diff --git a/js/api-wrapper.js b/js/api-wrapper.js
index 9c8246fd3..c12e71352 100644
--- a/js/api-wrapper.js
+++ b/js/api-wrapper.js
@@ -69,7 +69,17 @@ function switchToTask(id) {
 	var taskData = tasks.get(id);
 
 	if (taskData.tabs.length > 0) {
-		switchToTab(taskData.tabs.getSelected());
+		var selectedTab = taskData.tabs.getSelected();
+		
+		//if the task has no tab that is selected, switch to the most recent one
+		
+		if(!selectedTab) {
+			selectedTab = taskData.tabs.get().sort(function(a, b) {
+				return b.lastActivity - a.lastActivity;
+			})[0].id;
+		}
+		
+		switchToTab(selectedTab);
 	} else {
 		addTab();
 	}
diff --git a/js/taskOverlay.js b/js/taskOverlay.js
index 6770318ec..06ba8c7bb 100644
--- a/js/taskOverlay.js
+++ b/js/taskOverlay.js
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ function getTaskOverlayTabElement(tab, task) {
 	});
 
 	item.setAttribute("data-tab", tab.id);
+	item.setAttribute("data-task", task.id);
 
 	return item;
 }
@@ -113,7 +114,7 @@ function getTaskElement(task, taskIndex) {
 			var el = getTaskOverlayTabElement(task.tabs[i], task);
 
 			el.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
-				switchToTask(task.id);
+				switchToTask(this.getAttribute("data-task"));
 				switchToTab(this.getAttribute("data-tab"));
 
 				taskOverlay.hide();
@@ -238,6 +239,8 @@ function syncStateAndOverlay() {
 			if (newTabs.length != 0) {
 				for (var i = 0; i < newTabs.length; i++) {
 					task.tabs.add(tabSet[newTabs[i].getAttribute("data-tab")]);
+					//update the data-task attribute of the tab element
+					newTabs[i].setAttribute("data-task", task.id);
 				}
 			} else {
 				//the task has no tabs, remove it