diff --git a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
index 6ba2c169ab..800db71fdb 100644
--- a/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
+++ b/src/video/cocoa/SDL_cocoawindow.m
@@ -905,6 +905,11 @@ static NSCursor *Cocoa_GetDesiredCursor(void)
     pendingWindowOperation &= ~operation;
 }
 
+- (void)clearAllPendingWindowOperations
+{
+    pendingWindowOperation = PENDING_OPERATION_NONE;
+}
+
 - (void)addPendingWindowOperation:(PendingWindowOperation)operation
 {
     pendingWindowOperation |= operation;
@@ -1352,21 +1357,14 @@ static NSCursor *Cocoa_GetDesiredCursor(void)
     inFullscreenTransition = YES;
 }
 
+/* This is usually sent after an unexpected windowDidExitFullscreen if the window
+ * failed to become fullscreen.
+ *
+ * Since something went wrong and the current state is unknown, dump any pending events.
+ */
 - (void)windowDidFailToEnterFullScreen:(NSNotification *)aNotification
 {
-    SDL_Window *window = _data.window;
-
-    if (window->is_destroying) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    SetWindowStyle(window, GetWindowStyle(window));
-
-    [self clearPendingWindowOperation:PENDING_OPERATION_ENTER_FULLSCREEN];
-    isFullscreenSpace = NO;
-    inFullscreenTransition = NO;
-
-    [self windowDidExitFullScreen:nil];
+    [self clearAllPendingWindowOperations];
 }
 
 - (void)windowDidEnterFullScreen:(NSNotification *)aNotification
@@ -1374,6 +1372,7 @@ static NSCursor *Cocoa_GetDesiredCursor(void)
     SDL_Window *window = _data.window;
 
     inFullscreenTransition = NO;
+    isFullscreenSpace = YES;
     [self clearPendingWindowOperation:PENDING_OPERATION_ENTER_FULLSCREEN];
 
     if ([self windowOperationIsPending:PENDING_OPERATION_LEAVE_FULLSCREEN]) {
@@ -1424,26 +1423,14 @@ static NSCursor *Cocoa_GetDesiredCursor(void)
     inFullscreenTransition = YES;
 }
 
+/* This may be sent before windowDidExitFullscreen to signal that the window was
+ * dumped out of fullscreen with no animation.
+ *
+ * Since something went wrong and the state is unknown, dump any pending events.
+ */
 - (void)windowDidFailToExitFullScreen:(NSNotification *)aNotification
 {
-    SDL_Window *window = _data.window;
-    const NSUInteger flags = NSWindowStyleMaskClosable | NSWindowStyleMaskMiniaturizable | NSWindowStyleMaskResizable;
-
-    if (window->is_destroying) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    _data.pending_position = NO;
-    _data.pending_size = NO;
-    window->last_position_pending = false;
-    window->last_size_pending = false;
-
-    SetWindowStyle(window, flags);
-
-    isFullscreenSpace = YES;
-    inFullscreenTransition = NO;
-
-    [self windowDidEnterFullScreen:nil];
+    [self clearAllPendingWindowOperations];
 }
 
 - (void)windowDidExitFullScreen:(NSNotification *)aNotification
@@ -1452,16 +1439,24 @@ static NSCursor *Cocoa_GetDesiredCursor(void)
     NSWindow *nswindow = _data.nswindow;
 
     inFullscreenTransition = NO;
+    isFullscreenSpace = NO;
     _data.fullscreen_space_requested = NO;
 
     /* As of macOS 10.15, the window decorations can go missing sometimes after
-       certain fullscreen-desktop->exlusive-fullscreen->windowed mode flows
+       certain fullscreen-desktop->exclusive-fullscreen->windowed mode flows
        sometimes. Making sure the style mask always uses the windowed mode style
        when returning to windowed mode from a space (instead of using a pending
        fullscreen mode style mask) seems to work around that issue.
      */
     SetWindowStyle(window, GetWindowWindowedStyle(window));
 
+    /* This can happen if the window failed to enter fullscreen, as this
+     * may be called *before* windowDidFailToEnterFullScreen in that case.
+     */
+    if (!(window->flags & SDL_WINDOW_FULLSCREEN)) {
+        [self clearAllPendingWindowOperations];
+    }
+
     /* Don't recurse back into UpdateFullscreenMode() if this was hit in
      * a blocking transition, as the caller is already waiting in
      * UpdateFullscreenMode().