diff --git a/.nodemon.json b/.nodemon.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..834e6c054
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.nodemon.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "verbose": true,
+  "ignore": ["tests/*", "client/*", "dist/*"]
+}
diff --git a/client/coral-framework/actions/user.js b/client/coral-framework/actions/user.js
index f0e6f7fba..021c48eeb 100644
--- a/client/coral-framework/actions/user.js
+++ b/client/coral-framework/actions/user.js
@@ -37,10 +37,15 @@ export const fetchCommentsByUserId = userId => {
         const state = getState();
         comments.forEach(comment => dispatch(addItem(comment, 'comments')));
         assets.forEach(asset => {
+          const prevAsset = state.items.getIn(['assets', asset.id]);
 
-          // Include data such as hydrated comments from assets already in the system.
-          const prevAsset = state.items.getIn(['assets', asset.id]).toJS();
-          dispatch(addItem({...prevAsset, ...asset}, 'assets'));
+          if (prevAsset) {
+
+            // Include data such as hydrated comments from assets already in the system.
+            dispatch(addItem({...prevAsset.toJS(), ...asset}, 'assets'));
+          } else {
+            dispatch(addItem(asset, 'assets'));
+          }
         });
 
         dispatch({type: actions.COMMENTS_BY_USER_SUCCESS, comments: comments.map(comment => comment.id)});
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e6e211d07..7948d5aa3 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "main": "app.js",
   "scripts": {
     "start": "./bin/cli serve --jobs",
-    "dev-start": "nodemon --exec \"./bin/cli -c .env serve --jobs\"",
+    "dev-start": "nodemon --config .nodemon.json --exec \"./bin/cli -c .env serve --jobs\"",
     "build": "NODE_ENV=production webpack --config webpack.config.js --bail",
     "build-watch": "NODE_ENV=development webpack --config webpack.config.dev.js --watch",
     "lint": "eslint bin/* .",