diff --git a/boot/boot.js b/boot/boot.js
index cfc75816f..c08acdcac 100644
--- a/boot/boot.js
+++ b/boot/boot.js
@@ -202,6 +202,14 @@ $tw.utils.htmlDecode = function(s) {
 	return s.toString().replace(/&lt;/mg,"<").replace(/&nbsp;/mg,"\xA0").replace(/&gt;/mg,">").replace(/&quot;/mg,"\"").replace(/&amp;/mg,"&");
 };
 
+/*
+Get the browser location.hash. We don't use location.hash because of the way that Firefox auto-urldecodes it (see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1703552/encoding-of-window-location-hash)
+*/
+$tw.utils.getLocationHash = function() {
+	var parts = window.location.href.split('#');
+	return "#" + (parts.length > 1 ? parts[1] : "");
+};
+
 /*
 Pad a string to a given length with "0"s. Length defaults to 2
 */
@@ -1627,7 +1635,7 @@ $tw.boot.startup = function(options) {
 		if(location.hash === "#:safe") {
 			$tw.safeMode = true;
 		} else {
-			$tw.locationHash = location.hash;
+			$tw.locationHash = $tw.utils.getLocationHash();
 		}
 	}
 	// Initialise some more $tw properties
diff --git a/core/modules/startup/story.js b/core/modules/startup/story.js
index 2634379c5..df54fe827 100644
--- a/core/modules/startup/story.js
+++ b/core/modules/startup/story.js
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ exports.startup = function() {
 		});
 		// Listen for changes to the browser location hash
 		window.addEventListener("hashchange",function() {
-			if(window.location.hash !== $tw.locationHash) {
-				$tw.locationHash = window.location.hash;
+			var hash = $tw.utils.getLocationHash();
+			if(hash !== $tw.locationHash) {
+				$tw.locationHash = hash;
 				openStartupTiddlers({defaultToCurrentStory: true});
 			}
 		},false)
@@ -104,8 +105,11 @@ function updateLocationHash() {
 	}
 	$tw.locationHash = "#" + encodeURIComponent(targetTiddler) + ":" + encodeURIComponent($tw.utils.stringifyList(storyList));
 	// Only change the location hash if we must, thus avoiding unnecessary onhashchange events
-	if(window.location.hash !== $tw.locationHash) {
+// console.log("Testing",$tw.utils.getLocationHash(),$tw.locationHash)
+	if($tw.utils.getLocationHash() !== $tw.locationHash) {
 		window.location.hash = $tw.locationHash;
+console.log("Just set",$tw.locationHash,$tw.utils.getLocationHash())
+
 	}
 }