diff --git a/src/model.js b/src/model.js
index b4b785948..4f5f5ed70 100644
--- a/src/model.js
+++ b/src/model.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ my.Dataset = Backbone.Model.extend({
   query: function(queryObj) {
     this.trigger('query:start');
     var self = this;
-    this.queryState.set(queryObj, {silent: true});
+    this.queryState.set(queryObj);
     var dfd = $.Deferred();
     this.backend.query(this, this.queryState.toJSON()).done(function(rows) {
       var docs = _.map(rows, function(row) {
diff --git a/src/view-flot-graph.js b/src/view-flot-graph.js
index becc70ccf..1950de5f9 100644
--- a/src/view-flot-graph.js
+++ b/src/view-flot-graph.js
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ my.FlotGraph = Backbone.View.extend({
     this._getEditorData();
     // update navigation
     var qs = my.parseHashQueryString();
-    qs['graph'] = this.chartConfig;
+    qs['graph'] = JSON.stringify(this.chartConfig);
     my.setHashQueryString(qs);
     this.redraw();
   },
diff --git a/src/view.js b/src/view.js
index 7c9aa4084..0e8babf29 100644
--- a/src/view.js
+++ b/src/view.js
@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ my.DataExplorer = Backbone.View.extend({
         my.clearNotifications();
         self.el.find('.doc-count').text(self.model.docCount || 'Unknown');
         my.notify('Data loaded', {category: 'success'});
+        // update navigation
+        var qs = my.parseHashQueryString();
+        qs['reclineQuery'] = JSON.stringify(self.model.queryState.toJSON());
+        my.setHashQueryString(qs);
       });
     this.model.bind('query:fail', function(error) {
         my.clearNotifications();
@@ -134,8 +138,11 @@ my.DataExplorer = Backbone.View.extend({
     // note this.model and dataset returned are the same
     this.model.fetch()
       .done(function(dataset) {
-        self.el.find('.doc-count').text(self.model.docCount || 'Unknown');
-        self.model.query();
+        var queryState = my.parseHashQueryString().reclineQuery;
+        if (queryState) {
+          queryState = JSON.parse(queryState);
+        }
+        self.model.query(queryState);
       })
       .fail(function(error) {
         my.notify(error.message, {category: 'error', persist: true});
@@ -296,7 +303,7 @@ my.composeQueryString = function(queryParams) {
   var queryString = '?';
   var items = [];
   $.each(queryParams, function(key, value) {
-    items.push(key + '=' + JSON.stringify(value));
+    items.push(key + '=' + value);
   });
   queryString += items.join('&');
   return queryString;
diff --git a/test/util.test.js b/test/util.test.js
index dc18b60d4..e6711c0d4 100644
--- a/test/util.test.js
+++ b/test/util.test.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ test('composeQueryString', function () {
     a: 'b'
   };
   var out = recline.View.composeQueryString(params);
-  equal(out, '?x="y"&a="b"');
+  equal(out, '?x=y&a=b');
 });
 
 })(this.jQuery);