diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
index 77c2ca0..05c6c68 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view.js
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@
             document.documentElement.scrollTop =
                 document.body.scrollTop = this.viewState.scrollTop;
           } else {
-            this._maybeScrollToMessage();
+            this._maybeScrollToMessage(window.location.hash);
           }
         }, 1);
       });
@@ -513,10 +513,9 @@
       this.viewState.numFilesShown = numFilesShown;
     },
 
-    _maybeScrollToMessage() {
+    _maybeScrollToMessage(hash) {
       const msgPrefix = '#message-';
-      const hash = window.location.hash;
-      if (hash.startsWith(msgPrefix) === 0) {
+      if (hash.startsWith(msgPrefix)) {
         this.$.messageList.scrollToMessage(hash.substr(msgPrefix.length));
       }
     },
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.html
index 7794cd67..5847e73 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change/gr-change-view/gr-change-view_test.html
@@ -1320,5 +1320,19 @@
             'header wip');
       });
     });
+
+    test('_maybeScrollToMessage', () => {
+      const scrollStub = sandbox.stub(element.$.messageList, 'scrollToMessage');
+
+      element._maybeScrollToMessage('');
+      assert.isFalse(scrollStub.called);
+
+      element._maybeScrollToMessage('message');
+      assert.isFalse(scrollStub.called);
+
+      element._maybeScrollToMessage('#message-TEST');
+      assert.isTrue(scrollStub.called);
+      assert.equal(scrollStub.lastCall.args[0], 'TEST');
+    });
   });
 </script>