diff --git a/crates/gpui2/src/app/async_context.rs b/crates/gpui2/src/app/async_context.rs
index 6802b5c1e1..06da000ca6 100644
--- a/crates/gpui2/src/app/async_context.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui2/src/app/async_context.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use crate::{
-    AnyWindowHandle, AppContext, Context, Executor, MainThread, Model, ModelContext, Render,
-    Result, Task, View, ViewContext, VisualContext, WindowContext, WindowHandle,
+    AnyView, AnyWindowHandle, AppContext, Context, Executor, MainThread, Model, ModelContext,
+    Render, Result, Task, View, ViewContext, VisualContext, WindowContext, WindowHandle,
 };
 use anyhow::Context as _;
 use derive_more::{Deref, DerefMut};
@@ -293,6 +293,10 @@ impl Context for AsyncWindowContext {
 impl VisualContext for AsyncWindowContext {
     type ViewContext<'a, V: 'static> = ViewContext<'a, V>;
 
+    fn root_view(&self) -> Result<AnyView> {
+        self.app.update_window(self.window, |cx| cx.root_view())
+    }
+
     fn build_view<V>(
         &mut self,
         build_view_state: impl FnOnce(&mut Self::ViewContext<'_, V>) -> V,
diff --git a/crates/gpui2/src/gpui2.rs b/crates/gpui2/src/gpui2.rs
index 5e5ac119d8..74cfed1959 100644
--- a/crates/gpui2/src/gpui2.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui2/src/gpui2.rs
@@ -215,6 +215,10 @@ impl<C: Context> Context for MainThread<C> {
 impl<C: VisualContext> VisualContext for MainThread<C> {
     type ViewContext<'a, V: 'static> = MainThread<C::ViewContext<'a, V>>;
 
+    fn root_view(&self) -> AnyView {
+        self.0.root_view()
+    }
+
     fn build_view<V>(
         &mut self,
         build_view_state: impl FnOnce(&mut Self::ViewContext<'_, V>) -> V,
diff --git a/crates/gpui2/src/window.rs b/crates/gpui2/src/window.rs
index 1df49899ca..e6046e14cf 100644
--- a/crates/gpui2/src/window.rs
+++ b/crates/gpui2/src/window.rs
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 use crate::{
     px, size, Action, AnyBox, AnyDrag, AnyView, AppContext, AsyncWindowContext, AvailableSpace,
     Bounds, BoxShadow, Context, Corners, DevicePixels, DispatchContext, DisplayId, Edges, Effect,
-    Entity, EntityId, EventEmitter, FileDropEvent, FocusEvent, FontId, GlobalElementId, GlyphId,
-    Hsla, ImageData, InputEvent, IsZero, KeyListener, KeyMatch, KeyMatcher, Keystroke, LayoutId,
-    MainThread, MainThreadOnly, Model, ModelContext, Modifiers, MonochromeSprite, MouseButton,
-    MouseDownEvent, MouseMoveEvent, MouseUpEvent, Path, Pixels, PlatformAtlas, PlatformWindow,
-    Point, PolychromeSprite, Quad, Render, RenderGlyphParams, RenderImageParams, RenderSvgParams,
-    ScaledPixels, SceneBuilder, Shadow, SharedString, Size, Style, Subscription, TaffyLayoutEngine,
-    Task, Underline, UnderlineStyle, View, VisualContext, WeakView, WindowOptions,
-    SUBPIXEL_VARIANTS,
+    Entity, EntityId, EventEmitter, FileDropEvent, Flatten, FocusEvent, FontId, GlobalElementId,
+    GlyphId, Hsla, ImageData, InputEvent, IsZero, KeyListener, KeyMatch, KeyMatcher, Keystroke,
+    LayoutId, MainThread, MainThreadOnly, Model, ModelContext, Modifiers, MonochromeSprite,
+    MouseButton, MouseDownEvent, MouseMoveEvent, MouseUpEvent, Path, Pixels, PlatformAtlas,
+    PlatformWindow, Point, PolychromeSprite, Quad, Render, RenderGlyphParams, RenderImageParams,
+    RenderSvgParams, ScaledPixels, SceneBuilder, Shadow, SharedString, Size, Style, Subscription,
+    TaffyLayoutEngine, Task, Underline, UnderlineStyle, View, VisualContext, WeakView,
+    WindowOptions, SUBPIXEL_VARIANTS,
 };
 use anyhow::Result;
 use collections::HashMap;
@@ -316,8 +316,6 @@ impl<'a> WindowContext<'a> {
         Self { app, window }
     }
 
-    // fn replace_root(&mut )
-
     /// Obtain a handle to the window that belongs to this context.
     pub fn window_handle(&self) -> AnyWindowHandle {
         self.window.handle
@@ -1312,6 +1310,13 @@ impl Context for WindowContext<'_> {
 impl VisualContext for WindowContext<'_> {
     type ViewContext<'a, V: 'static> = ViewContext<'a, V>;
 
+    fn root_view(&self) -> Self::Result<AnyView> {
+        self.window
+            .root_view
+            .clone()
+            .expect("we only take the root_view value when we draw")
+    }
+
     fn build_view<V>(
         &mut self,
         build_view_state: impl FnOnce(&mut Self::ViewContext<'_, V>) -> V,
@@ -1966,6 +1971,10 @@ impl<V> Context for ViewContext<'_, V> {
 impl<V: 'static> VisualContext for ViewContext<'_, V> {
     type ViewContext<'a, W: 'static> = ViewContext<'a, W>;
 
+    fn root_view(&self) -> Self::Result<AnyView> {
+        self.window_cx.root_view()
+    }
+
     fn build_view<W: 'static + Send>(
         &mut self,
         build_view: impl FnOnce(&mut Self::ViewContext<'_, W>) -> W,
@@ -2034,20 +2043,20 @@ impl<V: 'static + Render> WindowHandle<V> {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn update_root<R>(
+    pub fn update_root<C, R>(
         &self,
-        cx: &mut AppContext,
+        cx: &mut C,
         update: impl FnOnce(&mut V, &mut ViewContext<V>) -> R,
-    ) -> Result<R> {
+    ) -> Result<R>
+    where
+        C: Context,
+    {
         cx.update_window(self.any_handle, |cx| {
-            let root_view = cx
-                .window
-                .root_view
-                .clone()
-                .unwrap()
-                .downcast::<V>()
-                .unwrap();
-            root_view.update(cx, update)
+            let x = Ok(cx.root_view()).flatten();
+
+            // let root_view = x.unwrap().downcast::<V>().unwrap();
+            // root_view.update(cx, update)
+            todo!()
         })
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/workspace2/src/workspace2.rs b/crates/workspace2/src/workspace2.rs
index 08cfbc1ee5..e2413c819c 100644
--- a/crates/workspace2/src/workspace2.rs
+++ b/crates/workspace2/src/workspace2.rs
@@ -887,11 +887,9 @@ impl Workspace {
             .await
             .log_err();
 
-            cx.update_global(|_, cx| {
-                window.update_root(&mut cx, |_, cx| {
-                    // todo!()
-                    // cx.activate_window()
-                });
+            window.update_root(&mut cx, |_, cx| {
+                // todo!()
+                // cx.activate_window()
             });
 
             let workspace = workspace.downgrade();