         if rsp == 0:
             return
 
+        self.delete_workspace(ws)
+        return True
+
+    def delete_workspace(self, ws):
+        # close all channels in workspace and their plugins
+        for channel in list(self.channel.values()):
+            if channel.workspace == ws.name:
+                self.delete_channel(channel.name)
+
+        # close the workspace
         top_w = ws.extdata.get('top_w', None)
         if top_w is None:
             self.ds.remove_tab(ws.name)
@@ -2685,7 +2691,7 @@ def delete_workspace_cb(self, w, rsp, ws):
         # inform desktop we are no longer tracking this
         self.ds.delete_ws(ws.name)
 
-        return True
+        self.make_gui_callback('delete-workspace', ws)
 
     def page_added_cb(self, ws, child):
         self.logger.debug("page added in %s: '%s'" % (ws.name, str(child)))