diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream.js
index d936879e9..7250b86f3 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream.js
@@ -1,35 +1,24 @@
 import pym from 'coral-framework/services/pym';
 import * as actions from '../constants/stream';
+import {buildUrl} from 'coral-framework/utils';
+import queryString from 'query-string';
 
 export const setActiveReplyBox = (id) => ({type: actions.SET_ACTIVE_REPLY_BOX, id});
 
-function removeParam(key, sourceURL) {
-  let rtn = sourceURL.split('?')[0];
-  let param;
-  let params_arr = [];
-  let queryString = (sourceURL.indexOf('?') !== -1) ? sourceURL.split('?')[1] : '';
-  if (queryString !== '') {
-    params_arr = queryString.split('&');
-    for (let i = params_arr.length - 1; i >= 0; i -= 1) {
-      param = params_arr[i].split('=')[0];
-      if (param === key) {
-        params_arr.splice(i, 1);
-      }
-    }
-    rtn = `${rtn}?${params_arr.join('&')}`;
-  }
-  return rtn;
-}
-
 export const viewAllComments = () => {
 
+  const search = queryString.stringify({
+    ...queryString.parse(location.search),
+    comment_id: undefined,
+  });
+
   // remove the comment_id url param
-  const modifiedUrl = removeParam('comment_id', location.href);
+  const url = buildUrl({...location, search});
 
   try {
 
     // "window" here refers to the embedded iframe
-    window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, modifiedUrl);
+    window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, url);
 
     // also change the parent url
     pym.sendMessage('coral-view-all-comments');
@@ -38,6 +27,28 @@ export const viewAllComments = () => {
   return {type: actions.VIEW_ALL_COMMENTS};
 };
 
+export const viewComment = (id) => {
+
+  const search = queryString.stringify({
+    ...queryString.parse(location.search),
+    comment_id: id,
+  });
+
+  // remove the comment_id url param
+  const url = buildUrl({...location, search});
+
+  try {
+
+    // "window" here refers to the embedded iframe
+    window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, url);
+
+    // also change the parent url
+    pym.sendMessage('coral-view-comment', id);
+  } catch (e) { /* not sure if we're worried about old browsers */ }
+
+  return {type: actions.VIEW_COMMENT, id};
+};
+
 export const addCommentClassName = (className) => ({
   type: actions.ADD_COMMENT_CLASSNAME,
   className
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/constants/stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/constants/stream.js
index 622a86c18..7ac9427cf 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/constants/stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/constants/stream.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export const SET_ACTIVE_REPLY_BOX = 'SET_ACTIVE_REPLY_BOX';
 export const ADDTL_COMMENTS_ON_LOAD_MORE = 10;
 export const VIEW_ALL_COMMENTS = 'VIEW_ALL_COMMENTS';
+export const VIEW_COMMENT = 'VIEW_COMMENT';
 export const ADD_COMMENT_CLASSNAME = 'ADD_COMMENT_CLASSNAME';
 export const REMOVE_COMMENT_CLASSNAME = 'REMOVE_COMMENT_CLASSNAME';
 export const THREADING_LEVEL = process.env.TALK_THREADING_LEVEL;
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/stream.js
index 4f4fcf47f..2bb8cf0d3 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/stream.js
@@ -17,9 +17,9 @@ function getQueryVariable(variable) {
 
 const initialState = {
   activeReplyBox: '',
-  assetId: getQueryVariable('asset_id'),
-  assetUrl: getQueryVariable('asset_url'),
-  commentId: getQueryVariable('comment_id'),
+  assetId: getQueryVariable('asset_id') || '',
+  assetUrl: getQueryVariable('asset_url') || '',
+  commentId: getQueryVariable('comment_id') || '',
   commentClassNames: [],
   activeTab: 'all',
   previousTab: '',
@@ -48,6 +48,11 @@ export default function stream(state = initialState, action) {
       ...state,
       commentId: '',
     };
+  case actions.VIEW_COMMENT:
+    return {
+      ...state,
+      commentId: action.id,
+    };
   case actions.ADD_COMMENT_CLASSNAME :
     return {
       ...state,
diff --git a/client/coral-embed/src/index.js b/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
index 702308c3a..eb61f3b90 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed/src/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import pym from 'pym.js';
 import URLSearchParams from 'url-search-params';
 
-import {stringify} from 'querystring';
+import {buildUrl} from 'coral-framework/utils';
+import queryString from 'query-string';
 
 // TODO: Styles should live in a separate file
 const snackbarStyles = {
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ function buildStreamIframeUrl(talkBaseUrl, query) {
     'embed/stream?'
   ].join('');
 
-  url += stringify(query);
+  url += queryString.stringify(query);
 
   return url;
 }
@@ -98,10 +99,37 @@ function configurePymParent(pymParent, opts) {
 
   // remove the permalink comment id from the hash
   pymParent.onMessage('coral-view-all-comments', function() {
+
+    const search = queryString.stringify({
+      ...queryString.parse(location.search),
+      commentId: undefined,
+    });
+
+    // remove the commentId url param
+    const url = buildUrl({...location, search});
+
     window.history.replaceState(
       {},
       document.title,
-      location.origin + location.pathname + location.search
+      url,
+    );
+  });
+
+  // remove the permalink comment id from the hash
+  pymParent.onMessage('coral-view-comment', function(id) {
+
+    const search = queryString.stringify({
+      ...queryString.parse(location.search),
+      commentId: id,
+    });
+
+    // remove the commentId url param
+    const url = buildUrl({...location, search});
+
+    window.history.replaceState(
+      {},
+      document.title,
+      url,
     );
   });
 
@@ -193,12 +221,18 @@ Talk.render = function(el, opts) {
 
   let urlParams = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
 
-  query.comment_id = urlParams.get('commentId');
+  if (urlParams.get('commentId')) {
+    query.comment_id = urlParams.get('commentId');
+  }
 
-  query.asset_id = opts.asset_id;
+  if (opts.asset_id) {
+    query.asset_id = opts.asset_id;
+  }
 
-  query.asset_url = opts.asset_url;
-  if (!query.asset_url) {
+  if (opts.asset_url) {
+    query.asset_url = opts.asset_url;
+  }
+  else {
     try {
       query.asset_url = document.querySelector('link[rel="canonical"]').href;
     } catch (e) {
diff --git a/client/coral-framework/utils/index.js b/client/coral-framework/utils/index.js
index 0917b73ba..974be9502 100644
--- a/client/coral-framework/utils/index.js
+++ b/client/coral-framework/utils/index.js
@@ -167,3 +167,12 @@ export function insertCommentsSorted(nodes, comments, sortOrder = 'CHRONOLOGICAL
 }
 
 export const isTagged = (tags, which) => tags.some((t) => t.tag.name === which);
+
+export function buildUrl({protocol, hostname, port, pathname, search, hash} = window.location) {
+  if (search && search[0] !== '?') {
+    search = `?${search}`;
+  } else if (search === '?') {
+    search = '';
+  }
+  return `${protocol}//${hostname}${port ? `:${port}` : ''}${pathname}${search}${hash}`;
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 76b0c299a..ee41de42d 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@
     "passport-jwt": "^2.2.1",
     "passport-local": "^1.0.0",
     "prop-types": "^15.5.10",
+    "query-strings": "^0.0.1",
     "react-apollo": "^1.1.0",
     "react-input-autosize": "^1.1.4",
     "react-recaptcha": "^2.2.6",
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/FeaturedComment.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/FeaturedComment.js
index 61fc9810e..f28d01b6d 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/FeaturedComment.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/FeaturedComment.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import {timeago} from 'coral-framework/services/i18n';
 import {Slot} from 'plugin-api/beta/client/components';
 import {Icon} from 'plugin-api/beta/client/components/ui';
 
-const FeaturedComment = ({comment, asset, setActiveTab}) => {
+const FeaturedComment = ({comment, asset, viewComment}) => {
   return (
     <div className={cn(styles.featuredComment, `${name}__featured-comment`)}>
 
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const FeaturedComment = ({comment, asset, setActiveTab}) => {
         </div>
         <div className={cn(styles.actionsContainer, `${name}__featured-comment__actions`)}>
           <a className={cn(styles.goTo, `${name}__featured-comment__go-to`)}
-            onClick={() => setActiveTab('all')} >
+            onClick={() => viewComment(comment.id)} >
             <Icon name="forum" className={styles.repliesIcon} /> {comment.replyCount} |
             Go to conversation<Icon name="keyboard_arrow_right" className={styles.goToIcon} />
           </a>
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/TabPane.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/TabPane.js
index 04c52c0cc..f4c7d2bd9 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/TabPane.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/components/TabPane.js
@@ -1,14 +1,14 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import FeaturedComment from './FeaturedComment';
 
-export default ({asset: {featuredComments, ...asset}, setActiveTab}) => (
+export default ({asset: {featuredComments, ...asset}, viewComment}) => (
   <div>
-    {featuredComments.nodes.map((comment) => 
-      <FeaturedComment 
+    {featuredComments.nodes.map((comment) =>
+      <FeaturedComment
         key={comment.id}
         comment={comment}
         asset={asset}
-        setActiveTab={setActiveTab} />
+        viewComment={viewComment} />
     )}
   </div>
 );
diff --git a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/containers/TabPane.js b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/containers/TabPane.js
index 54d23f82c..f7a794328 100644
--- a/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/containers/TabPane.js
+++ b/plugins/talk-plugin-featured-comments/client/containers/TabPane.js
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@ import {bindActionCreators} from 'redux';
 import {compose, gql} from 'react-apollo';
 import TabPane from '../components/TabPane';
 import {withFragments} from 'plugin-api/beta/client/hocs';
-import {setActiveTab} from 'coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream';
+import {viewComment} from 'coral-embed-stream/src/actions/stream';
 
 const mapDispatchToProps = (dispatch) =>
   bindActionCreators({
-    setActiveTab,
+    viewComment,
   }, dispatch);
 
 const enhance = compose(
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index b2b169db2..710b89fa2 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1560,6 +1560,10 @@ check-types@1.4.0:
   version "1.4.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/check-types/-/check-types-1.4.0.tgz#eed63bbac9ea49a0e26a096314058b03b08dd62b"
 
+check-valid-url@0.0.2:
+  version "0.0.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/check-valid-url/-/check-valid-url-0.0.2.tgz#938fc545fc90b71edf800f7345bfd36f3aa0a057"
+
 cheerio@^0.20.0:
   version "0.20.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/cheerio/-/cheerio-0.20.0.tgz#5c710f2bab95653272842ba01c6ea61b3545ec35"
@@ -4628,10 +4632,6 @@ json-stable-stringify@^1.0.0, json-stable-stringify@^1.0.1:
   dependencies:
     jsonify "~0.0.0"
 
-json-stringify-pretty-compact@^1.0.4:
-  version "1.0.4"
-  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/json-stringify-pretty-compact/-/json-stringify-pretty-compact-1.0.4.tgz#d5161131be27fd9748391360597fcca250c6c5ce"
-
 json-stringify-safe@~5.0.1:
   version "5.0.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/json-stringify-safe/-/json-stringify-safe-5.0.1.tgz#1296a2d58fd45f19a0f6ce01d65701e2c735b6eb"
@@ -6806,6 +6806,12 @@ query-string@^4.1.0, query-string@^4.2.2:
     object-assign "^4.1.0"
     strict-uri-encode "^1.0.0"
 
+query-strings@^0.0.1:
+  version "0.0.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/query-strings/-/query-strings-0.0.1.tgz#d22bab97c9d39e2267b3b8e5f78592424b3e58cd"
+  dependencies:
+    check-valid-url "0.0.2"
+
 querystring-es3@^0.2.0:
   version "0.2.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/querystring-es3/-/querystring-es3-0.2.1.tgz#9ec61f79049875707d69414596fd907a4d711e73"