diff --git a/dbusinterface.cpp b/dbusinterface.cpp
--- a/dbusinterface.cpp
+++ b/dbusinterface.cpp
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@
 
 void VirtualDesktopManagerDBusInterface::createDesktop(uint position, const QString &name)
 {
-    m_manager->createVirtualDesktop(position + 1, name);
+    m_manager->createVirtualDesktop(position, name);
 }
 
 void VirtualDesktopManagerDBusInterface::setDesktopName(const QString &id, const QString &name)
diff --git a/virtualdesktops.h b/virtualdesktops.h
--- a/virtualdesktops.h
+++ b/virtualdesktops.h
@@ -291,13 +291,11 @@
     /**
      * Create a new virtual desktop at the requested position.
      * The difference with setCount is that setCount always adds new desktops at the end of the chain. The Id is automatically generated.
-     * @param x11DesktopNumber number for the desktop. The desktop created will have an
-     *           x11DesktopNumber guaranteed to be between 1 and numberOfDesktops().
-     * Existing desktops will eventually have their x11DesktopNumber increased.
+     * @param position The position of the desktop. It should be in range [0, count].
      * @param name The name for the new desktop, if empty the default name will be used.
      * @returns the new VirtualDesktop, nullptr if we reached the maximum number of desktops
      */
-     VirtualDesktop *createVirtualDesktop(uint x11DesktopNumber, const QString &name = QString());
+     VirtualDesktop *createVirtualDesktop(uint position, const QString &name = QString());
 
     /**
      * Remove the virtual desktop identified by id, if it exists
diff --git a/virtualdesktops.cpp b/virtualdesktops.cpp
--- a/virtualdesktops.cpp
+++ b/virtualdesktops.cpp
@@ -445,16 +445,17 @@
     return nullptr;
 }
 
-VirtualDesktop *VirtualDesktopManager::createVirtualDesktop(uint number, const QString &name)
+VirtualDesktop *VirtualDesktopManager::createVirtualDesktop(uint position, const QString &name)
 {
     //too many, can't insert new ones
     if ((uint)m_desktops.count() == VirtualDesktopManager::maximum()) {
         return nullptr;
     }
 
-    const uint actualNumber = qBound<uint>(0, number, VirtualDesktopManager::maximum());
+    position = qBound(0u, position, static_cast<uint>(m_desktops.count()));
+
     auto *vd = new VirtualDesktop(this);
-    vd->setX11DesktopNumber(actualNumber);
+    vd->setX11DesktopNumber(position + 1);
     //TODO: depend on Qt 5.11, use toString(QUuid::WithoutBraces)
     vd->setId(QUuid::createUuid().toString().toUtf8());
     vd->setName(name);
@@ -471,15 +472,16 @@
         m_rootInfo->setDesktopName(vd->x11DesktopNumber(), vd->name().toUtf8().data());
     }
 
+    m_desktops.insert(position, vd);
+
     //update the id of displaced desktops
-    for (uint i = actualNumber; i < (uint)m_desktops.count(); ++i) {
+    for (uint i = position + 1; i < (uint)m_desktops.count(); ++i) {
         m_desktops[i]->setX11DesktopNumber(i + 1);
         if (m_rootInfo) {
             m_rootInfo->setDesktopName(i + 1, m_desktops[i]->name().toUtf8().data());
         }
     }
 
-    m_desktops.insert(actualNumber - 1, vd);
     save();
 
     updateRootInfo();