diff --git a/src/core/utils.js b/src/core/utils.js
index d24ab6be..cf2cc843 100644
--- a/src/core/utils.js
+++ b/src/core/utils.js
@@ -623,13 +623,19 @@ export const parseSearch = () => {
         continue
       }
       i = params[i].split("=")
-      map[decodeURIComponent(i[0])] = decodeURIComponent(i[1])
+      map[decodeURIComponent(i[0])] = (i[1] && decodeURIComponent(i[1])) || ""
     }
   }
 
   return map
 }
 
+export const serializeSearch = (searchMap) => {
+  return Object.keys(searchMap).map(k => {
+    return encodeURIComponent(k) + "=" + encodeURIComponent(searchMap[k])
+  }).join("&")
+}
+
 export const btoa = (str) => {
   let buffer
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/topbar/topbar.jsx b/src/plugins/topbar/topbar.jsx
index 9c18ad08..2977f55d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/topbar/topbar.jsx
+++ b/src/plugins/topbar/topbar.jsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import PropTypes from "prop-types"
 
 //import "./topbar.less"
 import Logo from "./logo_small.png"
+import {parseSearch, serializeSearch} from "../../core/utils"
 
 export default class Topbar extends React.Component {
 
@@ -41,6 +42,12 @@ export default class Topbar extends React.Component {
     e.preventDefault()
   }
 
+  setSearch = (spec) => {
+    let search = parseSearch()
+    search["urls.primaryName"] = spec.name
+    window.location.search = serializeSearch(search)
+  }
+
   setSelectedUrl = (selectedUrl) => {
     const configs = this.props.getConfigs()
     const urls = configs.urls || []
@@ -52,6 +59,7 @@ export default class Topbar extends React.Component {
           if(spec.url === selectedUrl)
             {
               this.setState({selectedIndex: i})
+              this.setSearch(spec)
             }
         })
       }
diff --git a/test/core/utils.js b/test/core/utils.js
index f0529f41..99ee60d4 100644
--- a/test/core/utils.js
+++ b/test/core/utils.js
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import expect from "expect"
 import { fromJS, OrderedMap } from "immutable"
 import {
   mapToList,
+  parseSearch,
+  serializeSearch,
   validatePattern,
   validateMinLength,
   validateMaxLength,
@@ -940,6 +942,48 @@ describe("utils", function() {
     })
   })
 
+  describe("parse and serialize search", function() {
+    afterEach(function() {
+      win.location.search = ""
+    })
+
+    describe("parsing", function() {
+      it("works with empty search", function() {
+        win.location.search = ""
+        expect(parseSearch()).toEqual({})
+      })
+
+      it("works with only one key", function() {
+        win.location.search = "?foo"
+        expect(parseSearch()).toEqual({foo: ""})
+      })
+
+      it("works with keys and values", function() {
+        win.location.search = "?foo=fooval&bar&baz=bazval"
+        expect(parseSearch()).toEqual({foo: "fooval", bar: "", baz: "bazval"})
+      })
+
+      it("decode url encoded components", function() {
+        win.location.search = "?foo=foo%20bar"
+        expect(parseSearch()).toEqual({foo: "foo bar"})
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe("serializing", function() {
+      it("works with empty map", function() {
+        expect(serializeSearch({})).toEqual("")
+      })
+
+      it("works with multiple keys with and without values", function() {
+        expect(serializeSearch({foo: "", bar: "barval"})).toEqual("foo=&bar=barval")
+      })
+
+      it("encode url components", function() {
+        expect(serializeSearch({foo: "foo bar"})).toEqual("foo=foo%20bar")
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   describe("sanitizeUrl", function() {
     it("should sanitize a `javascript:` url", function() {
       const res = sanitizeUrl("javascript:alert('bam!')")