diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 21bc8198b91..94087c3c202 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ $ pipx install --suffix=@next 'tmuxp' --pip-args '\--pre' --force
 
 - _Insert changes/features/fixes for next release here_
 
+## tmuxp 1.13.1 (unreleased)
+
+### Bug fixes
+
+- Fix layout related issues from {issue}`667`, {issue}`704`, {issue}`737`, via
+  {issue}`793`. Thank you @nvasilas.
+
 ## tmuxp 1.13.0 (2022-08-14)
 
 ### Internal
diff --git a/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py b/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
index e30a9168bc0..048dd7e5c7b 100644
--- a/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
+++ b/tests/test_workspacebuilder.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 import libtmux
 from libtmux import Window
-from libtmux.common import has_gte_version
+from libtmux.common import has_gte_version, has_lt_version
 from libtmux.test import retry_until, temp_session
 from tmuxp import config, exc
 from tmuxp.cli.load import load_plugins
@@ -1183,3 +1183,37 @@ def f():
 
         # handle case with OS X adding /private/ to /tmp/ paths
         assert retry_until(f)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.skipif(
+    has_lt_version("2.9"), reason="needs option introduced in tmux >= 2.9"
+)
+def test_layout_main_horizontal(session):
+    yaml_config = test_utils.read_config_file("workspacebuilder/three_pane.yaml")
+
+    sconfig = kaptan.Kaptan(handler="yaml")
+    sconfig = sconfig.import_config(yaml_config).get()
+
+    builder = WorkspaceBuilder(sconf=sconfig)
+    builder.build(session=session)
+
+    assert session.windows
+    window = session.windows[0]
+
+    assert len(window.panes) == 3
+    main_horizontal_pane, *panes = window.panes
+
+    def height(p):
+        return int(p._info["pane_height"])
+
+    def width(p):
+        return int(p._info["pane_width"])
+
+    assert height(main_horizontal_pane) > height(panes[0])
+    assert width(main_horizontal_pane) > width(panes[0])
+
+    def is_almost_equal(x, y):
+        return abs(x - y) <= 1
+
+    assert is_almost_equal(height(panes[0]), height(panes[1]))
+    assert is_almost_equal(width(panes[0]), width(panes[1]))
diff --git a/tmuxp/workspacebuilder.py b/tmuxp/workspacebuilder.py
index 5ea9fc92abf..b21f0dc8a2c 100644
--- a/tmuxp/workspacebuilder.py
+++ b/tmuxp/workspacebuilder.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 from libtmux.server import Server
 from libtmux.session import Session
 from libtmux.window import Window
+from libtmux.common import has_gte_version
 
 from . import exc
 from .util import get_current_pane, run_before_script
@@ -217,6 +218,10 @@ def build(self, session=None, append=False):
             assert self.sconf["session_name"] == session.name
             assert len(self.sconf["session_name"]) > 0
 
+        if has_gte_version("2.9"):
+            # Use tmux default session size, overwrite Server::new_session
+            session.set_option("default-size", "80x24")
+
         self.session = session
         self.server = session.server
 
@@ -264,9 +269,6 @@ def build(self, session=None, append=False):
                 assert isinstance(p, Pane)
                 p = p
 
-                if "layout" in wconf:
-                    w.select_layout(wconf["layout"])
-
                 if "focus" in pconf and pconf["focus"]:
                     focus_pane = p
 
@@ -281,6 +283,8 @@ def build(self, session=None, append=False):
             if focus_pane:
                 focus_pane.select_pane()
 
+            w.select_layout(wconf.get("layout", "even-vertical"))
+
         if focus:
             focus.select_window()
 
@@ -421,8 +425,6 @@ def get_pane_shell():
                 )
 
             assert isinstance(p, Pane)
-            if "layout" in wconf:
-                w.select_layout(wconf["layout"])
 
             if "suppress_history" in pconf:
                 suppress = pconf["suppress_history"]