diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.spec.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.spec.ts
index f64091e41f4..dab1d1601fa 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.spec.ts
@@ -74,8 +74,8 @@ describe('BrowseByDatePageComponent', () => {
     findById: () => createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(mockCommunity)
   };
 
-  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub(), {
-    params: observableOf({}),
+  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub({ id: 'dateissued' }), {
+    params: observableOf({ id: 'dateissued' }),
     queryParams: observableOf({}),
     data: observableOf({ metadata: 'dateissued', metadataField: 'dc.date.issued' })
   });
@@ -110,9 +110,8 @@ describe('BrowseByDatePageComponent', () => {
     fixture = TestBed.createComponent(BrowseByDatePageComponent);
     const browseService = fixture.debugElement.injector.get(BrowseService);
     spyOn(browseService, 'getFirstItemFor')
-      // ok to expect the default browse as first param since we just need the mock items obtained via sort direction.
-      .withArgs('author', undefined, SortDirection.ASC).and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(firstItem))
-      .withArgs('author', undefined, SortDirection.DESC).and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(lastItem));
+      .withArgs('dateissued', undefined, SortDirection.ASC).and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(firstItem))
+      .withArgs('dateissued', undefined, SortDirection.DESC).and.returnValue(createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(lastItem));
     comp = fixture.componentInstance;
     route = (comp as any).route;
     fixture.detectChanges();
diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.ts
index cca56647d81..bf64b835619 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-date-page/browse-by-date-page.component.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export class BrowseByDatePageComponent extends BrowseByMetadataPageComponent {
         this.currentSort$,
       ]).subscribe(([params, currentPage, currentSort]: [Params, PaginationComponentOptions, SortOptions]) => {
         const metadataKeys = params.browseDefinition ? params.browseDefinition.metadataKeys : this.defaultMetadataKeys;
-        this.browseId = params.id || this.defaultBrowseId;
+        this.browseId = params.id;
         this.startsWith = +params.startsWith || params.startsWith;
         const searchOptions = browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, this.fetchThumbnails);
         this.updatePageWithItems(searchOptions, this.value, undefined);
diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.spec.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.spec.ts
index 4ea68eaa0c7..8d3dbdc3774 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.spec.ts
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@ describe('BrowseByMetadataPageComponent', () => {
     findById: () => createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(mockCommunity)
   };
 
-  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub(), {
-    params: observableOf({})
+  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub({ id: 'author' }), {
+    params: observableOf({ id: 'author' }),
   });
 
   paginationService = new PaginationServiceStub();
diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
index aaba0c44399..02f885c3066 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
@@ -83,15 +83,10 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
    */
   subs: Subscription[] = [];
 
-  /**
-   * The default browse id to resort to when none is provided
-   */
-  defaultBrowseId = 'author';
-
   /**
    * The current browse id
    */
-  browseId = this.defaultBrowseId;
+  browseId: string;
 
   /**
    * The type of StartsWith options to render
@@ -177,7 +172,7 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         this.currentPagination$,
         this.currentSort$,
       ]).subscribe(([params, currentPage, currentSort]: [Params, PaginationComponentOptions, SortOptions]) => {
-        this.browseId = params.id || this.defaultBrowseId;
+        this.browseId = params.id;
           this.authority = params.authority;
 
           if (typeof params.value === 'string'){
diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.spec.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.spec.ts
index 1b8eb352a39..3e7a2c6fe1f 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.spec.ts
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ describe('BrowseByTitlePageComponent', () => {
     findById: () => createSuccessfulRemoteDataObject$(mockCommunity)
   };
 
-  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub(), {
-    params: observableOf({}),
+  const activatedRouteStub = Object.assign(new ActivatedRouteStub({ id: 'title' }), {
+    params: observableOf({ id: 'title' }),
     queryParams: observableOf({}),
     data: observableOf({ metadata: 'title' }),
   });
diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.ts
index 10968d265ff..5e498951f27 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-title-page/browse-by-title-page.component.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export class BrowseByTitlePageComponent extends BrowseByMetadataPageComponent {
         this.currentSort$,
       ]).subscribe(([params, currentPage, currentSort]: [Params, PaginationComponentOptions, SortOptions]) => {
         this.startsWith = +params.startsWith || params.startsWith;
-        this.browseId = params.id || this.defaultBrowseId;
+        this.browseId = params.id;
         this.updatePageWithItems(browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, this.fetchThumbnails), undefined, undefined);
         this.updateParent(params.scope);
         this.updateLogo();