diff --git a/src/ui/dialog/objects.cpp b/src/ui/dialog/objects.cpp
index 8f5c0f75f1121a065d6cdf26630ec4b81fa47315..66bd06c14b5ba657b71d4e5acc706c82cd0373ad 100644
--- a/src/ui/dialog/objects.cpp
+++ b/src/ui/dialog/objects.cpp
@@ -12,58 +12,36 @@
  * Released under GNU GPL v2+, read the file 'COPYING' for more information.
  */
 
+#include "objects.h"
+
 #include <cmath>
 #include <iomanip>
 #include <string>
-#include <glibmm/i18n.h>
-#include <glibmm/main.h>
-#include <glibmm/ustring.h>
+#include <glibmm.h>
+#include <gtkmm.h>
 #include <pango/pango-utils.h>
-#include <gtkmm/builder.h>
-#include <gtkmm/button.h>
-#include <gtkmm/cellrenderer.h>
-#include <gtkmm/checkbutton.h>
-#include <gtkmm/enums.h>
-#include <gtkmm/icontheme.h>
-#include <gtkmm/imagemenuitem.h>
-#include <gtkmm/modelbutton.h>
-#include <gtkmm/object.h>
-#include <gtkmm/popover.h>
-#include <gtkmm/scale.h>
-#include <gtkmm/searchentry.h>
-#include <gtkmm/separatormenuitem.h>
 
-#include "objects.h"
-#include "actions/actions-tools.h"
-#include "desktop.h"
 #include "desktop-style.h"
-#include "display/drawing-group.h"
-#include "document.h"
+#include "desktop.h"
+#include "display/drawing-item.h"
 #include "document-undo.h"
+#include "document.h"
 #include "filter-chemistry.h"
-#include "include/gtkmm_version.h"
-#include "inkscape.h"
 #include "inkscape-window.h"
 #include "layer-manager.h"
 #include "message-stack.h"
-#include "object/filters/blend.h"
-#include "object/filters/gaussian-blur.h"
 #include "object/sp-clippath.h"
 #include "object/sp-mask.h"
 #include "object/sp-root.h"
-#include "object/sp-shape.h"
 #include "style-enums.h"
 #include "style.h"
 #include "svg/css-ostringstream.h"
 #include "ui/builder-utils.h"
 #include "ui/contextmenu.h"
 #include "ui/controller.h"
-#include "ui/dialog-events.h"
 #include "ui/icon-loader.h"
 #include "ui/icon-names.h"
-#include "ui/selected-color.h"
 #include "ui/shortcuts.h"
-#include "ui/tools/node-tool.h"
 #include "ui/util.h"
 #include "ui/widget/canvas.h"
 #include "ui/widget/filter-effect-chooser.h"
@@ -349,8 +327,6 @@ void ObjectWatcher::updateRowAncestorState(bool invisible, bool locked) {
     }
 }
 
-Gdk::RGBA selection_color;
-
 /**
  * Updates the row's background colour as indicated by its selection.
  */
@@ -364,7 +340,7 @@ void ObjectWatcher::updateRowBg(guint32 rgba)
             return;
         }
 
-        const auto& sel = selection_color;
+        const auto& sel = ObjectsPanel::selection_color;
         const auto gdk_color = change_alpha(sel, sel.get_alpha() * alpha);
         row[panel->_model->_colBgColor] = gdk_color;
     }
@@ -1731,6 +1707,15 @@ bool ObjectsPanel::cleanDummyChildren(Gtk::TreeModel::Row const &row)
     return false;
 }
 
+/** Show current drag destination as invalid and reject it as a drop location,
+ *  removing the highlight. Always returns true. */
+bool ObjectsPanel::_refuseDrag(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &context, guint time)
+{
+    _tree.unset_drag_dest_row();
+    context->drag_refuse(time);
+    return true;
+}
+
 /**
  * Signal handler for "drag-motion"
  *
@@ -1744,29 +1729,20 @@ bool ObjectsPanel::on_drag_motion(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &context,
     auto selection = getSelection();
     auto document = getDocument();
 
-    if (!selection || !document)
-        goto finally;
+    if (!selection || !document) {
+        return _refuseDrag(context, time);
+    }
 
     _tree.get_dest_row_at_pos(x, y, path, pos);
 
     if (path) {
-        auto item = getItem(*_store->get_iter(path));
-
-        // don't drop on self
-        if (selection->includes(item)) {
-            goto finally;
+        if (auto item = getItem(*_store->get_iter(path)); selection->includes(item)) { // don't drop on self
+            return _refuseDrag(context, time);
         }
-
     }
-    // need to cater scenarios where we got no selection/empty bottom space
+    // need to handle scenarios where we hover over the empty space at the bottom
     context->drag_status(Gdk::ACTION_MOVE, time);
     return false;
-
-finally:
-    // remove drop highlight
-    _tree.unset_drag_dest_row();
-    context->drag_refuse(time);
-    return true;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/ui/dialog/objects.h b/src/ui/dialog/objects.h
index c30b50f8691dd46db970efc6c6670db7a073b2bb..3599e6b551a0cd30e819b20625fb36ee997d697e 100644
--- a/src/ui/dialog/objects.h
+++ b/src/ui/dialog/objects.h
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ private:
     bool on_drag_drop(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &, int, int, guint) override;
     void on_drag_start(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &);
     void on_drag_end(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &) override;
+    bool _refuseDrag(const Glib::RefPtr<Gdk::DragContext> &context, guint time);
 
     bool selectCursorItem(unsigned int state);
     SPItem *_getCursorItem(Gtk::TreeViewColumn *column);
@@ -190,6 +191,7 @@ private:
 
     bool _selectionChanged();
     auto_connection _idle_connection;
+    static Gdk::RGBA selection_color;
 };
 
 } //namespace Dialog