diff --git a/modules/locations/HashLocation.js b/modules/locations/HashLocation.js
index aa4ae25902..7f1a503391 100644
--- a/modules/locations/HashLocation.js
+++ b/modules/locations/HashLocation.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ var LocationActions = require('../actions/LocationActions');
 var Path = require('../utils/Path');
 
 /**
- * Returns the current URL path from `window.location.hash`, including query string
+ * Returns the current URL path from the `hash` section of the URL, including query string
  */
 function getHashPath() {
   invariant(
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ function getHashPath() {
   );
 
   return Path.decode(
-    window.location.hash.substr(1)
+    //cannot use window.location.hash because its not consistent
+    //across browsers - Firefox will pre-decode it
+    window.location.href.split('#')[1] || ''
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/modules/locations/__tests__/HashLocation-test.js b/modules/locations/__tests__/HashLocation-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b425dd5aeb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/locations/__tests__/HashLocation-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+var expect = require('expect');
+var HashLocation = require('../HashLocation');
+
+describe('HashLocation.getCurrentPath', function() {
+
+  //this test is needed because Firefox will pre-decode the value retrieved from
+  //window.location.hash
+  it('returns a properly decoded equivalent of what window.location.hash is set to', function() {
+    window.location.hash = '';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('');
+
+    window.location.hash = 'asdf';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('asdf');
+
+    window.location.hash = 'test+spaces';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('test spaces');
+
+    window.location.hash = 'first%2Fsecond';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('first%2Fsecond');
+
+    window.location.hash = 'first/second';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('first/second');
+
+    window.location.hash = 'first%252Fsecond';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('first%2Fsecond');
+
+    //decodeURI doesn't handle lone percents
+    window.location.hash = '%';
+    expect(function() {
+      HashLocation.getCurrentPath();
+    }).toThrow(URIError);
+
+    window.location.hash = '%25';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath()).toBe('%');
+
+    window.location.hash =
+        'complicated+string/full%2Fof%3Fspecial%25chars%2520and%23escapes%E1%88%B4';
+    expect(HashLocation.getCurrentPath())
+        .toBe('complicated string/full%2Fof%3Fspecial%chars%20and%23escapesሴ');
+  });
+
+  afterEach(function() {
+    window.location.hash = '';
+  });
+});