diff --git a/abstract_client.cpp b/abstract_client.cpp
--- a/abstract_client.cpp
+++ b/abstract_client.cpp
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             Q_UNUSED(c)
             if (isOnScreenDisplay() && !geometry().isEmpty() && old.size() != geometry().size() && !isInitialPositionSet()) {
                 GeometryUpdatesBlocker blocker(this);
-                QRect area = workspace()->clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), desktop());
+                const QRect area = workspace()->clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), desktop());
                 Placement::self()->place(this, area);
                 setGeometryRestore(geometry());
             }
diff --git a/manage.cpp b/manage.cpp
--- a/manage.cpp
+++ b/manage.cpp
@@ -405,6 +405,8 @@
     if (!placementDone) {
         // Placement needs to be after setting size
         Placement::self()->place(this, area);
+        // The client may have been moved to another screen, update placement area.
+        area = workspace()->clientArea(PlacementArea, this);
         dontKeepInArea = true;
         placementDone = true;
     }
diff --git a/placement.h b/placement.h
--- a/placement.h
+++ b/placement.h
@@ -62,17 +62,17 @@
         Maximizing
     };
 
-    void place(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area);
+    void place(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area);
 
     void placeAtRandom(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeCascaded(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void placeCascaded(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
     void placeSmart(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeMaximizing(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void placeMaximizing(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
     void placeCentered(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
     void placeZeroCornered(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeDialog(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeUtility(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeOnScreenDisplay(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area);
+    void placeDialog(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void placeUtility(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void placeOnScreenDisplay(AbstractClient* c, const QRect& area);
 
     void reinitCascading(int desktop);
 
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@
     static const char* policyToString(Policy policy);
 
 private:
-    void place(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy policy, Policy nextPlacement = Unknown);
-    void placeUnderMouse(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
-    void placeOnMainWindow(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void place(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy policy, Policy nextPlacement = Unknown);
+    void placeUnderMouse(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy next = Unknown);
+    void placeOnMainWindow(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy next = Unknown);
     void placeTransient(AbstractClient *c);
     QRect checkArea(const AbstractClient*c, const QRect& area);
 
diff --git a/placement.cpp b/placement.cpp
--- a/placement.cpp
+++ b/placement.cpp
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 /**
  * Places the client \a c according to the workspace's layout policy
  */
-void Placement::place(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area)
+void Placement::place(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area)
 {
     Policy policy = c->rules()->checkPlacement(Default);
     if (policy != Default) {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
         place(c, area, options->placement());
 }
 
-void Placement::place(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy policy, Policy nextPlacement)
+void Placement::place(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy policy, Policy nextPlacement)
 {
     if (policy == Unknown)
         policy = Default;
@@ -376,7 +376,7 @@
 /**
  * Place windows in a cascading order, remembering positions for each desktop
  */
-void Placement::placeCascaded(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy nextPlacement)
+void Placement::placeCascaded(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy nextPlacement)
 {
     if (!c->size().isValid()) {
         return;
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@
     c->move(checkArea(c, area).topLeft());
 }
 
-void Placement::placeUtility(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy /*next*/)
+void Placement::placeUtility(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy /*next*/)
 {
 // TODO kwin should try to place utility windows next to their mainwindow,
 // preferably at the right edge, and going down if there are more of them
@@ -493,7 +493,7 @@
     place(c, area, Default);
 }
 
-void Placement::placeOnScreenDisplay(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area)
+void Placement::placeOnScreenDisplay(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area)
 {
     // place at lower 1/3 of the screen
     const int x = area.left() + (area.width() -  c->width())  / 2;
@@ -521,27 +521,25 @@
     }
 }
 
-void Placement::placeDialog(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy nextPlacement)
+void Placement::placeDialog(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy nextPlacement)
 {
     placeOnMainWindow(c, area, nextPlacement);
 }
 
-void Placement::placeUnderMouse(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy /*next*/)
+void Placement::placeUnderMouse(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy /*next*/)
 {
-    area = checkArea(c, area);
     QRect geom = c->geometry();
     geom.moveCenter(Cursor::pos());
     c->move(geom.topLeft());
     c->keepInArea(area);   // make sure it's kept inside workarea
 }
 
-void Placement::placeOnMainWindow(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy nextPlacement)
+void Placement::placeOnMainWindow(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy nextPlacement)
 {
     if (nextPlacement == Unknown)
         nextPlacement = Centered;
     if (nextPlacement == Maximizing)   // maximize if needed
         placeMaximizing(c, area, NoPlacement);
-    area = checkArea(c, area);
     auto mainwindows = c->mainClients();
     AbstractClient* place_on = nullptr;
     AbstractClient* place_on2 = nullptr;
@@ -584,11 +582,11 @@
     geom.moveCenter(place_on->geometry().center());
     c->move(geom.topLeft());
     // get area again, because the mainwindow may be on different xinerama screen
-    area = checkArea(c, QRect());
-    c->keepInArea(area);   // make sure it's kept inside workarea
+    const QRect placementArea = checkArea(c, QRect());
+    c->keepInArea(placementArea);   // make sure it's kept inside workarea
 }
 
-void Placement::placeMaximizing(AbstractClient* c, QRect& area, Policy nextPlacement)
+void Placement::placeMaximizing(AbstractClient *c, const QRect &area, Policy nextPlacement)
 {
     if (nextPlacement == Unknown)
         nextPlacement = Smart;
@@ -611,8 +609,7 @@
     Workspace *ws = Workspace::self();
     const int desktop = VirtualDesktopManager::self()->current();
     reinitCascading(desktop);
-    // TODO: make area const once placeFoo methods are fixed to take a const QRect&
-    QRect area = ws->clientArea(PlacementArea, QPoint(0, 0), desktop);
+    const QRect area = ws->clientArea(PlacementArea, QPoint(0, 0), desktop);
     foreach (Toplevel *toplevel, ws->stackingOrder()) {
         auto client = qobject_cast<AbstractClient*>(toplevel);
         if (!client ||
diff --git a/shell_client.h b/shell_client.h
--- a/shell_client.h
+++ b/shell_client.h
@@ -148,8 +148,7 @@
 
     void killWindow() override;
 
-    // TODO: const-ref
-    void placeIn(QRect &area);
+    void placeIn(const QRect &area);
 
     bool hasPopupGrab() const override;
     void popupDone() override;
diff --git a/shell_client.cpp b/shell_client.cpp
--- a/shell_client.cpp
+++ b/shell_client.cpp
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@
     }
 
     if (needsPlacement) {
-        QRect area = workspace()->clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), desktop());
+        const QRect area = workspace()->clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), desktop());
         placeIn(area);
     }
 
@@ -1885,7 +1885,7 @@
     Toplevel::finishCompositing(releaseReason);
 }
 
-void ShellClient::placeIn(QRect &area)
+void ShellClient::placeIn(const QRect &area)
 {
     Placement::self()->place(this, area);
     setGeometryRestore(geometry());
diff --git a/workspace.cpp b/workspace.cpp
--- a/workspace.cpp
+++ b/workspace.cpp
@@ -294,7 +294,7 @@
                 c->updateDecoration(false);
                 updateClientLayer(c);
                 if (!c->isInternal()) {
-                    QRect area = clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), c->desktop());
+                    const QRect area = clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), c->desktop());
                     bool placementDone = false;
                     if (c->isInitialPositionSet()) {
                         placementDone = true;
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@
                         updateClientLayer(c);
                         // TODO: when else should we send the client through placement?
                         if (c->hasTransientPlacementHint()) {
-                            QRect area = clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), c->desktop());
+                            const QRect area = clientArea(PlacementArea, Screens::self()->current(), c->desktop());
                             c->placeIn(area);
                         }
                         markXStackingOrderAsDirty();