diff --git a/js/id/behavior/hash.js b/js/id/behavior/hash.js
index e017aabed..5e2edb860 100644
--- a/js/id/behavior/hash.js
+++ b/js/id/behavior/hash.js
@@ -41,6 +41,12 @@ iD.behavior.Hash = function(context) {
     // do so before any features are loaded. thus wait for the feature to
     // be loaded and then select
     function willselect(id) {
+        context.connection().loadEntity(id, function(error, entity) {
+            if (entity) {
+                context.map().zoomTo(entity);
+            }
+        });
+
         context.map().on('drawn.hash', function() {
             if (!context.entity(id)) return;
             selectoff();
diff --git a/js/id/core/connection.js b/js/id/core/connection.js
index 8a58f97d0..4f07e6d85 100644
--- a/js/id/core/connection.js
+++ b/js/id/core/connection.js
@@ -40,6 +40,18 @@ iD.Connection = function() {
         return d3.xml(url).get().on('load', done);
     };
 
+    connection.loadEntity = function(id, callback) {
+        var type = iD.Entity.id.type(id),
+            osmID = iD.Entity.id.toOSM(id);
+
+        connection.loadFromURL(
+            url + '/api/0.6/' + type + '/' + osmID + (type !== 'node' ? '/full' : ''),
+            function(err, entities) {
+                event.load(err, entities);
+                if (callback) callback(err, entities && entities[id]);
+            });
+    };
+
     function authenticating() {
         event.authenticating();
     }
diff --git a/js/id/core/entity.js b/js/id/core/entity.js
index 71ac7c5cb..ab6f76bc6 100644
--- a/js/id/core/entity.js
+++ b/js/id/core/entity.js
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ iD.Entity.id.toOSM = function(id) {
     return id.slice(1);
 };
 
+iD.Entity.id.type = function(id) {
+    return {'n': 'node', 'w': 'way', 'r': 'relation'}[id[0]];
+};
+
 // A function suitable for use as the second argument to d3.selection#data().
 iD.Entity.key = function(entity) {
     return entity.id;
diff --git a/js/id/renderer/map.js b/js/id/renderer/map.js
index 2b301a502..ff50ee19a 100644
--- a/js/id/renderer/map.js
+++ b/js/id/renderer/map.js
@@ -322,6 +322,12 @@ iD.Map = function(context) {
         return redraw();
     };
 
+    map.zoomTo = function(entity) {
+        var extent = entity.extent(context.graph()),
+            zoom = map.extentZoom(extent);
+        map.centerZoom(extent.center(), zoom);
+    };
+
     map.centerZoom = function(loc, z) {
         var centered = setCenter(loc),
             zoomed   = setZoom(z);
diff --git a/test/spec/core/connection.js b/test/spec/core/connection.js
index 541ba1783..830bc4247 100644
--- a/test/spec/core/connection.js
+++ b/test/spec/core/connection.js
@@ -79,6 +79,59 @@ describe('iD.Connection', function () {
         });
     });
 
+    describe('#loadEntity', function () {
+        var server,
+            nodeXML = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><osm><node id="1" version="1" changeset="1" lat="0" lon="0" visible="true" timestamp="2009-03-07T03:26:33Z"></node></osm>',
+            wayXML = '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><osm>' +
+              '<node id="1" version="1" changeset="2817006" lat="0" lon="0" visible="true" timestamp="2009-10-11T18:03:23Z"/>' +
+              '<way id="1" visible="true" timestamp="2008-01-03T05:24:43Z" version="1" changeset="522559"><nd ref="1"/></way>' +
+              '</osm>';
+
+        beforeEach(function() {
+            server = sinon.fakeServer.create();
+        });
+
+        afterEach(function() {
+            server.restore();
+        });
+
+        it('loads a node', function(done) {
+            c.loadEntity('n1', function(error, entity) {
+                expect(entity).to.be.an.instanceOf(iD.Node);
+                expect(entity.id).to.eql('n1');
+                done();
+            });
+
+            server.respondWith("GET", "http://www.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6/node/1",
+                [200, { "Content-Type": "text/xml" }, nodeXML]);
+            server.respond();
+        });
+
+        it('loads a way', function(done) {
+            c.loadEntity('w1', function(error, entity) {
+                expect(entity).to.be.an.instanceOf(iD.Way);
+                expect(entity.id).to.eql('w1');
+                done();
+            });
+
+            server.respondWith("GET", "http://www.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6/way/1/full",
+                [200, { "Content-Type": "text/xml" }, wayXML]);
+            server.respond();
+        });
+
+        it('emits a load event', function(done) {
+            c.loadEntity('n1');
+            c.on('load', function(error, result) {
+                expect(result.n1).to.be.an.instanceOf(iD.Node);
+                done();
+            });
+
+            server.respondWith("GET", "http://www.openstreetmap.org/api/0.6/node/1",
+                [200, { "Content-Type": "text/xml" }, nodeXML]);
+            server.respond();
+        });
+    });
+
     describe('#osmChangeJXON', function() {
         it('converts change data to JXON', function() {
             var jxon = c.osmChangeJXON('jfire', '1234', {created: [], modified: [], deleted: []});