diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/TabController.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/TabController.java
index 029a30f97..9dfec3a4f 100755
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/TabController.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/controller/TabController.java
@@ -52,8 +52,10 @@ public class TabController extends VitroHttpServlet {
 
             Portal portal = vreq.getPortal();
 
-            if (leadingTab.getTabId()==portal.getRootTabId())
-                request.setAttribute("title",portal.getAppName());
+            if (leadingTab.getTabId()==portal.getRootTabId()) {
+            	request.setAttribute("homePageRequested", "true");
+                request.setAttribute("title",portal.getAppName());
+            }
             else
                 request.setAttribute("title",leadingTab.getTitle());
 
diff --git a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/templatemodels/menu/TabMenu.java b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/templatemodels/menu/TabMenu.java
index aae9e03c1..ed74ab6c5 100644
--- a/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/templatemodels/menu/TabMenu.java
+++ b/webapp/src/edu/cornell/mannlib/vitro/webapp/web/templatemodels/menu/TabMenu.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import java.util.List;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.Log;
 import org.apache.commons.logging.LogFactory;
 
+import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.beans.Portal;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.beans.Tab;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.VitroRequest;
 import edu.cornell.mannlib.vitro.webapp.controller.freemarker.UrlBuilder;
@@ -60,7 +61,12 @@ public class TabMenu extends MainMenu {
     
     private boolean isActiveItem(Tab tab) {
         String requestedTabId = vreq.getParameter(TAB_PARAM); 
-        return requestedTabId != null && Integer.parseInt(requestedTabId) == tab.getTabId();
+        int tabId = tab.getTabId();
+        if (requestedTabId == null) {
+        	return tabId == vreq.getPortal().getRootTabId() && "true".equals(vreq.getAttribute("homePageRequested"));
+        } else {
+        	return Integer.parseInt(requestedTabId) == tabId;
+        }
     }
 
 }