diff --git a/modules/behavior/hash.js b/modules/behavior/hash.js
index 43d4b5270..1cdeb9b15 100644
--- a/modules/behavior/hash.js
+++ b/modules/behavior/hash.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { utilQsString, utilStringQs } from '../util/index';
 
 
 export function behaviorHash(context) {
-    var s0 = null, // cached location.hash
+    var s0 = null, // cached window.location.hash
         lat = 90 - 1e-8; // allowable latitude range
 
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
             center = map.center(),
             zoom = map.zoom(),
             precision = Math.max(0, Math.ceil(Math.log(zoom) / Math.LN2)),
-            q = _.omit(utilStringQs(location.hash.substring(1)), 'comment'),
+            q = _.omit(utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1)), 'comment'),
             newParams = {};
 
         if (mode && mode.id === 'browse') {
@@ -50,7 +50,9 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
     function update() {
         if (context.inIntro()) return;
         var s1 = formatter(context.map());
-        if (s0 !== s1) location.replace(s0 = s1); // don't recenter the map!
+        if (s0 !== s1) {
+            window.location.replace(s0 = s1);  // don't recenter the map!
+        }
     }
 
 
@@ -58,8 +60,8 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
 
 
     function hashchange() {
-        if (location.hash === s0) return; // ignore spurious hashchange events
-        if (parser(context.map(), (s0 = location.hash).substring(1))) {
+        if (window.location.hash === s0) return;  // ignore spurious hashchange events
+        if (parser(context.map(), (s0 = window.location.hash).substring(1))) {
             update(); // replace bogus hash
         }
     }
@@ -75,8 +77,8 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
         d3.select(window)
             .on('hashchange.hash', hashchange);
 
-        if (location.hash) {
-            var q = utilStringQs(location.hash.substring(1));
+        if (window.location.hash) {
+            var q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1));
             if (q.id) context.zoomToEntity(q.id.split(',')[0], !q.map);
             if (q.comment) context.storage('comment', q.comment);
             hashchange();
@@ -97,7 +99,7 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
         d3.select(window)
             .on('hashchange.hash', null);
 
-        location.hash = '';
+        window.location.hash = '';
     };
 
 
diff --git a/modules/renderer/background.js b/modules/renderer/background.js
index 497e5e0d8..49a94321e 100644
--- a/modules/renderer/background.js
+++ b/modules/renderer/background.js
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ export function rendererBackground(context) {
             epsilon = 0.01,
             x = +meters[0].toFixed(2),
             y = +meters[1].toFixed(2),
-            q = utilStringQs(location.hash.substring(1));
+            q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1));
 
         var id = b.id;
         if (id === 'custom') {
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ export function rendererBackground(context) {
             delete q.offset;
         }
 
-        location.replace('#' + utilQsString(q, true));
+        window.location.replace('#' + utilQsString(q, true));
 
         var imageryUsed = [b.imageryUsed()];
 
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ export function rendererBackground(context) {
             return geoExtent([args[1], args[2]]);
         }
 
-        var q = utilStringQs(location.hash.substring(1)),
+        var q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1)),
             chosen = q.background || q.layer,
             extent = parseMap(q.map),
             best;
diff --git a/modules/util/detect.js b/modules/util/detect.js
index a208cf1b9..54c7a1d06 100644
--- a/modules/util/detect.js
+++ b/modules/util/detect.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 import { currentLocale, setTextDirection } from './locale';
+import { utilStringQs } from './index';
+
 
 export function utilDetect() {
     var detected = {};
@@ -64,7 +66,9 @@ export function utilDetect() {
         detected.locale = loadedLocale;
     }
 
-    if (['ar', 'fa', 'iw', 'dv'].indexOf(detected.locale.split('-')[0]) > -1 || window.location.href.indexOf('rtl-test-rtl') > -1) {
+    // detect text direction
+    var q = utilStringQs(window.location.hash.substring(1));
+    if (['ar', 'fa', 'iw', 'dv'].indexOf(detected.locale.split('-')[0]) > -1 || q.hasOwnProperty('rtl')) {
         detected.textDirection = 'rtl';
     } else {
         detected.textDirection = 'ltr';