diff --git a/ui/index.html b/ui/index.html
index 67af155d03a..2f9a6a46e9a 100755
--- a/ui/index.html
+++ b/ui/index.html
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
         <!-- build:js js/index.min.js -->
         <script src="vendor/jquery-2.0.3.js"></script>
-        <script src="vendor/jquery.ba-bbq.min.js"></script>
+        <script src="vendor/jquery.deparam.js"></script>
         <script src="vendor/angular/angular.js"></script>
         <script src="vendor/angular/angular-route.js"></script>
         <script src="vendor/angular/angular-resource.js"></script>
diff --git a/ui/js/controllers/jobs.js b/ui/js/controllers/jobs.js
index 025fa7ec41e..7a2c22f1196 100644
--- a/ui/js/controllers/jobs.js
+++ b/ui/js/controllers/jobs.js
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
 
 treeherder.controller('JobsCtrl', [
     '$scope', '$http', '$rootScope', '$routeParams', 'ThLog', '$cookies',
-    'localStorageService', 'thUrl', 'ThRepositoryModel',
+    'localStorageService', 'thUrl', 'ThRepositoryModel', 'thDefaultRepo',
     'ThResultSetModel', 'thResultStatusList', '$location', 'thEvents',
     'ThJobModel',
     function JobsCtrl(
         $scope, $http, $rootScope, $routeParams, ThLog, $cookies,
-        localStorageService, thUrl, ThRepositoryModel,
+        localStorageService, thUrl, ThRepositoryModel, thDefaultRepo,
         ThResultSetModel, thResultStatusList, $location, thEvents, ThJobModel) {
 
         var $log = new ThLog(this.constructor.name);
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@ treeherder.controller('JobsCtrl', [
             $routeParams.repo !== "") {
             $rootScope.repoName = $routeParams.repo;
         } else {
-            $rootScope.repoName = "mozilla-central";
-            $location.search("repo", "mozilla-central");
+            $rootScope.repoName = thDefaultRepo;
+            $location.search("repo", $rootScope.repoName);
         }
 
         ThResultSetModel.addRepository($scope.repoName);
diff --git a/ui/js/controllers/main.js b/ui/js/controllers/main.js
index dd0790413cb..5837ccf03f8 100644
--- a/ui/js/controllers/main.js
+++ b/ui/js/controllers/main.js
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ treeherder.controller('MainCtrl', [
     'localStorageService', 'ThRepositoryModel', 'thPinboard',
     'thClassificationTypes', 'thEvents', '$interval', '$window',
     'ThExclusionProfileModel', 'thJobFilters', 'ThResultSetModel',
+    'thDefaultRepo',
     function MainController(
         $scope, $rootScope, $routeParams, $location, ThLog,
         localStorageService, ThRepositoryModel, thPinboard,
         thClassificationTypes, thEvents, $interval, $window,
-        ThExclusionProfileModel, thJobFilters, ThResultSetModel) {
+        ThExclusionProfileModel, thJobFilters, ThResultSetModel,
+        thDefaultRepo) {
 
         var $log = new ThLog("MainCtrl");
 
@@ -205,12 +207,17 @@ treeherder.controller('MainCtrl', [
         // when the app redirects internally
         $rootScope.urlBasePath = $location.absUrl().split('?')[0];
 
-        // give the page a way to determine which nav toolbar to show
+        // reload the page if certain params were changed in the URL.  For
+        // others, such as filtering, just re-filter without reload.
         $rootScope.$on('$locationChangeSuccess', function(ev,newUrl, oldUrl) {
-            $log.debug("reload", "newUrl=", newUrl, "oldUrl=", oldUrl);
-
-            if (!_.isEqual(getTriggerParams(oldUrl),
-                           getTriggerParams(newUrl))) {
+            $log.debug("check for reload", "newUrl=", newUrl, "oldUrl=", oldUrl);
+
+            var oldParams = getTriggerParams(oldUrl);
+            var newParams = getTriggerParams(newUrl);
+            // if we are just setting the repo to the default because none was
+            // set initially, then don't reload the page.
+            var defaulting = newParams.repo === thDefaultRepo && !oldParams.repo;
+            if (!_.isEqual(oldParams, newParams) && !defaulting) {
                 $window.location.reload();
             } else {
                 thJobFilters.buildFiltersFromQueryString();
diff --git a/ui/js/values.js b/ui/js/values.js
index a9dfd0a2901..c599a77efda 100644
--- a/ui/js/values.js
+++ b/ui/js/values.js
@@ -48,3 +48,5 @@ treeherder.value("thRepoGroupOrder", {
     "taskcluster": 5,
     "qa automation tests": 6
 });
+
+treeherder.value("thDefaultRepo", "mozilla-central");
diff --git a/ui/vendor/jquery.ba-bbq.min.js b/ui/vendor/jquery.ba-bbq.min.js
deleted file mode 100644
index bcbf24834ac..00000000000
--- a/ui/vendor/jquery.ba-bbq.min.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * jQuery BBQ: Back Button & Query Library - v1.2.1 - 2/17/2010
- * http://benalman.com/projects/jquery-bbq-plugin/
- * 
- * Copyright (c) 2010 "Cowboy" Ben Alman
- * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses.
- * http://benalman.com/about/license/
- */
-(function($,p){var i,m=Array.prototype.slice,r=decodeURIComponent,a=$.param,c,l,v,b=$.bbq=$.bbq||{},q,u,j,e=$.event.special,d="hashchange",A="querystring",D="fragment",y="elemUrlAttr",g="location",k="href",t="src",x=/^.*\?|#.*$/g,w=/^.*\#/,h,C={};function E(F){return typeof F==="string"}function B(G){var F=m.call(arguments,1);return function(){return G.apply(this,F.concat(m.call(arguments)))}}function n(F){return F.replace(/^[^#]*#?(.*)$/,"$1")}function o(F){return F.replace(/(?:^[^?#]*\?([^#]*).*$)?.*/,"$1")}function f(H,M,F,I,G){var O,L,K,N,J;if(I!==i){K=F.match(H?/^([^#]*)\#?(.*)$/:/^([^#?]*)\??([^#]*)(#?.*)/);J=K[3]||"";if(G===2&&E(I)){L=I.replace(H?w:x,"")}else{N=l(K[2]);I=E(I)?l[H?D:A](I):I;L=G===2?I:G===1?$.extend({},I,N):$.extend({},N,I);L=a(L);if(H){L=L.replace(h,r)}}O=K[1]+(H?"#":L||!K[1]?"?":"")+L+J}else{O=M(F!==i?F:p[g][k])}return O}a[A]=B(f,0,o);a[D]=c=B(f,1,n);c.noEscape=function(G){G=G||"";var F=$.map(G.split(""),encodeURIComponent);h=new RegExp(F.join("|"),"g")};c.noEscape(",/");$.deparam=l=function(I,F){var H={},G={"true":!0,"false":!1,"null":null};$.each(I.replace(/\+/g," ").split("&"),function(L,Q){var K=Q.split("="),P=r(K[0]),J,O=H,M=0,R=P.split("]["),N=R.length-1;if(/\[/.test(R[0])&&/\]$/.test(R[N])){R[N]=R[N].replace(/\]$/,"");R=R.shift().split("[").concat(R);N=R.length-1}else{N=0}if(K.length===2){J=r(K[1]);if(F){J=J&&!isNaN(J)?+J:J==="undefined"?i:G[J]!==i?G[J]:J}if(N){for(;M<=N;M++){P=R[M]===""?O.length:R[M];O=O[P]=M<N?O[P]||(R[M+1]&&isNaN(R[M+1])?{}:[]):J}}else{if($.isArray(H[P])){H[P].push(J)}else{if(H[P]!==i){H[P]=[H[P],J]}else{H[P]=J}}}}else{if(P){H[P]=F?i:""}}});return H};function z(H,F,G){if(F===i||typeof F==="boolean"){G=F;F=a[H?D:A]()}else{F=E(F)?F.replace(H?w:x,""):F}return l(F,G)}l[A]=B(z,0);l[D]=v=B(z,1);$[y]||($[y]=function(F){return $.extend(C,F)})({a:k,base:k,iframe:t,img:t,input:t,form:"action",link:k,script:t});j=$[y];function s(I,G,H,F){if(!E(H)&&typeof H!=="object"){F=H;H=G;G=i}return this.each(function(){var L=$(this),J=G||j()[(this.nodeName||"").toLowerCase()]||"",K=J&&L.attr(J)||"";L.attr(J,a[I](K,H,F))})}$.fn[A]=B(s,A);$.fn[D]=B(s,D);b.pushState=q=function(I,F){if(E(I)&&/^#/.test(I)&&F===i){F=2}var H=I!==i,G=c(p[g][k],H?I:{},H?F:2);p[g][k]=G+(/#/.test(G)?"":"#")};b.getState=u=function(F,G){return F===i||typeof F==="boolean"?v(F):v(G)[F]};b.removeState=function(F){var G={};if(F!==i){G=u();$.each($.isArray(F)?F:arguments,function(I,H){delete G[H]})}q(G,2)};e[d]=$.extend(e[d],{add:function(F){var H;function G(J){var I=J[D]=c();J.getState=function(K,L){return K===i||typeof K==="boolean"?l(I,K):l(I,L)[K]};H.apply(this,arguments)}if($.isFunction(F)){H=F;return G}else{H=F.handler;F.handler=G}}})})(jQuery,this);
-/*
- * jQuery hashchange event - v1.2 - 2/11/2010
- * http://benalman.com/projects/jquery-hashchange-plugin/
- * 
- * Copyright (c) 2010 "Cowboy" Ben Alman
- * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses.
- * http://benalman.com/about/license/
- */
-(function($,i,b){var j,k=$.event.special,c="location",d="hashchange",l="href",f=$.browser,g=document.documentMode,h=f.msie&&(g===b||g<8),e="on"+d in i&&!h;function a(m){m=m||i[c][l];return m.replace(/^[^#]*#?(.*)$/,"$1")}$[d+"Delay"]=100;k[d]=$.extend(k[d],{setup:function(){if(e){return false}$(j.start)},teardown:function(){if(e){return false}$(j.stop)}});j=(function(){var m={},r,n,o,q;function p(){o=q=function(s){return s};if(h){n=$('<iframe src="javascript:0"/>').hide().insertAfter("body")[0].contentWindow;q=function(){return a(n.document[c][l])};o=function(u,s){if(u!==s){var t=n.document;t.open().close();t[c].hash="#"+u}};o(a())}}m.start=function(){if(r){return}var t=a();o||p();(function s(){var v=a(),u=q(t);if(v!==t){o(t=v,u);$(i).trigger(d)}else{if(u!==t){i[c][l]=i[c][l].replace(/#.*/,"")+"#"+u}}r=setTimeout(s,$[d+"Delay"])})()};m.stop=function(){if(!n){r&&clearTimeout(r);r=0}};return m})()})(jQuery,this);
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/vendor/jquery.deparam.js b/ui/vendor/jquery.deparam.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7a26f0385e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/vendor/jquery.deparam.js
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+/**
+ * jQuery.deparam - The oposite of jQuery param. Creates an object of query string parameters.
+ * 
+ * Credits for the idea and Regex:
+ * http://stevenbenner.com/2010/03/javascript-regex-trick-parse-a-query-string-into-an-object/
+*/
+(function($){
+  $.deparam = $.deparam || function(uri){
+    if(uri === undefined){
+      uri = window.location.search;
+    }
+    var queryString = {};
+    uri.replace(
+      new RegExp(
+        "([^?=&]+)(=([^&#]*))?", "g"),
+        function($0, $1, $2, $3) { queryString[$1] = $3; }
+      );
+      return queryString;
+    };
+})(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file