diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.html b/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.html
index 17d271f368..58dbbe3aa1 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.html
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.html
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <div class="container" *ngVar="(itemRDObs | async) as itemRD">
-  <div class="item-page" *ngIf="itemRD?.hasSucceeded" @fadeInOut>
+  <div class="item-page" *ngIf="(itemRDObs | async)?.hasSucceeded" @fadeInOut>
     <div *ngIf="itemRD?.payload as item">
-      <ds-entity-type-switcher [object]="item" [viewMode]="ElementViewMode.Full"></ds-entity-type-switcher>
+      <ds-entity-type-switcher [object]="(itemRDObs | async)?.payload" [viewMode]="ElementViewMode.Full"></ds-entity-type-switcher>
     </div>
   </div>
-  <ds-error *ngIf="itemRD?.hasFailed" message="{{'error.item' | translate}}"></ds-error>
-  <ds-loading *ngIf="itemRD?.isLoading" message="{{'loading.item' | translate}}"></ds-loading>
+  <ds-error *ngIf="(itemRDObs | async)?.hasFailed" message="{{'error.item' | translate}}"></ds-error>
+  <ds-loading *ngIf="(itemRDObs | async)?.isLoading" message="{{'loading.item' | translate}}"></ds-loading>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.ts b/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.ts
index 55dfe8a7b0..1dfa93f52d 100644
--- a/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/+item-page/simple/item-page.component.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { fadeInOut } from '../../shared/animations/fade';
 import { hasValue } from '../../shared/empty.util';
 import * as viewMode from '../../shared/view-mode';
 import { BehaviorSubject } from 'rxjs/BehaviorSubject';
+import { Subscription } from 'rxjs/Subscription';
 
 /**
  * This component renders a simple item page.
@@ -31,11 +32,11 @@ export class ItemPageComponent implements OnInit {
 
   id: number;
 
-  private sub: any;
-
+  private sub: Subscription;
+  private itemSub: Subscription;
   thumbnailObs: Observable<Bitstream>;
 
-  itemRDObs?: BehaviorSubject<RemoteData<Item>> = new BehaviorSubject(new RemoteData(true, true, false, null, null));
+  itemRDObs: BehaviorSubject<RemoteData<Item>> = new BehaviorSubject(new RemoteData(true, true, undefined, null, null));
 
   ElementViewMode = viewMode.ElementViewMode;
 
@@ -43,9 +44,7 @@ export class ItemPageComponent implements OnInit {
     private route: ActivatedRoute,
     private items: ItemDataService,
     private metadataService: MetadataService,
-  ) {
-
-  }
+  ) { }
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
     this.sub = this.route.params.subscribe((params) => {
@@ -56,7 +55,10 @@ export class ItemPageComponent implements OnInit {
 
   initialize(params) {
     this.id = +params.id;
-    this.items.findById(params.id).filter((rd) => hasValue(rd.payload)).first().subscribe((item) => this.itemRDObs.next(item));
+    if (hasValue(this.itemSub)) {
+      this.itemSub.unsubscribe();
+    }
+    this.itemSub = this.items.findById(params.id).subscribe((item) => this.itemRDObs.next(item));
     this.metadataService.processRemoteData(this.itemRDObs);
     this.thumbnailObs = this.itemRDObs
       .map((rd: RemoteData<Item>) => rd.payload)