--- ./src/screen.h
+++ ./src/screen.h
@@ -201,6 +201,7 @@ struct _ScreenInfo
 #endif /* HAVE_RANDR */
 
 #endif /* HAVE_COMPOSITOR */
+    Window last_raise_sibling;
 };
 
 gboolean                 myScreenCheckWMAtom                    (ScreenInfo *,
--- ./src/stacking.c
+++ ./src/stacking.c
@@ -43,13 +43,13 @@
 static guint raise_timeout = 0;
 
 void
-clientApplyStackList (ScreenInfo *screen_info)
+clientApplyStackList (ScreenInfo *screen_info, Client *client, StackingAction action )
 {
     Window *xwinstack;
     guint nwindows;
     gint i;
 
-    DBG ("applying stack list");
+    DBG ("applying stack list, action=%s on window 0x%lx", (action==Raise)? "Raise" : ((action==Lower)? "Lower" : "Restack"), client->window );
     nwindows = g_list_length (screen_info->windows_stack);
 
     i = 0;
@@ -68,11 +68,48 @@ clientApplyStackList (ScreenInfo *screen
         {
             c = (Client *) list->data;
             xwinstack[i++] = c->frame;
-            DBG ("  [%i] \"%s\" (0x%lx)", i, c->name, c->window);
+            if ( !((action==Raise || action==Lower) && c->window!=client->window) )
+            {
+                DBG ("  [%i] \"%s\" (0x%lx)", i, c->name, c->window);
+            }
         }
     }
 
-    XRestackWindows (myScreenGetXDisplay (screen_info), xwinstack, (int) nwindows + 4);
+    switch (action)
+    {
+        case Restack:
+        default:
+            // Restack the windows. This is the preferred action if the lowering/raising has to be done with respect to
+            // a sibling window.
+            XRestackWindows (myScreenGetXDisplay (screen_info), xwinstack, (int) nwindows + 4);
+            break;
+        case Raise:
+            // Raise the windows inconditionally, working backwards (xwinstack[n-1] .. xwinstack[0]) as RestackWindows would do too.
+            // This is the preferred action when raising a window on Mac OS X or MS Windows when the X server does not
+            // manage all windows on the screen. Using Restack, the window would remain behind non X windows if it was
+            // not already in front of them.
+            for (i = nwindows ; i >= 0 ; --i)
+            {
+                if (xwinstack[i] == client->frame || i <= 3)
+                {
+                    XRaiseWindow (myScreenGetXDisplay (screen_info), xwinstack[i]);
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+        case Lower:
+            // Lower the windows inconditionally, (xwinstack[0] .. xwinstack[n-1]).
+            // This is the preferred action when lowering a window on Mac OS X or MS Windows when the X server does not
+            // manage all windows on the screen. Using Restack, the window would remain in front of non X windows if it was
+            // not already behind them.
+            for (i = 0 ; i < nwindows ; ++i)
+            {
+                if (xwinstack[i] == client->frame || i <= 3)
+                {
+                    XLowerWindow (myScreenGetXDisplay (screen_info), xwinstack[i]);
+                }
+            }
+            break;
+    }
 
     g_free (xwinstack);
 }
@@ -297,9 +334,9 @@ clientRaise (Client * c, Window wsibling
     transients = NULL;
     sibling = NULL;
 
-    if (c == screen_info->last_raise)
+    if (c == screen_info->last_raise && (wsibling && wsibling == screen_info->last_raise_sibling))
     {
-        TRACE ("client \"%s\" (0x%lx) already raised", c->name, c->window);
+        TRACE ("client \"%s\" (0x%lx) already raised w.r.t. sibling %lx", c->name, c->window, wsibling);
         return;
     }
     TRACE ("raising client \"%s\" (0x%lx) over (0x%lx)", c->name, c->window, wsibling);
@@ -429,10 +466,12 @@ clientRaise (Client * c, Window wsibling
         }
         /* Now, screen_info->windows_stack contains the correct window stack
            We still need to tell the X Server to reflect the changes
+           This is done using XRestackWindows when we're restacking w.r.t. wsibling, and using XRaiseWindow otherwise.
          */
-        clientApplyStackList (screen_info);
+        clientApplyStackList (screen_info, c, (wsibling)? Restack : Raise);
         clientSetNetClientList (c->screen_info, display_info->atoms[NET_CLIENT_LIST_STACKING], screen_info->windows_stack);
         screen_info->last_raise = c;
+        screen_info->last_raise_sibling = wsibling;
     }
 }
 
@@ -518,13 +557,15 @@ clientLower (Client * c, Window wsibling
         }
         /* Now, screen_info->windows_stack contains the correct window stack
            We still need to tell the X Server to reflect the changes
+           This is done using XRestackWindows when we're restacking w.r.t. wsibling, and using XLowerWindow otherwise.
          */
-        clientApplyStackList (screen_info);
+        clientApplyStackList (screen_info, c, (wsibling)? Restack : Lower);
         clientSetNetClientList (screen_info, display_info->atoms[NET_CLIENT_LIST_STACKING], screen_info->windows_stack);
         clientPassFocus (screen_info, c, NULL);
         if (screen_info->last_raise == c)
         {
             screen_info->last_raise = NULL;
+            screen_info->last_raise_sibling = 0;
         }
     }
 }
--- ./src/stacking.h
+++ ./src/stacking.h
@@ -31,7 +31,9 @@
 #include "screen.h"
 #include "client.h"
 
-void                     clientApplyStackList                   (ScreenInfo *);
+typedef enum StackingAction {Restack, Raise, Lower} StackingAction;
+
+void                     clientApplyStackList                   (ScreenInfo *, Client *, StackingAction);
 Client                  *clientGetLowestTransient               (Client *);
 Client                  *clientGetHighestTransientOrModalFor    (Client *);
 gboolean                 clientIsTopMost                        (Client *);