diff --git a/omeroweb/webclient/static/webclient/javascript/ome.history.js b/omeroweb/webclient/static/webclient/javascript/ome.history.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4089510ab1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/omeroweb/webclient/static/webclient/javascript/ome.history.js
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+
+function setQueryStringParameter(name, value, data) {
+    const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+    params.set(name, value);
+    data = data || {};
+    window.history.pushState(data, "", decodeURIComponent(`${window.location.pathname}?${params}`));
+}
+
+(function(){
+    let listening = true;
+
+    // on selection change, update history
+    $("body").on("selection_change.ome", function(event) {
+        if (!listening) return;
+        var selected = $("body").data("selected_objects.ome");
+        let show = selected.map(obj => obj.id).join("|")
+        setQueryStringParameter("show", show, {selected: selected});
+    });
+
+    // Handle forward/back buttons
+    window.addEventListener("popstate", (event) => {
+        if (event.state) {
+            const {selected} = event.state;
+            console.log("popstate selected...", selected);
+            if (selected.length == 0) {
+                return;
+            }
+            var inst = $.jstree.reference('#dataTree');
+            inst.deselect_all(true);
+
+            // disable history above, otherwise it adds to pushState,
+            // wipes out any 'forward' history etc.
+            listening = false;
+            
+            selected.forEach((obj) => {
+                var obj_id = obj.id;
+                var node = inst.locate_node(obj_id)[0];
+                if (node) {
+                    inst.select_node(node);
+                    // we also focus the node, to scroll to it and setup hotkey events
+                    $("#" + node.id).children('.jstree-anchor').trigger('focus');
+                } else {
+                    // TODO: not handled 'Well'
+                    console.log("HISTORY node not found ", obj_id);
+                }
+            });
+            // once we're done, start listening again
+            setTimeout(() => {listening = true}, 500);
+        }
+    });
+
+})();
diff --git a/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/data/containers.html b/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/data/containers.html
index 17bd975f40..3dc4de7b12 100644
--- a/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/data/containers.html
+++ b/omeroweb/webclient/templates/webclient/data/containers.html
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@
     <!-- Main jsTree code is here -->
     <script src="{% static 'webclient/javascript/ome.tree.js'|add:url_suffix %}"></script>
 
+    <!-- Handle browser history, urls -->
+    <script type="text/javascript" src="{% static 'webclient/javascript/ome.history.js'|add:url_suffix %}"></script>
 
     <script type="text/javascript">