diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/AudioEffects.m b/modules/gui/macosx/AudioEffects.m
index f737de06e9..745d6dfa31 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/AudioEffects.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/AudioEffects.m
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ static VLCAudioEffects *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
     if ([o_window isKeyWindow])
         [o_window orderOut:sender];
     else {
-        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel]];
+        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel]];
         [o_window makeKeyAndOrderFront:sender];
     }
 }
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/MainMenu.m b/modules/gui/macosx/MainMenu.m
index 9faa83fafb..5f84d1712d 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/MainMenu.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/MainMenu.m
@@ -1160,7 +1160,7 @@ static VLCMainMenu *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
 
 - (IBAction)viewPreferences:(id)sender
 {
-    NSInteger i_level = [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel];
+    NSInteger i_level = [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel];
     [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] simplePreferences] showSimplePrefsWithLevel:i_level];
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/TrackSynchronization.m b/modules/gui/macosx/TrackSynchronization.m
index f65e5ce7a9..d2deecdcf8 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/TrackSynchronization.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/TrackSynchronization.m
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ static VLCTrackSynchronization *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
     if ([o_window isVisible])
         [o_window orderOut:sender];
     else {
-        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel]];
+        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel]];
         [o_window makeKeyAndOrderFront:sender];
     }
 }
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.h b/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.h
index c555b73e78..c6a61dd32e 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.h
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.h
@@ -38,11 +38,13 @@
     // save the status level if at least one video window is on status level
     NSUInteger i_statusLevelWindowCounter;
     NSInteger i_currentWindowLevel;
+    NSInteger i_currentFloatingWindowLevel;
 
     BOOL b_mainwindow_has_video;
 }
 
-@property (readonly, nonatomic) NSInteger currentWindowLevel;
+@property (readonly, nonatomic) NSInteger currentStatusWindowLevel;
+
 
 - (VLCVoutView *)setupVoutForWindow:(vout_window_t *)p_wnd withProposedVideoViewPosition:(NSRect)videoViewPosition;
 - (void)removeVoutforDisplay:(NSValue *)o_key;
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.m b/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.m
index 305b6ebf40..99b2192dde 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/VLCVoutWindowController.m
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     self = [super init];
     o_vout_dict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc] init];
     i_currentWindowLevel = NSNormalWindowLevel;
+    i_currentFloatingWindowLevel = NSFloatingWindowLevel;
     return self;
 }
 
@@ -397,15 +398,21 @@
         return;
 
     i_currentWindowLevel = i_level;
+    if (i_level == NSNormalWindowLevel) {
+        i_currentFloatingWindowLevel = NSFloatingWindowLevel;
+    } else {
+        i_currentFloatingWindowLevel = i_level + 1;
+    }
 
     [[VLCMainWindow sharedInstance] setWindowLevel:i_level];
-    [[VLCVideoEffects sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_level];
-    [[VLCAudioEffects sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_level];
-    [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] info] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_level];
-    [[VLCBookmarks sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_level];
-    [[VLCTrackSynchronization sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_level];
+
+    [[VLCVideoEffects sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_currentFloatingWindowLevel];
+    [[VLCAudioEffects sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_currentFloatingWindowLevel];
+    [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] info] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_currentFloatingWindowLevel];
+    [[VLCBookmarks sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_currentFloatingWindowLevel];
+    [[VLCTrackSynchronization sharedInstance] updateCocoaWindowLevel:i_currentFloatingWindowLevel];
 }
 
-@synthesize currentWindowLevel=i_currentWindowLevel;
+@synthesize currentStatusWindowLevel=i_currentFloatingWindowLevel;
 
 @end
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/VideoEffects.m b/modules/gui/macosx/VideoEffects.m
index fe1a2462d3..050ef98a76 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/VideoEffects.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/VideoEffects.m
@@ -572,7 +572,7 @@ static VLCVideoEffects *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
     if ([o_window isKeyWindow])
         [o_window orderOut:sender];
     else {
-        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel]];
+        [o_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel]];
         [o_window makeKeyAndOrderFront:sender];
     }
 }
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/bookmarks.m b/modules/gui/macosx/bookmarks.m
index b59343402a..a322cdda2c 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/bookmarks.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/bookmarks.m
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ static VLCBookmarks *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
 {
     /* show the window, called from intf.m */
     [o_bookmarks_window displayIfNeeded];
-    [o_bookmarks_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel]];
+    [o_bookmarks_window setLevel: [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel]];
     [o_bookmarks_window makeKeyAndOrderFront:nil];
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/gui/macosx/playlistinfo.m b/modules/gui/macosx/playlistinfo.m
index 40bb85f8dd..0e2cd2fbef 100644
--- a/modules/gui/macosx/playlistinfo.m
+++ b/modules/gui/macosx/playlistinfo.m
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ static VLCInfo *_o_sharedInstance = nil;
     else
         [self initMediaPanelStats];
 
-    NSInteger i_level = [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentWindowLevel];
+    NSInteger i_level = [[[VLCMain sharedInstance] voutController] currentStatusWindowLevel];
     [o_info_window setLevel: i_level];
     [o_info_window makeKeyAndOrderFront: self];
 }