diff --git a/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/__tests__/sub_url_route_filter.js b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/__tests__/sub_url_route_filter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..e4b27b5059950c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/__tests__/sub_url_route_filter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+import ngMock from 'ng_mock';
+import expect from 'expect.js';
+
+import { SubUrlRouteFilterProvider } from '../sub_url_route_filter';
+
+describe('kbn-chrome subUrlRouteFilter()', () => {
+  describe('no ngRoute', () => {
+    beforeEach(ngMock.module('kibana/private'));
+    beforeEach(ngMock.inject(($injector) => {
+      expect($injector.has('$route')).to.be(false);
+    }));
+
+    it('always returns true when there is no $route service', ngMock.inject((Private) => {
+      const subUrlRouteFilter = Private(SubUrlRouteFilterProvider);
+      expect(subUrlRouteFilter()).to.be(true);
+    }));
+  });
+
+  describe('with ngRoute', () => {
+
+    beforeEach(ngMock.module('kibana/private', 'ngRoute', $routeProvider => {
+      $routeProvider.when('/foo', {
+        redirectTo: '/bar'
+      });
+
+      $routeProvider.when('/bar', {
+        template: '<div>foo => bar</div>'
+      });
+    }));
+
+    let test;
+    beforeEach(ngMock.inject((Private, $location, $rootScope, $route) => {
+      test = ({ path, assert }) => {
+        const subUrlRouteFilter = Private(SubUrlRouteFilterProvider);
+        $location.path(path);
+
+        let result;
+        function runAssert() {
+          if (result) {
+            // only run once
+            return;
+          }
+
+          try {
+            assert($route, subUrlRouteFilter);
+            result = {};
+          } catch (error) {
+            result = { error };
+          }
+        }
+
+        $rootScope.$on('$routeUpdate', runAssert);
+        $rootScope.$on('$routeChangeSuccess', runAssert);
+        $rootScope.$apply();
+
+        // when no route matches there is no event so we run manually
+        if (!result) {
+          runAssert();
+        }
+
+        if (result.error) {
+          throw result.error;
+        }
+      };
+    }));
+
+    describe('no current route', () => {
+      it('returns false', () => {
+        test({
+          path: '/baz',
+          assert($route, subUrlRouteFilter) {
+            expect($route.current).to.not.be.ok();
+            expect(subUrlRouteFilter()).to.eql(false);
+          }
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('redirectTo route', () => {
+      it('returns false', () => {
+        test({
+          path: '/foo',
+          assert($route, subUrlRouteFilter) {
+            expect($route.current).to.be.ok();
+            expect($route.current.redirectTo).to.be.ok();
+            expect(subUrlRouteFilter()).to.eql(false);
+          }
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe('standard route', () => {
+      it('returns true', () => {
+        test({
+          path: '/bar',
+          assert($route, subUrlRouteFilter) {
+            expect($route.current).to.be.ok();
+            expect($route.current.template).to.be.ok();
+            expect(subUrlRouteFilter()).to.eql(true);
+          }
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/kbn_chrome.js b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/kbn_chrome.js
index f2b438916a1e3c..95862f28bf7472 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/kbn_chrome.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/kbn_chrome.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   unhashUrl,
 } from 'ui/state_management/state_hashing';
 import { notify } from 'ui/notify';
+import { SubUrlRouteFilterProvider } from './sub_url_route_filter';
 
 export function kbnChromeProvider(chrome, internals) {
 
@@ -41,16 +42,23 @@ export function kbnChromeProvider(chrome, internals) {
           internals.permanentlyHideChrome();
         }
 
-        // listen for route changes, propogate to tabs
-        const onRouteChange = function () {
+        const subUrlRouteFilter = Private(SubUrlRouteFilterProvider);
+
+        function updateSubUrls() {
           const urlWithHashes = window.location.href;
           const urlWithStates = unhashUrl(urlWithHashes, getUnhashableStates());
           internals.trackPossibleSubUrl(urlWithStates);
-        };
+        }
+
+        function onRouteChange($event) {
+          if (subUrlRouteFilter($event)) {
+            updateSubUrls();
+          }
+        }
 
         $rootScope.$on('$routeChangeSuccess', onRouteChange);
         $rootScope.$on('$routeUpdate', onRouteChange);
-        onRouteChange();
+        updateSubUrls(); // initialize sub urls
 
         const allPendingHttpRequests = () => $http.pendingRequests;
         const removeSystemApiRequests = (pendingHttpRequests = []) => remove(pendingHttpRequests, isSystemApiRequest);
diff --git a/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/sub_url_route_filter.js b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/sub_url_route_filter.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..ccfc68c834f670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/public/chrome/directives/sub_url_route_filter.js
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+/**
+ *  Creates a function that will be called on each route change
+ *  to determine if the event should be used to update the last
+ *  subUrl of chrome links/tabs
+ *  @injected
+ */
+export function SubUrlRouteFilterProvider($injector) {
+  if (!$injector.has('$route')) {
+    return function alwaysUpdate() {
+      return true;
+    };
+  }
+
+  const $route = $injector.get('$route');
+  return function ignoreRedirectToRoutes() {
+    return Boolean($route.current && !$route.current.redirectTo);
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/public/private/private.js b/src/ui/public/private/private.js
index 9babdc4b3100db..389ebd2a885cad 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/private/private.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/private/private.js
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function name(fn) {
   return fn.name || fn.toString().split('\n').shift();
 }
 
-uiModules.get('kibana')
+uiModules.get('kibana/private')
 .provider('Private', function () {
   const provider = this;