diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Embed.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Embed.js
index 12e05eed8..d5399fc60 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Embed.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Embed.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import {compose, gql, graphql} from 'react-apollo';
 import {connect} from 'react-redux';
 import {bindActionCreators} from 'redux';
 import isEqual from 'lodash/isEqual';
+import branch from 'recompose/branch';
+import renderComponent from 'recompose/renderComponent';
 
 import {Spinner} from 'coral-ui';
 import {authActions, assetActions, pym} from 'coral-framework';
@@ -19,7 +21,6 @@ class EmbedContainer extends React.Component {
 
   componentDidMount() {
     pym.sendMessage('childReady');
-    this.props.checkLogin();
   }
 
   componentWillReceiveProps(nextProps) {
@@ -108,6 +109,10 @@ const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch =>
 
 export default compose(
   connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps),
+  branch(
+    props => !props.auth.checkedInitialLogin,
+    renderComponent(Spinner),
+  ),
   withQuery,
 )(EmbedContainer);
 
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
index 4df7fc960..4415f5f94 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/containers/Stream.js
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ class StreamContainer extends React.Component {
   };
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    this.props.data.refetch();
+    if (this.props.previousTab) {
+      this.props.data.refetch();
+    }
     this.countPoll = setInterval(() => {
       const {asset} = this.props.root;
       this.getCounts({
@@ -236,6 +238,7 @@ const mapStateToProps = state => ({
   assetId: state.stream.assetId,
   assetUrl: state.stream.assetUrl,
   activeTab: state.embed.activeTab,
+  previousTab: state.embed.previousTab,
 });
 
 const mapDispatchToProps = dispatch =>
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/index.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/index.js
index f3f6075b6..2fd1e2731 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/index.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/index.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import {render} from 'react-dom';
 import {ApolloProvider} from 'react-apollo';
 
 import {client} from 'coral-framework/services/client';
+import {checkLogin} from 'coral-framework/actions/auth';
 
 import reducers from './reducers';
 import localStore, {injectReducers} from 'coral-framework/services/store';
@@ -12,6 +13,11 @@ injectReducers(reducers);
 
 const store = (window.opener && window.opener.coralStore) ? window.opener.coralStore : localStore;
 
+// Don't run this in the popup.
+if (store === localStore) {
+  store.dispatch(checkLogin());
+}
+
 render(
   <ApolloProvider client={client} store={store}>
     <AppRouter />
diff --git a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/embed.js b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/embed.js
index e7fe5a533..0fd661543 100644
--- a/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/embed.js
+++ b/client/coral-embed-stream/src/reducers/embed.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as actions from '../constants/embed';
 
 const initialState = {
   activeTab: 'stream',
+  previousTab: '',
 };
 
 export default function stream(state = initialState, action) {
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ export default function stream(state = initialState, action) {
     return {
       ...state,
       activeTab: action.tab,
+      previousTab: state.activeTab,
     };
   default:
     return state;
diff --git a/client/coral-framework/reducers/auth.js b/client/coral-framework/reducers/auth.js
index 6e678cab9..83ea49ce5 100644
--- a/client/coral-framework/reducers/auth.js
+++ b/client/coral-framework/reducers/auth.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ const initialState = Map({
   user: null,
   showSignInDialog: false,
   showCreateUsernameDialog: false,
+  checkedInitialLogin: false,
   view: 'SIGNIN',
   error: '',
   passwordRequestSuccess: null,
@@ -71,10 +72,12 @@ export default function auth (state = initialState, action) {
       .set('isLoading', true);
   case actions.CHECK_LOGIN_FAILURE:
     return state
+      .set('checkedInitialLogin', true)
       .set('loggedIn', false)
       .set('user', null);
   case actions.CHECK_LOGIN_SUCCESS:
     return state
+      .set('checkedInitialLogin', true)
       .set('loggedIn', true)
       .set('isAdmin', action.isAdmin)
       .set('user', purge(action.user));
@@ -114,7 +117,11 @@ export default function auth (state = initialState, action) {
       .set('isLoading', false)
       .set('successSignUp', true);
   case actions.LOGOUT_SUCCESS:
-    return initialState;
+    return state
+      .set('user', null)
+      .set('isLoading', false)
+      .set('loggedIn', false)
+      .set('isAdmin', false);
   case actions.INVALID_FORM:
     return state
       .set('error', action.error);
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5fd619639..250c0549f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -96,12 +96,15 @@
     "prop-types": "^15.5.8",
     "react-apollo": "^1.1.0",
     "react-recaptcha": "^2.2.6",
+    "recompose": "^0.23.1",
     "redis": "^2.7.1",
     "uuid": "^3.0.1",
     "simplemde": "^1.11.2",
     "subscriptions-transport-ws": "^0.5.5-alpha.0",
     "resolve": "^1.3.2",
-    "semver": "^5.3.0"
+    "semver": "^5.3.0",
+    "simplemde": "^1.11.2",
+    "uuid": "^3.0.1"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "apollo-client": "^1.0.4",
@@ -181,6 +184,7 @@
     "regenerator": "^0.8.46",
     "selenium-standalone": "^5.11.2",
     "style-loader": "^0.16.0",
+    "subscriptions-transport-ws": "^0.5.5-alpha.0",
     "supertest": "^2.0.1",
     "timeago.js": "^2.0.3",
     "webpack": "^2.3.1"
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 5db3de1d3..30276f62b 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1486,6 +1486,10 @@ chalk@1.1.3, chalk@^1.0.0, chalk@^1.1.0, chalk@^1.1.1, chalk@^1.1.3:
     strip-ansi "^3.0.0"
     supports-color "^2.0.0"
 
+change-emitter@^0.1.2:
+  version "0.1.6"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/change-emitter/-/change-emitter-0.1.6.tgz#e8b2fe3d7f1ab7d69a32199aff91ea6931409515"
+
 character-parser@^2.1.1:
   version "2.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/character-parser/-/character-parser-2.2.0.tgz#c7ce28f36d4bcd9744e5ffc2c5fcde1c73261fc0"
@@ -2995,6 +2999,7 @@ fastparse@^1.1.1:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fastparse/-/fastparse-1.1.1.tgz#d1e2643b38a94d7583b479060e6c4affc94071f8"
 
 fbjs@^0.8.4, fbjs@^0.8.9:
+
   version "0.8.12"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/fbjs/-/fbjs-0.8.12.tgz#10b5d92f76d45575fd63a217d4ea02bea2f8ed04"
   dependencies:
@@ -3739,7 +3744,7 @@ hoek@4.x.x:
   version "4.1.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/hoek/-/hoek-4.1.1.tgz#9cc573ffba2b7b408fb5e9c2a13796be94cddce9"
 
-hoist-non-react-statics@^1.0.3, hoist-non-react-statics@^1.2.0:
+hoist-non-react-statics@^1.0.0, hoist-non-react-statics@^1.0.3, hoist-non-react-statics@^1.2.0:
   version "1.2.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/hoist-non-react-statics/-/hoist-non-react-statics-1.2.0.tgz#aa448cf0986d55cc40773b17174b7dd066cb7cfb"
 
@@ -6931,6 +6936,15 @@ rechoir@^0.6.2:
   dependencies:
     resolve "^1.1.6"
 
+recompose@^0.23.1:
+  version "0.23.1"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/recompose/-/recompose-0.23.1.tgz#577613e24a7ff56f9ca6b899190f8a9c0857fc20"
+  dependencies:
+    change-emitter "^0.1.2"
+    fbjs "^0.8.1"
+    hoist-non-react-statics "^1.0.0"
+    symbol-observable "^1.0.4"
+
 redis-commands@^1.2.0:
   version "1.3.1"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/redis-commands/-/redis-commands-1.3.1.tgz#81d826f45fa9c8b2011f4cd7a0fe597d241d442b"
@@ -7778,7 +7792,7 @@ svgo@^0.7.0:
   version "0.0.21"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/sylvester/-/sylvester-0.0.21.tgz#2987b1ce2bd2f38b0dce2a34388884bfa4400ea7"
 
-symbol-observable@^1.0.2:
+symbol-observable@^1.0.2, symbol-observable@^1.0.4:
   version "1.0.4"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/symbol-observable/-/symbol-observable-1.0.4.tgz#29bf615d4aa7121bdd898b22d4b3f9bc4e2aa03d"