diff --git a/Netdisco/share/public/javascripts/netdisco.js b/Netdisco/share/public/javascripts/netdisco.js
index 8ce5925d..abf497d3 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/public/javascripts/netdisco.js
+++ b/Netdisco/share/public/javascripts/netdisco.js
@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ function do_search (event, tab) {
   // stop form from submitting normally
   event.preventDefault();
 
+  // save current sidebar settings
+  var datatable = $(target).find('table').first().DataTable();
+  datatable.state.save();
+
   // hide or show sidebars depending on previous state,
   // and whether the sidebar contains any content (detected by TT)
   if (has_sidebar[tab] == 0) {
@@ -50,7 +54,6 @@ function do_search (event, tab) {
         scrollingTop: 40
         ,useAbsolutePositioning: false
       });
-      global_inner_view_processing(tab);
       inner_view_processing(tab);
     }
   );
@@ -103,38 +106,6 @@ function update_content(from, to) {
   $(to_form).trigger("submit");
 }
 
-// called after every ajax, in case updating anything is required
-function global_inner_view_processing(tab) {
-  // find the current tab's datatables object
-  // then update sidebar checkboxes to hook the datatables colvis
-  var table   = $('#' + tab + '_pane').find('table').first();
-  var colvis  = new $.fn.dataTable.ColVis( table );
-  var columns = colvis.s.dt.aoColumns;
-
-  if ( $.inArray( 'all', colvis.s.exclude ) === -1 ) {
-      for ( var i=0, iLen=columns.length ; i<iLen ; i++ ) {
-          if ( $.inArray( i, colvis.s.exclude ) === -1 ) {
-              var button = colvis.dom.buttons.shift();
-
-              $(button).find('label').addClass('checkbox');
-              $(button).find('input').attr('id', columns[i]["name"]);
-              $(button).find('input').attr('name', columns[i]["name"]);
-
-              var target = $('#' + columns[i]["name"]);
-              $(button).find('span').text( target.closest('label').text() );
-              $(button).find('input').first().prop('checked', target.prop('checked'));
-
-              // need to re-activate tooltips on new content
-              $(button).click(function() {
-                $("[rel=tooltip]").tooltip({live: true});
-              });
-
-              target.closest('li').replaceWith( button );
-          }
-      }
-  }
-}
-
 // handler for ajax navigation
 if (window.History && window.History.enabled) {
   var History = window.History;
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/ajax/datatabledefaults.tt b/Netdisco/share/views/ajax/datatabledefaults.tt
index a6f8b654..b1264c3e 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/ajax/datatabledefaults.tt
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/ajax/datatabledefaults.tt
@@ -50,4 +50,34 @@
       // load all sidebar settings
       var sidebarform = $('#[% tabname %]_form');
       sidebarform.deserialize( data.sidebarform );
+    },
+    "initComplete": function (settings, json) {
+      // find the current tab's datatables object
+      // then update sidebar checkboxes to hook the datatables colvis
+      var table   = $('#[% tabname %]_pane').find('table').first();
+      var colvis  = new table.dataTable.ColVis( table );
+      var columns = colvis.s.dt.aoColumns;
+
+      if ( $.inArray( 'all', colvis.s.exclude ) === -1 ) {
+          for ( var i=0, iLen=columns.length ; i<iLen ; i++ ) {
+              if ( $.inArray( i, colvis.s.exclude ) === -1 ) {
+                  var button = colvis.dom.buttons.shift();
+
+                  $(button).find('label').addClass('checkbox');
+                  $(button).find('input').attr('id', columns[i]["name"]);
+                  $(button).find('input').attr('name', columns[i]["name"]);
+
+                  var target = $('#' + columns[i]["name"]);
+                  $(button).find('span').text( target.closest('label').text() );
+                  $(button).find('input').first().prop('checked', target.prop('checked'));
+
+                  // need to re-activate tooltips on new content
+                  $(button).click(function() {
+                    $("[rel=tooltip]").tooltip({live: true});
+                  });
+
+                  target.closest('li').replaceWith( button );
+              }
+          }
+      }
     }
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js b/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
index 4127fa0e..9d8ebb4d 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/js/common.js
@@ -69,11 +69,9 @@
 
   $(document).ready(function() {
     // on page load, load the content for the active tab
-    [% IF tabname %]
-    [% IF tabname == 'ipinventory' OR tabname == 'subnets' %]
+    [% IF tabname AND (tabname == 'ipinventory' OR tabname == 'subnets') %]
       $('#[% tabname %]_submit').click();
     [% ELSE %]
       $('#[% tabname %]_form').trigger("submit");
     [% END %]
-    [% END %]
   });
diff --git a/Netdisco/share/views/sidebar/device/ports.tt b/Netdisco/share/views/sidebar/device/ports.tt
index 88a377ce..57e56740 100644
--- a/Netdisco/share/views/sidebar/device/ports.tt
+++ b/Netdisco/share/views/sidebar/device/ports.tt
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
                 </label></span>
               <div id="nd_columns" class="collapse in">
                 <ul id="nd_column-controls" class="nd_inputs-list unstyled">
-                  [% FOREACH entry IN settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.columns %]
+                  [% FOREACH entry IN settings.table_display.device.ports.columns %]
                   [% SET keyname = entry.keys.first %]
                   [% NEXT IF keyname == 'c_admin' AND NOT user_has_role('port_control') %]
                   <li>
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="neigh_id"
                         name="neigh_id"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.neigh_id || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.neigh_id) %] />
+                          (params.neigh_id || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.neigh_id) %] />
                       Connected Device ID
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_age"
                         name="n_age"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_age || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_age) %] />
+                          (params.n_age || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_age) %] />
                       Age Stamp
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_ip"
                         name="n_ip"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_ip || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_ip) %] />
+                          (params.n_ip || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_ip) %] />
                       IP Address
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_netbios"
                         name="n_netbios"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_netbios || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_netbios) %] />
+                          (params.n_netbios || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_netbios) %] />
                       NetBIOS
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_ssid"
                         name="n_ssid"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_ssid || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_ssid) %] />
+                          (params.n_ssid || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_ssid) %] />
                       SSID
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_vendor"
                         name="n_vendor"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_vendor || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_vendor) %] />
+                          (params.n_vendor || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_vendor) %] />
                       Vendor
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@
                     <label class="checkbox">
                       <input type="checkbox" class="nd_dynamic-dp" id="n_archived"
                         name="n_archived"[% ' checked="checked"' IF
-                          (params.n_archived || settings.table_display.$section.${tab.tag}.content.n_archived) %] />
+                          (params.n_archived || settings.table_display.device.ports.content.n_archived) %] />
                       Archived Data
                     </label>
                   </li>
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@
               </div>
             </div>
             <div class="btn-group">
-              <button id="[% tab.tag %]_submit" type="submit" class="btn btn-info nd_sidebar-btn-drop">
+              <button id="ports_submit" type="submit" class="btn btn-info nd_sidebar-btn-drop">
                 <i class="icon-search icon-large pull-left nd_navbar-icon"></i> Update View</button>
               <button class="btn btn-info dropdown-toggle nd_sidebar-btn-drop-drop" data-toggle="dropdown">
                 <span class="caret"></span>