diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.init.js b/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
index 688cff988ec..927ffd7abd0 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.init.js
@@ -77,8 +77,10 @@ define( [ "jquery", "./jquery.mobile.core", "./jquery.mobile.support", "./jquery
 			//remove initial build class (only present on first pageshow)
 			hideRenderingClass();
 
-			// if hashchange listening is disabled or there's no hash deeplink, change to the first page in the DOM
-			if ( !$.mobile.hashListeningEnabled || !$.mobile.path.stripHash( location.hash ) ) {
+			// if hashchange listening is disabled, there's no hash deeplink,
+			// the hash is not valid (contains more than one # or does not start with #)
+			// or there is no page with that hash, change to the first page in the DOM
+			if ( !$.mobile.hashListeningEnabled || !$.mobile.path.isHashValid( location.hash ) || !$( location.hash + ':jqmData(role="page")' ).length ) {
 				$.mobile.changePage( $.mobile.firstPage, { transition: "none", reverse: true, changeHash: false, fromHashChange: true } );
 			}
 			// otherwise, trigger a hashchange to load a deeplink
diff --git a/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js b/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
index 14cbbdcb479..c6403d7050f 100644
--- a/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
+++ b/js/jquery.mobile.navigation.js
@@ -212,6 +212,10 @@ define( [
 				return path.stripHash( hash.replace( /\?.*$/, "" ).replace( dialogHashKey, "" ) );
 			},
 
+			isHashValid: function( hash ) {
+				return !( /(^#$)|(#.*#.*)|(^[^#].+)/ ).test( hash );
+			},
+
 			//check whether a url is referencing the same domain, or an external domain or different protocol
 			//could be mailto, etc
 			isExternal: function( url ) {
diff --git a/tests/unit/navigation/navigation_helpers.js b/tests/unit/navigation/navigation_helpers.js
index 88533b76c78..038f5c52afe 100644
--- a/tests/unit/navigation/navigation_helpers.js
+++ b/tests/unit/navigation/navigation_helpers.js
@@ -215,4 +215,12 @@
 		same( $.mobile.path.cleanHash( "#anything/atall?akjfdjjf" ), "anything/atall", "removes query param");
 		same( $.mobile.path.cleanHash( "#nothing/atall" ), "nothing/atall", "removes query param");
 	});
-})(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file
+
+	test( "path.isHashValid", function(){
+        same( $.mobile.path.isHashValid( "#id" ), true, "Valid hash");
+        same( $.mobile.path.isHashValid( "#" ), false, "Empty hash");
+        same( $.mobile.path.isHashValid( "#id#" ), false, "Hash with more than one #");
+        same( $.mobile.path.isHashValid( "id" ), false, "Hash without #");
+        same( $.mobile.path.isHashValid( "i#d" ), false, "Hash with # in the wrong spot");
+	});
+})(jQuery);