diff --git a/src/common/workspace-store.ts b/src/common/workspace-store.ts
index 3935dda02e..dd10a4c433 100644
--- a/src/common/workspace-store.ts
+++ b/src/common/workspace-store.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ export class WorkspaceStore extends BaseStore<WorkspaceStoreModel> {
 
   @action
   setActive(id = WorkspaceStore.defaultId) {
+    if (!this.getById(id)) {
+      throw new Error(`workspace ${id} doesn't exist`);
+    }
+
     this.currentWorkspaceId = id;
   }
 
diff --git a/src/common/workspace-store_test.ts b/src/common/workspace-store_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..722380a191
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/workspace-store_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+import mockFs from "mock-fs"
+
+jest.mock("electron", () => {
+  return {
+    app: {
+      getVersion: () => '99.99.99',
+      getPath: () => 'tmp',
+      getLocale: () => 'en'
+    }
+  }
+})
+
+import { WorkspaceStore } from "./workspace-store"
+
+describe("workspace store tests", () => {
+  describe("for an empty config", () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      WorkspaceStore.resetInstance()
+      mockFs({ tmp: { 'lens-workspace-store.json': "{}" } })
+
+      await WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>().load();
+    })
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      mockFs.restore()
+    })
+
+    it("default workspace should always exist", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      expect(us.workspaces.size).toBe(1);
+      expect(us.getById(WorkspaceStore.defaultId)).not.toBe(null);
+    })
+
+    it("cannot remove the default workspace", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      expect(() => us.removeWorkspace(WorkspaceStore.defaultId)).toThrowError("Cannot remove");
+    })
+
+    it("can update default workspace name", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      us.saveWorkspace({
+        id: WorkspaceStore.defaultId,
+        name: "foobar",
+      });
+      expect(us.currentWorkspace.name).toBe("foobar");
+    })
+
+    it("can add workspaces", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      us.saveWorkspace({
+        id: "123",
+        name: "foobar",
+      });
+      expect(us.getById("123").name).toBe("foobar");
+    })
+
+    it("cannot set a non-existant workspace to be active", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      expect(() => us.setActive("abc")).toThrow("doesn't exist");
+    })
+
+    it("can set a existant workspace to be active", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      us.saveWorkspace({
+        id: "abc",
+        name: "foobar",
+      });
+      expect(() => us.setActive("abc")).not.toThrowError();
+    })
+
+    it("can remove a workspace", () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      us.saveWorkspace({
+        id: "123",
+        name: "foobar",
+      });
+      us.saveWorkspace({
+        id: "1234",
+        name: "foobar 1",
+      });
+      us.removeWorkspace("123");
+      expect(us.workspaces.size).toBe(2);
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe("for a non-empty config", () => {
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      WorkspaceStore.resetInstance()
+      mockFs({
+        tmp: {
+          'lens-workspace-store.json': JSON.stringify({
+            currentWorkspace: "abc",
+            workspaces: [{
+              id: "abc",
+              name: "test"
+            }, {
+              id: "default",
+              name: "default"
+            }]
+          })
+        }
+      })
+      await WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>().load();
+    })
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      mockFs.restore()
+    })
+
+    it("doesn't revert to default workspace", async () => {
+      const us = WorkspaceStore.getInstance<WorkspaceStore>();
+
+      expect(us.currentWorkspaceId).toBe("abc");
+    })
+  })
+})
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