diff --git a/modules/modes/select.js b/modules/modes/select.js
index f84f64331..f81da0dd7 100644
--- a/modules/modes/select.js
+++ b/modules/modes/select.js
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ import {
 } from '../util';
 
 
-var _relatedParent;
-
-
 export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
     var mode = {
         id: 'select',
@@ -48,6 +45,10 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
     var _newFeature = false;
     var _follow = false;
 
+    // `_focusedParentWayId` is used when we visit a vertex with multiple
+    // parents, and we want to remember which parent line we started on.
+    var _focusedParentWayId;
+
 
     function singular() {
         if (selectedIDs && selectedIDs.length === 1) {
@@ -86,14 +87,14 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
 
     // find the parent ways for nextVertex, previousVertex, and selectParent
-    function multipleParents(onlyCommonParents) {
+    function parentWaysIdsOfSelection(onlyCommonParents) {
         var graph = context.graph();
         var parents = [];
 
         for (var i = 0; i < selectedIDs.length; i++) {
             var entity = context.hasEntity(selectedIDs[i]);
             if (!entity || entity.geometry(graph) !== 'vertex') {
-                return [];  // selection includes some not vertices
+                return [];  // selection includes some non-vertices
             }
 
             var currParents = graph.parentWays(entity).map(function(w) { return w.id; });
@@ -112,26 +113,23 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
     }
 
 
-    function singularParent() {
-        var parents = multipleParents(true);
-        if (!parents || parents.length === 0) {
-            _relatedParent = null;
-            return null;
+    function checkFocusedParent() {
+        if (_focusedParentWayId) {
+            var parents = parentWaysIdsOfSelection(true);
+            if (parents.indexOf(_focusedParentWayId) === -1) _focusedParentWayId = null;
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    function parentWayIdForVertexNavigation() {
+        var parentIds = parentWaysIdsOfSelection(true);
+
+        if (_focusedParentWayId && parentIds.indexOf(_focusedParentWayId) !== -1) {
+            // prefer the previously seen parent
+            return _focusedParentWayId;
         }
 
-        // relatedParent is used when we visit a vertex with multiple
-        // parents, and we want to remember which parent line we started on.
-
-        if (parents.length === 1) {
-            _relatedParent = parents[0];  // remember this parent for later
-            return _relatedParent;
-        }
-
-        if (parents.indexOf(_relatedParent) !== -1) {
-            return _relatedParent;   // prefer the previously seen parent
-        }
-
-        return parents[0];
+        return parentIds.length ? parentIds[0] : null;
     }
 
 
@@ -244,7 +242,7 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
             .on(utilKeybinding.plusKeys.map((key) => uiCmd('⇧⌥' + key)), scaleSelection(Math.pow(1.05, 5)))
             .on(utilKeybinding.minusKeys.map((key) => uiCmd('⇧' + key)), scaleSelection(1/1.05))
             .on(utilKeybinding.minusKeys.map((key) => uiCmd('⇧⌥' + key)), scaleSelection(1/Math.pow(1.05, 5)))
-            .on(['\\', 'pause'], nextParent)
+            .on(['\\', 'pause'], focusNextParent)
             .on(uiCmd('⌘↑'), selectParent)
             .on('⎋', esc, true);
 
@@ -427,9 +425,10 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
             surface.selectAll('.related')
                 .classed('related', false);
 
-            singularParent();
-            if (_relatedParent) {
-                surface.selectAll(utilEntitySelector([_relatedParent]))
+            // reload `_focusedParentWayId` based on the current selection
+            checkFocusedParent();
+            if (_focusedParentWayId) {
+                surface.selectAll(utilEntitySelector([_focusedParentWayId]))
                     .classed('related', true);
             }
 
@@ -456,18 +455,20 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
         function firstVertex(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
             var entity = singular();
-            var parent = singularParent();
+            var parentId = parentWayIdForVertexNavigation();
             var way;
 
             if (entity && entity.type === 'way') {
                 way = entity;
-            } else if (parent) {
-                way = context.entity(parent);
+            } else if (parentId) {
+                way = context.entity(parentId);
             }
+            _focusedParentWayId = way && way.id;
 
             if (way) {
                 context.enter(
-                    modeSelect(context, [way.first()]).follow(true)
+                    mode.selectedIDs([way.first()])
+                        .follow(true)
                 );
             }
         }
@@ -476,18 +477,20 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
         function lastVertex(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
             var entity = singular();
-            var parent = singularParent();
+            var parentId = parentWayIdForVertexNavigation();
             var way;
 
             if (entity && entity.type === 'way') {
                 way = entity;
-            } else if (parent) {
-                way = context.entity(parent);
+            } else if (parentId) {
+                way = context.entity(parentId);
             }
+            _focusedParentWayId = way && way.id;
 
             if (way) {
                 context.enter(
-                    modeSelect(context, [way.last()]).follow(true)
+                    mode.selectedIDs([way.last()])
+                        .follow(true)
                 );
             }
         }
@@ -495,10 +498,11 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
         function previousVertex(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
-            var parent = singularParent();
-            if (!parent) return;
+            var parentId = parentWayIdForVertexNavigation();
+            _focusedParentWayId = parentId;
+            if (!parentId) return;
 
-            var way = context.entity(parent);
+            var way = context.entity(parentId);
             var length = way.nodes.length;
             var curr = way.nodes.indexOf(selectedIDs[0]);
             var index = -1;
@@ -511,7 +515,8 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
             if (index !== -1) {
                 context.enter(
-                    modeSelect(context, [way.nodes[index]]).follow(true)
+                    mode.selectedIDs([way.nodes[index]])
+                        .follow(true)
                 );
             }
         }
@@ -519,10 +524,11 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
         function nextVertex(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
-            var parent = singularParent();
-            if (!parent) return;
+            var parentId = parentWayIdForVertexNavigation();
+            _focusedParentWayId = parentId;
+            if (!parentId) return;
 
-            var way = context.entity(parent);
+            var way = context.entity(parentId);
             var length = way.nodes.length;
             var curr = way.nodes.indexOf(selectedIDs[0]);
             var index = -1;
@@ -535,37 +541,38 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
             if (index !== -1) {
                 context.enter(
-                    modeSelect(context, [way.nodes[index]]).follow(true)
+                    mode.selectedIDs([way.nodes[index]])
+                        .follow(true)
                 );
             }
         }
 
 
-        function nextParent(d3_event) {
+        function focusNextParent(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
-            var parents = multipleParents(true);
+            var parents = parentWaysIdsOfSelection(true);
             if (!parents || parents.length < 2) return;
 
-            var index = parents.indexOf(_relatedParent);
+            var index = parents.indexOf(_focusedParentWayId);
             if (index < 0 || index > parents.length - 2) {
-                _relatedParent = parents[0];
+                _focusedParentWayId = parents[0];
             } else {
-                _relatedParent = parents[index + 1];
+                _focusedParentWayId = parents[index + 1];
             }
 
             var surface = context.surface();
             surface.selectAll('.related')
                 .classed('related', false);
 
-            if (_relatedParent) {
-                surface.selectAll(utilEntitySelector([_relatedParent]))
+            if (_focusedParentWayId) {
+                surface.selectAll(utilEntitySelector([_focusedParentWayId]))
                     .classed('related', true);
             }
         }
 
         function selectParent(d3_event) {
             d3_event.preventDefault();
-            var parents = _relatedParent ? [_relatedParent] : multipleParents(false);
+            var parents = _focusedParentWayId ? [_focusedParentWayId] : parentWaysIdsOfSelection(false);
             if (!parents || parents.length === 0) return;
 
             context.enter(
@@ -577,6 +584,7 @@ export function modeSelect(context, selectedIDs) {
 
     mode.exit = function() {
 
+        // we could enter the mode multiple times but it's only new the first time
         _newFeature = false;
 
         _operations.forEach(function(operation) {