diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
index cec7cef..2415282 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topo.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@
         actionMap = {
             I: [toggleInstances, 'Toggle ONOS instances panel'],
             O: [toggleSummary, 'Toggle ONOS summary panel'],
-            D: [toggleDetails, 'Disable / enable details panel'],
+            D: [toggleUseDetailsFlag, 'Disable / enable details panel'],
 
             H: [toggleHosts, 'Toggle host visibility'],
             M: [toggleOffline, 'Toggle offline visibility'],
@@ -105,8 +105,8 @@
         updatePrefsState('summary', tps.toggleSummary(x));
     }
 
-    function toggleDetails(x) {
-        updatePrefsState('detail', tps.toggleDetails(x));
+    function toggleUseDetailsFlag(x) {
+        updatePrefsState('detail', tps.toggleUseDetailsFlag(x));
     }
 
     function toggleHosts(x) {
@@ -303,10 +303,7 @@
         flash.enable(false);
         toggleInstances(prefsState.insts);
         toggleSummary(prefsState.summary);
-        // NOTE: the detail flag means "use data if you have it"; it does not
-        //       mean the panel is on-screen. So, assume that it always starts
-        //       off-screen since nothing is selected initially...
-        toggleDetails(false);
+        toggleUseDetailsFlag(prefsState.detail);
         toggleSprites(prefsState.spr);
         flash.enable(true);
     }
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoPanel.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoPanel.js
index af6e879..bce9e8e 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoPanel.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/app/view/topo/topoPanel.js
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@
         dp.up = function (cb) { dp._move(dp.ypos.up, cb); };
     }
 
-    function toggleDetails(x) {
+    function toggleUseDetailsFlag(x) {
         var kev = (x === 'keyev'),
             verb;
 
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@
         ps.destroyPanel(idSum);
         ps.destroyPanel(idDet);
         summaryPanel = detailPanel = null;
+        haveDetails = false;
     }
 
     // ==========================
@@ -362,7 +363,7 @@
                 showSummary: showSummary,
                 toggleSummary: toggleSummary,
 
-                toggleDetails: toggleDetails,
+                toggleUseDetailsFlag: toggleUseDetailsFlag,
                 displaySingle: displaySingle,
                 displayMulti: displayMulti,
                 addAction: addAction,
diff --git a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/tests/app/view/topo/topoPanel-spec.js b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/tests/app/view/topo/topoPanel-spec.js
index 1b2a573..bd1c172 100644
--- a/web/gui/src/main/webapp/tests/app/view/topo/topoPanel-spec.js
+++ b/web/gui/src/main/webapp/tests/app/view/topo/topoPanel-spec.js
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@
             'destroyPanels',
             'showSummary',
             'toggleSummary',
-            'toggleDetails',
+            'toggleUseDetailsFlag',
             'displaySingle',
             'displayMulti',
             'addAction',