diff --git a/src/pages/thread/SortBy.js b/src/pages/thread/SortBy.js
index dc2632c..f8d47a8 100644
--- a/src/pages/thread/SortBy.js
+++ b/src/pages/thread/SortBy.js
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 import React, { useState } from 'react'
-import {connect, sort, filter, saveMaxComments, minCommentsLimit, maxCommentsLimit} from '../../state'
+import {connect, sort, filter, getMaxComments, saveMaxComments, minCommentsLimit, maxCommentsLimit} from '../../state'
 
 const sortBy = props => {
   const [maxCommentsField, setMaxCommentsField] = useState(props.global.state.maxComments)
+  const initSavedMaxComments = getMaxComments()
   const isFirefox = typeof InstallTrigger !== 'undefined'
   let usedMouse;
 
@@ -43,7 +44,7 @@ const sortBy = props => {
       onBlur=   {e => e.target.value = saveMaxComments(e.target.value)}
       { ...(isFirefox ? {
         onClick: e => e.target.focus() } : {}) }
-      defaultValue={props.global.state.maxComments} type='number' maxLength='5' required
+      defaultValue={initSavedMaxComments} type='number' maxLength='5' required
       min={minCommentsLimit} max={maxCommentsLimit} step={minCommentsLimit} />
   </span>
   { maxCommentsField > props.global.state.maxComments && props.global.state.maxComments < maxCommentsLimit && !props.reloadingComments &&
diff --git a/src/pages/thread/index.js b/src/pages/thread/index.js
index 3149a0b..13997cf 100644
--- a/src/pages/thread/index.js
+++ b/src/pages/thread/index.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {
   getComments as getPushshiftComments
 } from '../../api/pushshift'
 import { isDeleted, isRemoved } from '../../utils'
-import { connect } from '../../state'
+import { connect, constrainMaxComments } from '../../state'
 import Post from '../common/Post'
 import CommentSection from './CommentSection'
 import SortBy from './SortBy'
@@ -29,7 +29,12 @@ class Thread extends React.Component {
 
   componentDidMount () {
     const { subreddit, threadID } = this.props.match.params
-    this.curMaxComments = this.props.global.state.maxComments
+    let maxCommentsQuery = parseInt((new URLSearchParams(this.props.location.search)).get('max_comments'))
+    if (maxCommentsQuery > this.props.global.state.maxComments)
+      // Directly mutating the state is not recommended, but it's only done once and is probably OK here
+      this.props.global.state.maxComments = this.curMaxComments = constrainMaxComments(maxCommentsQuery)
+    else
+      this.curMaxComments = this.props.global.state.maxComments
     this.props.global.setLoading('Loading post...')
 
     // Get post from reddit
diff --git a/src/state.js b/src/state.js
index 5b532a0..afa4e5e 100644
--- a/src/state.js
+++ b/src/state.js
@@ -23,11 +23,17 @@ export const maxCommentsDefault = 800
 export const minCommentsLimit   = chunkSize
 export const maxCommentsLimit   = 20000
 
-// Contrains, saves, and returns it, but does not change the state (does not load more comments)
-export const saveMaxComments = maxComments => {
+// Constrains input to between minCommentsLimit and maxCommentsLimit
+export const constrainMaxComments = maxComments => {
   maxComments = Math.min(Math.round(maxComments), maxCommentsLimit)
   if (!(maxComments >= minCommentsLimit))  // also true when maxComments isn't a number
     maxComments = minCommentsLimit
+  return maxComments
+}
+
+// Contrains, saves, and returns it, but does not change the state (does not load more comments)
+export const saveMaxComments = maxComments => {
+  maxComments = constrainMaxComments(maxComments)
   put(maxCommentsKey, maxComments)
   return maxComments
 }