diff --git a/src/assets/js/github.js b/src/assets/js/github.js
index 4bbe273..2bdd747 100644
--- a/src/assets/js/github.js
+++ b/src/assets/js/github.js
@@ -57,7 +57,9 @@ function redirectIfQuery() {
         redirected = false;
 
     delimiterPosition = pageName.indexOf('#');
-    if (delimiterPosition > 0) {
+
+    // if a hashed query is passed and cant be matched with our list of valid topics, redirect a canned github search
+    if (pageName.length - 1 > delimiterPosition) {
         for (i=1; i < topicList.length; i++) {
             if (pageName.substr(delimiterPosition + 1) === topicList[i].innerHTML) {
                 return redirected;