diff --git a/src/node/handler/PadMessageHandler.js b/src/node/handler/PadMessageHandler.js
index fbf43599d..d0184bc2c 100644
--- a/src/node/handler/PadMessageHandler.js
+++ b/src/node/handler/PadMessageHandler.js
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ exports.handleMessage = function(client, message)
       } else {
         messageLogger.warn("Dropped message, unknown COLLABROOM Data  Type " + message.data.type);
       }
-    } else if(message.type == "CLEAR_SESSION_INFO") {
-      handleClearSessionInfo(client, message);
+    } else if(message.type == "SWITCH_TO_PAD") {
+      handleSwitchToPad(client, message);
     } else {
       messageLogger.warn("Dropped message, unknown Message Type " + message.type);
     }
@@ -232,18 +232,7 @@ exports.handleMessage = function(client, message)
       {
         // client tried to auth for the first time (first msg from the client)
         if(message.type == "CLIENT_READY") {
-          // Remember this information since we won't
-          // have the cookie in further socket.io messages.
-          // This information will be used to check if
-          // the sessionId of this connection is still valid
-          // since it could have been deleted by the API.
-          sessioninfos[client.id].auth =
-          {
-            sessionID: message.sessionID,
-            padID: message.padId,
-            token : message.token,
-            password: message.password
-          };
+          createSessionInfo(client, message);
         }
 
         // Note: message.sessionID is an entirely different kind of
@@ -874,18 +863,8 @@ function _correctMarkersInPad(atext, apool) {
   return builder.toString();
 }
 
-function handleClearSessionInfo(client, message)
+function handleSwitchToPad(client, message)
 {
-  var infoMsg = {
-          type: "COLLABROOM",
-          data: {
-            type: "CLEAR_CHAT_MESSAGES"
-          }
-        };
-
-  // send the messages back to the client to clear the chat messages
-  client.json.send(infoMsg);
-
   // clear the session and leave the room
   var currentSession = sessioninfos[client.id];
   var padId = currentSession.padId;
@@ -898,6 +877,26 @@ function handleClearSessionInfo(client, message)
       roomClients[i].leave(padId);
     }
   }
+  
+  // start up the new pad
+  createSessionInfo(client, message);
+  handleClientReady(client, message);
+}
+
+function createSessionInfo(client, message)
+{
+  // Remember this information since we won't
+  // have the cookie in further socket.io messages.
+  // This information will be used to check if
+  // the sessionId of this connection is still valid
+  // since it could have been deleted by the API.
+  sessioninfos[client.id].auth =
+  {
+    sessionID: message.sessionID,
+    padID: message.padId,
+    token : message.token,
+    password: message.password
+  };
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/static/js/chat.js b/src/static/js/chat.js
index 764446908..65fc8dd94 100644
--- a/src/static/js/chat.js
+++ b/src/static/js/chat.js
@@ -79,10 +79,6 @@ var chat = (function()
       this._pad.collabClient.sendMessage({"type": "CHAT_MESSAGE", "text": text});
       $("#chatinput").val("");
     },
-    clearChatMessages: function()
-    {
-      $('#chattext p').remove();
-    },
     addMessage: function(msg, increment, isHistoryAdd)
     {
       //correct the time
diff --git a/src/static/js/collab_client.js b/src/static/js/collab_client.js
index 420a6d4cf..146ec51b5 100644
--- a/src/static/js/collab_client.js
+++ b/src/static/js/collab_client.js
@@ -388,10 +388,6 @@ function getCollabClient(ace2editor, serverVars, initialUserInfo, options, _pad)
     {
       chat.addMessage(msg, true, false);
     }
-    else if (msg.type == "CLEAR_CHAT_MESSAGES")
-    {
-      chat.clearChatMessages();
-    }
     else if (msg.type == "CHAT_MESSAGES")
     {
       for(var i = msg.messages.length - 1; i >= 0; i--)
diff --git a/src/static/js/pad.js b/src/static/js/pad.js
index 7d487b1cb..5d1f10670 100644
--- a/src/static/js/pad.js
+++ b/src/static/js/pad.js
@@ -162,19 +162,9 @@ function savePassword()
   return false;
 }
 
-function sendClearSessionInfo()
-{
-  var msg = {
-    "component": "pad",
-    "type": "CLEAR_SESSION_INFO",
-    "protocolVersion": 2
-  };
-  
-  socket.json.send(msg);
-}
-
-function sendClientReady(isReconnect)
+function sendClientReady(isReconnect, messageType)
 {
+  messageType = typeof messageType !== 'undefined' ? messageType : 'CLIENT_READY';
   var padId = document.location.pathname.substring(document.location.pathname.lastIndexOf("/") + 1);
   padId = decodeURIComponent(padId); // unescape neccesary due to Safari and Opera interpretation of spaces
 
@@ -197,7 +187,7 @@ function sendClientReady(isReconnect)
 
   var msg = {
     "component": "pad",
-    "type": "CLIENT_READY",
+    "type": messageType,
     "padId": padId,
     "sessionID": sessionID,
     "password": password,
@@ -442,9 +432,10 @@ var pad = {
   {
     return pad.myUserInfo.name;
   },
-  sendClientReady: function(isReconnect)
+  sendClientReady: function(isReconnect, messageType)
   {
-    sendClientReady(isReconnect);
+    messageType = typeof messageType !== 'undefined' ? messageType : 'CLIENT_READY';
+    sendClientReady(isReconnect, messageType);
   },
   switchToPad: function(padId)
   {
@@ -455,10 +446,10 @@ var pad = {
 
     if(window.history && window.history.pushState)
     {
+      $('#chattext p').remove(); //clear the chat messages
       window.history.pushState("", "", newHref);      
-      sendClearSessionInfo();
       receivedClientVars = false;
-      sendClientReady(false);
+      sendClientReady(false, 'SWITCH_TO_PAD');
     }
     else // fallback
     {