diff --git a/modules/behavior/hash.js b/modules/behavior/hash.js
index 56667f8cd..853b8f42c 100644
--- a/modules/behavior/hash.js
+++ b/modules/behavior/hash.js
@@ -97,19 +97,11 @@ export function behaviorHash(context) {
                 context.zoomToEntity(q.id.split(',')[0], !q.map);
             }
 
-            if (q.comment) {
-                context.storage('comment', q.comment);
-                context.storage('commentDate', Date.now());
-            }
-
-            if (q.source) {
-                context.storage('source', q.source);
-                context.storage('commentDate', Date.now());
-            }
-
-            if (q.hashtags) {
-                context.storage('hashtags', q.hashtags);
-            }
+            // Store these here instead of updating local storage since local
+            // storage could be flushed if the user discards pending changes
+            if (q.comment)  behavior.comment = q.comment;
+            if (q.source)   behavior.source = q.source;
+            if (q.hashtags) behavior.hashtags = q.hashtags;
 
             if (q.walkthrough === 'true') {
                 behavior.startWalkthrough = true;
diff --git a/modules/core/history.js b/modules/core/history.js
index acb0d97d5..f7b50fcf9 100644
--- a/modules/core/history.js
+++ b/modules/core/history.js
@@ -643,7 +643,14 @@ export function coreHistory(context) {
 
         clearSaved: function() {
             context.debouncedSave.cancel();
-            if (lock.locked()) context.storage(getKey('saved_history'), null);
+            if (lock.locked()) {
+                context.storage(getKey('saved_history'), null);
+
+                // clear the changeset metadata associated with the saved history
+                context.storage('comment', null);
+                context.storage('hashtags', null);
+                context.storage('source', null);
+            }
             return history;
         },
 
diff --git a/modules/ui/commit.js b/modules/ui/commit.js
index f0ad66004..a653484ba 100644
--- a/modules/ui/commit.js
+++ b/modules/ui/commit.js
@@ -65,6 +65,21 @@ export function uiCommit(context) {
         // Initialize changeset if one does not exist yet.
         // Also pull values from local storage.
         if (!_changeset) {
+
+            // load in the URL hash values, if any
+            var hash = context.ui().hash;
+            if (hash.comment) {
+                context.storage('comment', hash.comment);
+                context.storage('commentDate', Date.now());
+            }
+            if (hash.source) {
+                context.storage('source', hash.source);
+                context.storage('commentDate', Date.now());
+            }
+            if (hash.hashtags) {
+                context.storage('hashtags', hash.hashtags);
+            }
+
             var detected = utilDetect();
             tags = {
                 comment: context.storage('comment') || '',
@@ -94,7 +109,7 @@ export function uiCommit(context) {
                 if (sources.indexOf('streetlevel imagery') === -1) {
                     sources.push('streetlevel imagery');
                 }
-                
+
                 // add the photo overlays used during editing as sources
                 photoOverlaysUsed.forEach(function(photoOverlay) {
                     if (sources.indexOf(photoOverlay) === -1) {
diff --git a/modules/ui/init.js b/modules/ui/init.js
index 1e9752268..695ce94fa 100644
--- a/modules/ui/init.js
+++ b/modules/ui/init.js
@@ -221,9 +221,9 @@ export function uiInit(context) {
         ui.onResize();
         map.redrawEnable(true);
 
-        var hash = behaviorHash(context);
-        hash();
-        if (!hash.hadHash) {
+        ui.hash = behaviorHash(context);
+        ui.hash();
+        if (!ui.hash.hadHash) {
             map.centerZoom([0, 0], 2);
         }
 
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ export function uiInit(context) {
         context.enter(modeBrowse(context));
 
         if (!_initCounter++) {
-            if (!hash.startWalkthrough) {
+            if (!ui.hash.startWalkthrough) {
                 context.container()
                     .call(uiSplash(context))
                     .call(uiRestore(context));
@@ -317,8 +317,8 @@ export function uiInit(context) {
 
         _initCounter++;
 
-        if (hash.startWalkthrough) {
-            hash.startWalkthrough = false;
+        if (ui.hash.startWalkthrough) {
+            ui.hash.startWalkthrough = false;
             context.container().call(uiIntro(context));
         }