diff --git a/code/boot.js b/code/boot.js
index 1f4d9633..fd4d56ae 100644
--- a/code/boot.js
+++ b/code/boot.js
@@ -253,6 +253,12 @@ window.setMapBaseLayer = function() {
   var baseLayer = nameToLayer[localStorage['iitc-base-map']] || firstLayer;
   map.addLayer(baseLayer);
 
+  //after choosing a base layer, ensure the zoom is valid for this layer
+  //(needs to be done here - as we don't know the base layer zoom limit before this)
+  map.setZoom(map.getZoom());
+
+
+  //event to track layer changes and store the name
   map.on('baselayerchange', function() {
     for(i in window.layerChooser._layers) {
       var obj = window.layerChooser._layers[i];
@@ -264,6 +270,7 @@ window.setMapBaseLayer = function() {
 
   });
 
+
 }
 
 // renders player details into the website. Since the player info is
diff --git a/code/location.js b/code/location.js
index efa85586..87ac0a27 100644
--- a/code/location.js
+++ b/code/location.js
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ window.getPosition = function() {
     var lat = parseInt(getURLParam('latE6'))/1E6 || 0.0;
     var lng = parseInt(getURLParam('lngE6'))/1E6 || 0.0;
     var z = parseInt(getURLParam('z')) || 17;
-    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z > 18 ? 18 : z};
+    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z};
   }
 
   if(getURLParam('ll')) {
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ window.getPosition = function() {
     var lat = parseFloat(getURLParam('ll').split(",")[0]) || 0.0;
     var lng = parseFloat(getURLParam('ll').split(",")[1]) || 0.0;
     var z = parseInt(getURLParam('z')) || 17;
-    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z > 18 ? 18 : z};
+    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z};
   }
 
   if(readCookie('ingress.intelmap.lat') && readCookie('ingress.intelmap.lng')) {
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@ window.getPosition = function() {
     if(lat < -90  || lat > 90) lat = 0.0;
     if(lng < -180 || lng > 180) lng = 0.0;
 
-    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z > 18 ? 18 : z};
+    return {center: new L.LatLng(lat, lng), zoom: z};
   }
 
-  setTimeout("window.map.locate({setView : true, maxZoom: 13});", 50);
+  setTimeout("window.map.locate({setView : true});", 50);
 
   return {center: new L.LatLng(0.0, 0.0), zoom: 1};
 }