diff --git a/templates/src/client/app.ts b/templates/src/client/app.ts
index 9456a6336..36018adbd 100644
--- a/templates/src/client/app.ts
+++ b/templates/src/client/app.ts
@@ -106,16 +106,17 @@ export function scroll_state() {
 	};
 }
 
-export function navigate(target: Target, id: number): Promise<any> {
+export function navigate(target: Target, id: number, has_scroll = false): Promise<any> {
 	if (id) {
 		// popstate or initial navigation
 		cid = id;
 	} else {
+		const current_scroll = scroll_state()
 		// clicked on a link. preserve scroll state
-		scroll_history[cid] = scroll_state();
+		scroll_history[cid] = current_scroll;
 
 		id = cid = ++uid;
-		scroll_history[cid] = { x: 0, y: 0 };
+		scroll_history[cid] = has_scroll ? current_scroll : { x: 0, y: 0 };
 	}
 
 	cid = id;
diff --git a/templates/src/client/start/index.ts b/templates/src/client/start/index.ts
index 240fdd8eb..a34f6b221 100644
--- a/templates/src/client/start/index.ts
+++ b/templates/src/client/start/index.ts
@@ -102,8 +102,9 @@ function handle_click(event: MouseEvent) {
 	if (url.pathname === location.pathname && url.search === location.search) return;
 
 	const target = select_route(url);
+	const has_scroll = a.hasAttribute('sapper-noscroll')
 	if (target) {
-		navigate(target, null);
+		navigate(target, null, has_scroll);
 		event.preventDefault();
 		history.pushState({ id: cid }, '', url.href);
 	}