diff --git a/ui/app/controllers/optimize.js b/ui/app/controllers/optimize.js
index 0c4170a28..cf48f0255 100644
--- a/ui/app/controllers/optimize.js
+++ b/ui/app/controllers/optimize.js
@@ -182,6 +182,15 @@ export default class OptimizeController extends Controller {
     this.ensureActiveSummaryIsNotExcluded();
   }
 
+  @action
+  transitionToFirstSummary() {
+    const firstFilteredSummary = this.filteredSummaries.objectAt(0);
+
+    if (firstFilteredSummary) {
+      this.transitionToSummary(firstFilteredSummary);
+    }
+  }
+
   @action
   ensureActiveSummaryIsNotExcluded() {
     scheduleOnce('actions', () => {
@@ -190,6 +199,8 @@ export default class OptimizeController extends Controller {
 
         if (firstFilteredSummary) {
           this.transitionToSummary(firstFilteredSummary);
+        } else {
+          this.transitionToRoute('optimize');
         }
       }
     });
diff --git a/ui/app/routes/optimize/index.js b/ui/app/routes/optimize/index.js
index c7270f029..baa207240 100644
--- a/ui/app/routes/optimize/index.js
+++ b/ui/app/routes/optimize/index.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import Route from '@ember/routing/route';
 
 export default class OptimizeIndexRoute extends Route {
-  async redirect() {
-    const summaries = this.modelFor('optimize');
+  async activate() {
+    // This runs late in the loading lifecycle to ensure .filteredSummaries is populated
+    const summaries = this.controllerFor('optimize').filteredSummaries;
 
     if (summaries.length) {
       const firstSummary = summaries.objectAt(0);
diff --git a/ui/tests/acceptance/optimize-test.js b/ui/tests/acceptance/optimize-test.js
index fb4c5c0f8..c394e87b2 100644
--- a/ui/tests/acceptance/optimize-test.js
+++ b/ui/tests/acceptance/optimize-test.js
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@ module('Acceptance | optimize search and facets', function(hooks) {
     assert.notOk(Optimize.card.isPresent);
     assert.ok(Optimize.empty.isPresent);
     assert.equal(Optimize.empty.headline, 'No Matches');
+    assert.equal(currentURL(), '/optimize?search=qqq');
   });
 
   test('processing a summary moves to the next one in the sorted list', async function(assert) {